Unidentified early BBC Camera

[G8GQS]

In this picture of the colour studio, the smaller of the two cameras is unidentified, the larger is a Marconi three-tube 3" IO RGB camera the BD848. The unidentified camera is a bit of a conundrum, in the early 1960s colour cameras were Huge! and this camera is very compact for a colour camera at that time. To me it has the look of a Marconi. From the size it must have used Vidicons in a two or three tube arrangement.

I have asked the most likely person to know, who suggested it might be a Philips LDK2 precursor, I'm not so sure myself. There seems to be 2 camera cables at the rear, possibly BICC Mk4b, it was common at the time for colour cameras to have more than one cable. This would have given 6 co-ax circuits back to the CCU, R,G & B plus Live Drive (scan?) and return viewfinder.

If anyone can help with the identity I would be very pleased. I have not seen this one before and have no other pictures of it.

Big picture at; http://www.tvcameramuseum.org/michael-b ... r1_jpg.htm

Regards Brian

[gm1mfn]

It looks quite like an early Philips prototype with 2/3" Plumbicons but I'm not sure. However, I've contacted a man who might know.

[gm1mfn]

Unfrotunately my contact (ITN not BBC) doesn't know either but suggests it might be an early Bosch-Fernseh model.

[G8GQS]

Yes it's a bit of a mystery. The fact that it is in use with a 3 tube IO camera in a demonstration type set indicates it is before the start of regular colour transmissions, so the date is the early 1960s, well before the introduction of the 2/3" tubes. The Bosch Fernseh cameras were much bigger at that time.

Thanks

Brian