Wigwam Jones

I switched from Comcast and so far, I've been relatively happy. It's not for the person who wants to use their own PVR or watch TV on their PC with a video card, etc, because the input comes in via a different method.

Hello, everyone! I should like to start off by saying I am not a security professional (I've been one in the past, but not on the hardware side, I wore the SG uniforms decades ago for various security firms). I am an amateur photographer and I am experimenting with video. Which brought me here, because I have become interested in CCTV cameras which were intended for security use but which I would like to use for 'studio' work for a project I have in mind. Specifically, I am interested in vintage B&W CCTV cameras which use vidicon sensor tubes instead of CCD digital sensors. I realize that these devices are not considered the best security devices anymore, but for my uses, they may be just what I need. I see that older B&W CCTV cameras such as the Panasonic WV series go begging on various auction websites; unsold for even a few dollars. That might be just the thing for me; but I'm interested in learning more. Perhaps there are reasons I do not understand why such devices would not be useful to me; but I presume that if they still work, their signals can be routed to my PC's capture card and stored in a digital format. I'd use the camera(s) as a sort of unattended 'studio' camera. I realize they don't have viewfinders like a traditional studio camera does, but I presume if I'm not moving the camera around, it would be something I could focus by experimentation and then leave alone anyway. Anyway, my intent is to browse your discussion forum and perhaps ask a newbie question or two, hope you all don't mind. Best, Wiggy

Thanks!

Yes, that's it exactly. There are unique characteristics to a tube-based camera; characteristics that are generally not acceptable for modern use, but they are evocative of an era. I am planning a little personal project to see if it can be done; mainly to satisfy my curiosity. I want to create a video that has the look and feel of a vintage B&W television broadcast. That means image smear, soft focus, and the particular halo effect that tubes seem to bring to the image. I have seen some attempts to recreate those attributes with post-processing, but I'm not particularly impressed with them; it's like the digital filters that people use to put 'grain' into digital photos to make them look like film photos. They're close, I guess, but to my eye, they're not acceptable. I like the grain of film and the general image characteristics of tube video cameras, at least for the project I have in mind. Otherwise, I'm quite pleased with modern digital images and video - just not for this particular use. I realize that this isn't what this particular forum is geared towards, but I beg your indulgence; from my reading of the forum, it appears that there are security and industry veterans on here who know their way around a vidicon-based CCTV camera; I hope to learn from them.

Thanks! Actually, the ones I have been looking at on the various auction and sales sites seem to be tube types - models WV-1400, 1410, 1414 and so on. Some are 24 v power, some have AC power cords, but all have those big massive screw-on RF connectors for the video out. I've done some checking, and they appear to be B&W single-tube vidicon units. I realize that they have have burn-in or just not work after all these years, so I'm factoring the possible need to replace the tube if a vintage NOS tube of that type can be procured. I would be glad to hear any advice anyone could offer on the subject!