A Prime Example Of Field Innovation…Can You Spot It?

A Prime Example Of Field Innovation…Can You Spot It?

Is it the well made cardboard viewfinder hood? No.
Is it the plastic over the cable connector? No agian. Look closer.

It’s the heating pad taped to the underside of the lens to keep the grease in the lens fluid. When you set up cameras that have to sit overnight in freezing weather, they are left on and have a cover over them, but when it’s really cold, you have to go the extra mile. By the way, the dual focus demands are rare on studio cameras but not uncommon at the time on long lens remote cameras. One is for back focus.

Thanks to Kathy Jenks Worster for this photo of Steve Cimino behind one of NBC’s 35 Norelco mobile cameras which were a huge embarrassment to RCA, but a godsend to viewers. Steve Cimino is now the Technical Director on ‘Saturday Night Live’, and his son Mike Cimino is a cameraman on ‘Tonight’. I had the pleasure of meeting them both while I was there earlier this year. Enjoy and share!

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9 Comments

  1. Michael Catapano August 12, 2014

    Steve had hair ? Lol

  2. William Tynan August 12, 2014

    TV81 cable !!!!

  3. John McKinnon August 11, 2014

    Cameraman is really 1970’s Al Pacino?

  4. Robert Franklin August 11, 2014

    That was a Varatol lens. Most of the NBC PC 70’s had them. I’m sure that this camera past through my hands sometime in 1980.

  5. Robert Franklin August 11, 2014

    NBC unloaded all of their field PC70’s in 1979. I had the pleasure of refurbishing them for resale. Some of them were in very good shape in and out. And of course there were the basket cases with the sides gaffer taped together.

  6. Michael Elder August 11, 2014

    Home made zoom lens cover!

  7. Oliver Kiell August 11, 2014

    What year was this? Late 70s?

  8. Casey Hawkins August 11, 2014

    Viewfinder shield/hood

  9. Greg Barnes August 11, 2014

    Duct Tape!!!