01— HITACHI SK-91
Flagship portable camera system from circa 1984–1986. The Hitachi SK-91 combines a lightweight magnesium-alloy body with a high-performance three-tube imaging system engineered for broadcast field production. Its advanced Saticon prism architecture delivers rich analog colour separation, high sensitivity and stable registration while retaining the organic highlight bloom, soft tonal roll-off and subtle texture characteristic of tube-based television cameras.
The SK-91 is now used for music videos, fashion productions, live performance capture and experimental moving image work.
BEST SUITED FOR
Music videos
Fashion editorials
Commercial productions
Live performance capture
Experimental moving image
Retro broadcast aesthetics
Analog video art
High-end vintage television workflows
RECORDING FORMAT
Analog video output with onboard A/D conversion for digital workflows
IMAGING SYSTEM
Three 2/3-inch Saticon tubes with RGB prism beam-splitter
LENS MOUNT
B4 bayonet mount
VIEWFINDER
1.5-inch monochrome CRT EVF
MONITORING & RECORDING
5-inch monitor/recorder with Apple ProRes HQ support
OPERATION
Shoulder-operated system maintained in-house
POWER SUPPLY
V-Mount battery system with 3 D-Tap outputs
VIDEO OUTPUTS
Dual SDI outputs via onboard conversion
IMAGE CHARACTERISTICS
Three-tube broadcast rendering
Strong color separation and tonal depth
Highlight bloom and subtle comet trailing
Soft analog roll-off and low-noise texture
Natural tube-response variation
TECHNICAL FEATURES
Analog image calibration via onboard potentiometers
02— JVC BY-110
Compact analog broadcast camera system from circa 1981–1983. The CVC BY-110 produces tube-based imagery with soft resolution, visible highlight bloom and unstable colour reproduction characteristic of early portable broadcast cameras. Its three-tube RGB prism design delivers richer colour separation and smoother tonal rendering than single-tube systems while retaining the distinctly organic texture of analog video.
Now used for music videos, fashion editorials and experimental moving image work.
BEST SUITED FOR
Shoulder operation
Music videos
Fashion editorials
Commercial productions
Experimental moving image
Retro broadcast aesthetics
Analog video art
RECORDING FORMAT
Analog output with onboard A/D conversion and dual SDI outputs
IMAGING SYSTEM
Three Saticon tubes with RGB prism separation
LENS
Integrated servo zoom lens
VIEWFINDER
Monochrome CRT viewfinder
AUDIO
Integrated shotgun microphone
MONITORING & RECORDING
5-inch monitor/recorder with ProRes HQ support
OPERATION
Shoulder-operated ENG camera system maintained in-house
POWER SUPPLY
External V-Mount battery with 2 D-Tap and 2×12V Lemo outputs
IMAGE CHARACTERISTICS
Organic tube texture
Highlight bloom and smear
Low-noise colour separation
Unstable white balance and colour response
Soft broadcast-era rendering
03—JVC CV-5001
Portable analog video camera system from circa 1979–1980. The JVC CV-5001 produces low-resolution tube imagery with visible bloom, highlight smear and unstable colour reproduction characteristic of early ENG cameras.
Now used for music videos, experimental productions and retro analog aesthetics.
BEST SUITED FOR
Music videos
Experimental productions
Fashion editorials
Retro broadcast aesthetics
Analog video art
Commercial productions
RECORDING FORMAT
Analog video output with onboard analog-to-digital conversion and dual SDI outputs for external digital recording workflows
IMAGING SYSTEM
Single Satin tube imaging system
LENS
c mount zoom lens
VIEWFINDER
Monochrome CRT electronic viewfinder
AUDIO
No onboard microphone
MONITORING & RECORDING
Supplied with 5-inch monitor / recorder supporting Apple ProRes HQ recording
OPERATION
Tripod or support-based portable camera system operated and maintained in-house
POWER SUPPLY
Via external V-Mount battery system with 2 D-Tap outputs and 2× LEMO 2 pins outputs for accessories and monitoring equipment