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Video Camera of the 1990s?

As soPHisriCArri) as todays Home vkleo cam-eras are, they represent only ihe Iow er rungs on a ladder w hose top is clouded b) thc uncer-taimics o! the futurę. Occasionally thc clouds part, and we catch a glimpsc of something that liresour imugination Sony*s Mavica is such a product.

This prototype video camera uses a CCI) (chargc-coupled devicc) that yields an image composed ot a matris of 570 honzontal by 490 vertical electronic imaging points. The camera encodes the Information front the 279.300 poinls on the CCD and transfers it electrom-oalls to a liny frame on a Mavipak. uh ich is a magnetic disc that contains 50 frames within its 'A-inch thick by 2-inch squarc package.

The charge-coupled device—its es-scntially the same type employed in Sony*s \ ideo Movie Cameracordcr (see InFocus. November 1980)—uould be used as the cain-eras imaging device. About the size of a squared-off quarler. the CCD replaces sich standard imaging tubes as the vidicon. u h ich is typically used in todays homc video cam-eras Because thc imaging is electronic, you can previeu special proccsses—such as color altcrations or double exposures-bcfore ac-tually shooting.

The camera is a through-the-lcns (TTL) retlex design, employing a fast f/1.4 lens uiih a 16 to 64mm (1:4) zoom. Horizontal resolu-tion is rated at 350 lines. and \ ideo S/N at 45 dB. Including batters. it weighs slightly under two pounds: most film canieras weigh from three to four pounds

One major drauback to the current design is its liniited resolunon. which issubstan-tially less than that of a film print. But this problem is likely to be teniporary. sińce Sony and other companies (see InFocus. August) luve developed High-Definuion Television to the point where prototypes have been demon-strated at various electronic trade shows. (Picture quality approaches that of film.) Of course. lou defimtion would be a drauback only for those w ho u ished to make prints from the systeni-not for those u ho siniply wanted to use it as u video camera

Don’t cspect to find the Mavica in your neighborhood video shop for quite a while. Sony hus suggested sometinie in 1983 as the datę for its inlroduction. and then at a cost of S900 to S1,000. which. though in the middlc of the home video camera price rangę, is sub-siannally niore than today’s 35nim cameras.

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Inside Sony’s Mavica System

MAVICA

MAVIPAK VIEWER

MAVIPAK

MAVIPAK TRANSMITTER

VIDEO-PICTURE PRINTER

VIDEO SCREEN

sir

.    i

su

FORTABLE VCR

a

r.

MAVIPAK COPIER

•J

Fig. 2

VIDEO-PICTUR

PRINTER

RECEIVER

To the ummtiated eye, Sony‘s Mavica electronic imaging system looks like jusl another 35mni film camera. But this prototype electronic video “still” camera combines the liglit weight and cersatility of the faniiliar 35mm-film format uiih the unique flexibility of the vidco medium. Using a compact palm-sizcd magnetic disc pack (Mavipak). the camera can electromcally record up to 50 images. These can be viewed immediately on a standard tele-vision screcn. converted to a standard photo-graphic print via a special printer. transmitted to another location via phone modem, or sim-piy erased and recorded over. ith the capa-b il i ty of shooting ■still’’ pictures at a ratę of 60 frames per second. it can be used as a true portable vidco camera, linkcd to a VCR by a special cable.

53

DECEMBER 1981