I've recently been tidying up the museum and exhibits, mainly enforced by the addition of the monster 26" Hybrid SABA, that meant I had to move on a TV (to Wayne) as it's a one in one out policy now. This also lead me on to revamp the Crusty collection pages and create a new Television shop/museum page, making them easy to navigate and find items.
Anyway, I digress. After the page revamps, it made me realise I really should have a VCR camera represented, and I didn't. The portable (cough !) home VHS camera was a large part of the boom in the home video market. I started looking on eBay and found a rather magnificent Ferguson monster. It was just the camera, I almost took the plunge, then a thought nagged me, "hold on haven't already got something?".
I then recalled a good few years ago being given a Sharp system, but what had become of it. I hunted around and eventually found the boxes stashed away on a sort of mezzanine area above the entrance to the workshop extension (out of sight out of mind) there are other goodies up there I'd also forgotten about. Anyway, I had to remove a rather large Rediffusion sign to get access and there it was, a 1981 Sharp VC2300H and XC-30.
It now sits in the museum, the plan is to have it running hooked up to a TV. Visitors can then see themselves on a TV, just how we used to capture life's events back in the early 80s. Equally, to see just how far we've come with our 4K handy camera phones.
I'd love to find the actual price this kit would have set you back in 1981. I've probably over egged it at £745, It might have been something like £499 or £599. If anyone can recall or has an advert, I'd be grateful for the info, so I can update the price tag plate accordingly.
p.s.
As this thread references 1981, I'm reminded of this fantastic photo from 1981. None other than our very own @jayceebee (John) at the Sunderland air show. The camera in use is similar to the Sharp system above, John's is a Ferguson 3V20 and VCR is a 3V24.
Unlike 2023 with all the phone cameras held aloft, John was probably a unique sight videoing the show, and probably a topic of conversation.
p.p.s
Sorry John, don't kill me for the photo, it does already exist elsewhere in the forum, in another thread.
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As this thread references 1981, I'm reminded of this fantastic photo from 1981. None other than our very own @jayceebee (John) at the Sunderland air show. The camera in use is similar to the Sharp system above, John's is a Ferguson 3V20 and VCR is a 3V24.
The very units I have. I also have a couple of Panasonic portable VHS machines, but no cameras.
The thing that immediately catches my eye is the sheer size of the Sharp recorder - it looks little smaller than something that would go under the telly.
John, don't kill me for the photo, it does already exist elsewhere in the forum, in another thread.
Ha ha, no problem but oh dear, that was 42 years ago and how those years have taken it's toll. There were others around with cine cameras of course but I wondered if anyone did notice the VCR. The kit was borrowed from work and was literally brand new being delivered the previous Tuesday and was to be used for short term rental for weddings etc. I hate to think what the cost would have been, must have been staggering to buy back then as even the normal machines at the time which were the 3V00, 3V16 and 3V23 were big money.
That weekend the shop and workshop was broken into through the wall from the bookmakers next door and every VCR good and faulty was stolen, if I hadn't had the kit it would have gone too. Another thing I did on the air show recording was probably early use of computer graphics. I manged to make scrolling text for the start and end credits and this was provided by a 6502 based kit I built, the Compukit UK101 with a massive 4K of memory.
Happy days.
John.
Nice! I think the earliest video camera/vcr I have is a great big Panasonic all in one thing, uses a full size VHS tape and runs from a 12V SLA battery. It’s a colour camera, but for some reason it’s stopped recording colour, but can still play back in colour! I was given it at the NVCF some years ago, literally someone just came up to me with it and said ‘you look like someone who likes camera’s!’ As I was walking around with a big Sony M7 TV camera, ‘would you like another?!’ So I said yeah why not!
As to having your Sharp camera up and running, I remember a telly shop in Daventry that used to have a camera rigged up to a telly in the window, so you could see yourself on telly as you walked past! Sadly I can’t remember what camera or telly it was, but it was very early 90’s so I can’t have been more than 5 years old!
Regards,
Lloyd
Well, it works after a fashion.
It looks like the autofocus circuit is not fully functioning. Zoomed out, it will not pull in. Zoomed in, It just about sorts itself out. I'll leave it running for an hour or so, maybe some of the electrolytics might reform, of course assuming that's the cause, which is unlikely.
I don't think I'll be opening it up, I wouldn't know where to start on diagnosing a camera, and certainly not without a cct. I wonder if it's early surface mount in there.
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Nice find Chris!
Does the Sharp camera have manual focus? I just wonder if it's not focusing due to lack of use, and maybe it just needs a bit of excercise, possibly some grease getting a bit sticky in the lens? I have a couple of big lenses here for my DSLR that are struggling with focusing, and I'm sure it's down to dried up grease, you can hear the motor struggling on one of them.
Regards,
Lloyd
Hi Lloyd, no manual focus, it's fully automatic.
I was quite surprised at the lack of user controls, there are just three. On the lens, there's a zoom lever. On the grip there is the trigger to activate record start/stop. The final control at the rear is a three-way (Cloudy, Daytime, Indoor) colour compensator switch.
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...perhaps even recreate the pose 42-years later.
Only if you have a copy of Photoshop or similar and are very proficient with it! 🤣 🤣 🤣
John.
Only if you have a copy of Photoshop or similar and are very proficient with it!
All website and forum graphics I created with it so, I do, and I am. How would you like your hair, sir? 😎
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3V20A & 3V24 posts split off to new thread here.
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Cheers Jim, priced up 👍
Now, I don't suppose you know how much a Ferguson 51A2 cost in 1986. I've put a preliminary guess at £490.
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@crustytv One of the best prices I can see for one of your flat screen Ferguson 51A2's in 1986 is £349.99 reduced from £399.99 and that includes the remote control as well!
Wow! I was way out, cheers Jim
CrustyTV Television Shop: Take a virtual tour
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VC2300.
