Through The Eye Of A TK42
On January 8, 2014
- TV History
Through The Eye Of A TK42
On the left is a shot of the RCA TK42 viewfinder framing a weather board at WOC. Between 1965 and 69, RCA sold 375 of these cameras and 93 TK43 models that had the external lens. Today, only 19 are known to have survived in the hands of collectors.
My first job in tv was at WOC-TV Davenport Iowa as a camera operator from 1974-1976. I got to operate the 42 before they were replaced by the TK-45. What a tank this camera was!
Here’s a blow-by-blow article about the 1966 transition to color at WTVT, Tampa. http://www.big13.com/Facilities/facilities_black_and_white_to_co.htm
In the “old building” there was a studio with two TK15s (B&W) with three lens turrets that got moved to the “new building” in 69.
In my opinion, one of the worst looking cameras ever. One I/O tube for mono and three color vids, right? Sucked up light.
Yeah we had them too when I started my studies in TV production too… Heavy you say ? !!!
The first color camera I saw, and was very impressed in 1967 at Expo 67 in Montreal…
We had these in the color studio at Temple University in the 1970’s. Beasts. Loved ’em.
The first TK 42s that brought color to WSB-TV in Atlanta ended up being given to UGA/Journalism for our first color cameras. These are long since gone. They replaced the original B&W TK-15s that were put in about 1964.