A Real Oddity…The EMI 10678
On August 19, 2013
- TV History
A Real Oddity…The EMI 10678
From 1956, this camera used by the BBC is one of the oddest looking things I’ve ever seen. The metal lens hood covered the four turret lens with 3,4 8 and 12 inch Dallmeyer lenses. This is possibly a good idea for rainy days in the field, but not so much in the studio. The pickup tube was a 4.5″ Image Orthicon.
The CPS Emitron tubes had a habit of ‘peeling’ on highlights if they were overexposed. The whole picture would peel to a white screen. Once started there was nothing you could do about it. They had just about cured this in the later versions of the camera.
In the studio the usual lens configuration was 2″ 3″ 5″ and 8″ lenses. The cameramen usually referred to them by the lens angle they gave. 9º, 16º, 24,º & 35º.
Looks like a prop out of a science fiction movie
Interesting turret. No 50, 90 or 135mm lens. Three Inch (Approx. 75mm) Four inch (Approx. 100mm) and Twelve inch instead. Guess the BBC had their own way of doing things. About the only thing roughly the same as us is the eight inch. Those 4.5″ IO’s sucked up a lot of light.
It was all very formal then, he was probably taking a shot from pos 1C.
wonder if the cover was to protect gearing for focus/aperture?
The cameraman is Jim Kinally.
Seems that the two B’s have fallen, haha
Wow. How much must that thing have weighed?
Did some B’s fall off the side, or is this camera “C”? 😉
Note… the 12 inch has a dent in it. LOL
These cameras were also used by Southern TV in the UK in the studio and on OBs.
ABN2 (ABC) Sydney Australia used 2 of these cameras in their studios alongside their Marconi MKIIIs
This is the CPS emitron tube used type 10764 http://www.golden-agetv.co.uk/img/equipment/130b.JPG
The pickup tube used in this camera was actually a CPS emitron (EMI version of the early 40s orthicon tube), details of this camera can be seen via this link http://www.tvcameramuseum.org/emi/cps10678/10678datasheet.pdf Interesting thing I learned of these cameras is they were used to shoot the early Doctor Who episodes from 1963-64.