The GE PE250 Early Color Television Camera

[matt_s78mn]

Years ago, Harris used to make TV cameras. They purchased the TV camera division from GE. I imagine some of their early ones were just rebadged GE cameras, but they did eventually come up with their own design. Harris stopped making cameras in the early 1980's about the time that all the manufacturers were switching from tube based to solid state imaging devices. I have in my collection a Harris TC-85 studio box camera that was one of the last models they produced. (Mine was used as a test jig at the factory, it never saw any use in an actual studio.) How do I know that? Well about 10 years ago I worked at Harris's Quincy, IL location and bought the camera at an employee sale. One of the interesting things about the TC-85 was that it utilized a microprocessor driven CCU that featured automatic setup and registration by the touch of a button. Even though it had that option, many engineers preferred not to use it and would set up and paint the cameras manually, because the automatic method was hard on the tubes.

Also, I don't remember all the exact details of this, but one of the reasons they abandoned making cameras was that they filed a lawsuit against their imaging tube vendor (Amperex I believe,) stating that the quality of the tubes was below par and not up to the standards to compete with the brand new solid state CCD cameras of the day. The lawsuit primarily focused on the Harris TC-90 cameras, which were a shoulder mount EFP camera. Harris ultimately lost the lawsuit and was forced to recall and destroy all the TC-90's

I will try to post some pictures later of some of the different Harris cameras, as I have some old 35MM slides from the '70's sitting around somewhere. Also, some of they guys who worked in the camera division at Harris back in the day are still there, working in TV transmitter field service, in the repair department, and in various management positions.

Originally Posted by BrianSummers

Hi

Reading this thread with interest, I note the GE PE-250 has a startling resemblance to the Harris gates PE-400 camera.

I am in the process of adding the Harris PE-400 to my museum site at www.tvameramuseum.org ( its not there yet!)

I wondered if anyone had any ideas as to who made it and who is the badge engineer?

regards Brian

[old_tv_nut]

Originally Posted by matt_s78mn

Also, I don't remember all the exact details of this, but one of the reasons they abandoned making cameras was that they filed a lawsuit against their imaging tube vendor (Amperex I believe,) stating that the quality of the tubes was below par and not up to the standards to compete with the brand new solid state CCD cameras of the day.

Solid-state sensors essentially either work off the processing line or don't (with some dead pixels, perhaps), and are stable thereafter. Photoconductive tubes are also pretty stable (except for cathode wear-out and maybe gas), but their initial performance also can be variable depending on the manufacturing process. I remember in the 60s or 70s Motorola shutting down their CCTV camera line because the vidicon supplier "lost the recipe." Photo-emissive tubes (image orthicon or iconoscope) were not only variable in production, but unstable in use. RCA's return policy stated that these tubes used cesium and other unstable elements and therefore WOULD have long term variance in performance during use. They strongly implied that they would not take returns unless the customer screamed loud and long.

[BrianSummers]

Originally Posted by matt_s78mn

Years ago,....
...was forced to recall and destroy all the TC-90's

I will try to post some pictures later of some of the different Harris cameras, as I have some old 35MM slides from the '70's sitting around somewhere. Also, some of they guys who worked in the camera division at Harris back in the day are still there, working in TV transmitter field service, in the repair department, and in various management positions.

HI Matt Thanks for very useful info and I lookforward to seeing your picures. Shame about the TC90s. I have a photocopy of the TC-90 brochure.

regards Brian S