Thomson TTV-1647S television camera

Thomson TTV-1647S lightweight colour television camera, 1987. Manufactured by Thomson Video Equipment (Thomson Broadcast). Uses 3 charged coupled device (CCD) chips, which were new technology at this time, instead of tubes.

This particular camera was used at BBC Television Centre (Studios TC6 and TC7) starting in 1993-4; evidenced by a circular BBC decal on the camera body. The BBC also used these cameras at their Elstree Studios. S indicates this is the 'Sportcam' version of this camera, specially designed to carry large full-facility lenses and viewfinders. This camera is fitted with a Schneider 17x18.5 powered zoom lens, and a Thomson electronic viewfinder. Conversion from studio camera to handheld configuration took less than two minutes. In Sportcam configuration, they were used to support outside broadcasting, and also Electronic News Gathering (ENG). ENG, which became common practice, emerged in 1980, and meant a reduced delay between the capturing of the footage and its subsequent broadcast. It allowed the news gathering and the reporting process to become one continuous cycle; and more ‘instantaneous’. By the late 1990s, 1647S and similar cameras were being replaced by their widescreen successors.