Museum of the Broadcast Television Camera

Thomson TTV-1602 Microcam Mk2 Television Camera.

Thomson TTV-1602 Microcam Mk2 Television Camera.

Technical

The MK2 Camera was an extraordinary achievement in miniaturisation, obtained with an ultra-compact assembly of standard components (with 1/8 W resistors mounted vertically). The design, based on the use of three Plumbicon 2/3" tubes, was a marvel of simplification in relation to the Cameras of the day, yet it worked… That was almost incredible in 1976. However, this little Camera was not designed to Thomson-CSF rules: resistors mounted upright, and other “acrobatics”, were unacceptable to the factory and did not promote reliability.
The two-piece design was in two housings, with a very small head and a box worn on the belt. The “Hip-Pack” was an ergonomic disaster, and the head was totally unbalanced by the lens when not level… The connection cable was very fragile, having a large number of very fine conductors. When the Camera was first used for the Tour de France, a new cable was needed each day!
In the end this Camera, the smallest and most beautiful in the world, was almost unusable and very few were sold. It was clear that a one-piece Camera was required as soon as possible.
It was not Thomson, but Sony, that achieved this development, for Thomson sold the licence for Three-tube Broadcast Cameras to Sony in 1977. However, the Microcam MK2 remains an historic exploit in Technology and Miniaturisation.


B. Tichit.

 

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    05/12/20