Tale #27

Can you tell me what the worst feature of the old rca tv cameras was? Also, why did it take so long for them to warm up?
Steve Owen
Southern California
route_67@netzero.net

I'm not an engineer, so I can't give you a technical answer. I'll post this on my web site and maybe an engineer will send us an answer. This is my unscientific take on it.

One problem was that the old black/white cameras burned easily. That is, they retained the image if they sat still on a subject for too long. Good cameramen knew to keep their shots moving at all times. Even though they were on a head and shoulders shot, they would try to imperceptibly rotate the camera. Later an "orbiter" was incorporated into the cameras that would electronically rotate the picture, so you didn't have to worry about "getting a burn."

As to why they took so long to warm up, I don't know. But that was
before the days of transistors. Those old image orthicon tubes were big.
And they cost about $2,500, which was a lot of money in those days. I
remember sitting on the steps from the studio to the control room and
comforting the chief engineer after he had dropped one on the concrete
studio floor and it shattered.

Aloha, Ma Barker