I love this older technology. Would have loved a job as a cameraman. Thankfully this video is with us forever now so that future generations can appreciate this amazing camera. Good job considering it was shot while the boss was away.

Amazing... Thank you! This was a time when there was a real secretive mystique around television production!

Here in the States, the RCA TK-44 (used primarily by NBC, then-owned by RCA), TK-45, and Norelco PC-70 (used mostly by CBS and ABC) were *_the_* studio cameras at the time. Other stations/facilities were equipped with GE/Harris, Bosch Fernseh, Ampex, or Marconi cameras, but rarely any EMIs.

Earlier this year I emailed an retired BBC VT engineer via the web site VT oldboys. It was regarding what I thought was some sort of Cross talk taking place when loud noise took place with a studio scene. Dads Army episode the 'Deadly attachment' a machine gun is used in studio. The result was horizontal lines rather similar to Quad Equalization or line pairing with UHF analogue sporadic reception. Apparently the sound energy rattles the valves in the camera ! hence the effect.

I agree, both Everett and Hill are still mindbogglingly advanced for their time.

Nice Omega Speedmaster II

OMG I am in stitches at 1:51 now he has turned the camera around and made himself look even more like the Incredible Shrinking Man.

Great video!!!!!

This is great!

My favourite camera :)

@tvcams Yes you are correct on both counts, John informs me that it was recorded in Studio E at Lime Grove. Yes I have to agree with you re the negative comment on John's presentational skills, in John's words ' In fact it was my first experience in front of camera'. Well in my opinion it was job 'Well Done' from someone who was more used to being behind the camera.

@pal625line Yes, it's true. I think it's probably more accurate to say that the effect was the result of the (picture) tubes vibrating, rather than any valves. It happened quite often in high level sound environments such as rock concerts or even at motor racing. The effect is called "Microphony".

I think he meant to say Zoom was on left and focus on right.

This was filmed during the bosses lunch break this is why John was so nervous as he would have got a carpeting for doing this.He had to complete it before he returned...that's why it looks a bit lame...

I learned to operate cameras on two of these beasties, in 1971-‘72. Although they were very popular in England, I understand that only three were ever sold in the USA. The Chicago station where I learned, had two of them. Don’t know where the third went.

It would be weird being the guy who filmed someone filming someone.

Yes this Camera was used in the U.S.A. WSNS-TV Channel 44 in Chicago, Illinois used them back in the day.

I have just realised why the BBC trained guys will always rig with zoom on the left bar it's because the focus is actually on the camera body and they didn't have an option.

i fucking love this vid...thank you so mutch my freind

This YT copy seems to have been uploaded about 10 years ago so I wouldn't expect it to be much higher quality, but for some reason youtube allows the resolution to be set up to 720p, which doesn't make any sense given the age and the quality of this video.

2 turn focus handle was for the K31 lens, much nicer than the single turn J3. Don't switch off the heaters by mistake....

@AidanLunn I used to see that “comet tail” in some old videos and always wanted to know why they were there. I thought they were produced by the tape. I’d would like to know if there are some of these cameras still around (not in use, but still working).

I enjoyed reading these comments. If anyone is interested in the watch, it's an Omega Speedmaster. Would love to know the date of manufacture.

@AidanLunn hahaha. Cameras are very interesting pieces of equipment. What in the cameras then had changed now?

Just to think, The Benny Hill Show's were shot on these.

How heavy are those cameras? Like just to adjust it to size, and to lower it on the pedestal?

@unhban"I'm sorry but as a training video this is terrible" I know you posted this comment two years ago but the point is that this isn't a training video in spite of what it is labelled. As far as I remember it was something which was put together in studio downtime during a 'Nationwide' shift. It was never really intended as a training video as such. It was all done somewhat surreptitiously without any formal managerial consent. I think John H (who was a founder member of the Guild of Television Cameramen) wanted some record of what the 2001 was all about. Accepted he wasn't very used to being that side of the camera.

See how far we've gone?

@AidanLunn Just lifting the camera( it off the pedestal ) would need four to six guys to carry it.

I have tried to download this video ten times. It fails every time, why ?

@AidanLunn @matsui2001 Even eyes produce “comet tails”. Put something in front of you in front of a light bulb, then, start moving the object (without looking at the light bulb) and you’ll see a comet tail.

Looks like soviet mini cam 😅

benny hill and kenny everett.! they used cameras and technology brilliantly.i thought at the time others were going to come along and be even better...but not one person has.benny and kenny must have been geniuses...especially considering how technology has advanced.

Omega Moonwatch :) The engineers choice!

@joecox1990 I agree!

is there anyone who got these films, or can we reach any online archive ; 1986 Appearing on Camera · 1984 The Clapperboard · 1984 Sound and Pictures - The Terrors of Tina · 1984 Music Demonstration Film · 1984 The Camera · 1984 Planning a Programme · 1984 Interviews · 1984 Editing · 1984 Routine Work · 1984 The Scottish Tragedy · 1981 BBC Television Training: The Grammar of Television · 1981 BBC Television Training: An Introduction to the Television Studio · 1981 BBC Television Training: To Salute the Queen · 1981 BBC Television Training: Colour Television · 1981 BBC Television Training: Special Electronic Effects · 1981 BBC Television Training: Camera Mountings · 1981 BBC Television Training: Lighting for Television · 1981 BBC Television Training: Principles of Television Film Lighting · 1981 BBC Television Training: Lenses · 1981 BBC Television Training: One Day's Filming · 1981 BBC Television Training: Slow Motion Filming

And yet EMI made a major mistake with the 2005- far worse pictures and an external lens like the Marconi MK7........

Rookie boom op

Not very smooth speaking but awesome video! Thanks for sharing

@pal625line Just use something like keepvid, that should work.

Who is this man?

@gmaildotcom Thank you for the reply. 4 months is not a long time to wait for detailed information.

Precisely. Except if you're in the US where some station ops use them the other way round, or if you're not a cameraman where you'd not have a clue to which way round. This clip should clearly be titled to be a RECORDED REHEARSAL for a training video, not to be the ACTUAL training video. The tutors at Wood Norton would turn in their graves shaking their heads to think this was distributed as the final video. BBC quality is much higher than this amateur attempt.

@AidanLunn only amateurs use autofocus.

That's no camera... It's a space station.

I'm sorry but as a training video this is terrible. For a start he says the focus control is on the right and then the left. Why was this not all retaken to produce a professional product? Please don't profess this to be good, nor give excuses....

*flaccidnating*