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Kodak Cine, 16mm from the 1940s. Purchased at church rummage sale for $5.00 with case, film reels, meter and instruction booklet. Takes interchangeable lenses. According to The Kodak Collector's Page sold from 1945 to 1950.	Cine-Kodak Magazine 8, 8mm movie camera made from 1946 to 1955 with an original cost of $176, which would be an astonishing $1,750 in 2005 dollars as measured from 1946. Anastigmat 13mm f1.9-22 lens with shutter speeds of 16, 24, 32 and 64 frames per second. While relatively small, it weighs more than two pounds with metal construction. It is in good cosmetic condition and winds and runs. It was purchased at a garage sale on July 2, 2005 for $5 along with a pliers, wire stripper, ruler and slide rule. They seem to be relatively common on eBay. Good information is contained at The Kodak Collector's Page (Index) and Collecting Movie Cameras.
	Bell & Howell 8mm Magazine Camera 172, (circa 1947) (Large Image) 8mm magazine silent movie camera. Has two lens turret. You lift up the post between the two lenses and rotate it to change lenses. There are two viewing lenses which also rotate and match their respective taking lenses. There is a tripod socket in the bottom. The strap screws into this. Speeds of 16, 24, 32, 48 and 64. Lenses are removable from their screw mounts. The two lenses on the camera as pictured are a Bell & Howell Super Comet .5 inch f1.9 and an Elgeet 38mm f3.3 Cine Tel with a dent on the rim. It also came with an Elgeet 6.5mm f2.5 wide angle lens. That lens appears to be a fixed focus. Mechanical wind. Several filters and holders are included along with a nice Perrin (California) leather case and a very well made Norwood Director Selenium incident meter that seems to work. Everything is made in the USA. The camera winds and runs wells. The lenses are clear. The cosmetic condition of everything is good except for the rim dent on the one lens and a dent in the semi-sphere of meter. Purchased at a La Jolla garage sale on 3-15-08 for $20. A discussion at historiccamera.com indicates the Model 172 was made in about 1947 and is fairly common with a value of $10 or less. It is also described at http://www.movie-camera.it/belle.html with the same 1947 date. There is an ad on eBay for the successor Model 172A dated 1954. The Model 172-A with one lens in the turret cost $199.95 in the 1956 Sears Camera Catalog, equal to an astonishing $1,556 in 2008 dollars!
	Bell & Howell Sportster, (circa 1947-1950) (Other Side) 8mm Double Run. Made in England. Lens: Mytal Ansstigmat, 0.5 inch focal length, f2.5 to f16, made by Taylor, Taylor & Hobson Ltd. England, Patents Brittan 422248, 438149, U.S. 2017823. Lens is removed by pressing together the two knobs to the left of the lens. The shutter release button is just below these knobs. The viewfinder in front has two little frames which can be placed in front of the viewfinder to frame the scene for more telephoto lenses. Speeds of 16, 32, 48, and 64. Spring loaded motor. On the right side (while holding it to photograph a scene) of the camera are the winding knob, film speed setting and feet of film used. On the left side is the button to open the film compartment and a dial to set the exposure with the "Weston Film Speed", the frames per second, and apertures based how sunny or cloudy it is, and the amount of shading. Has a removable strap, not shown, which screws into the tripod socket. With strap removed there is a base so that the camera can sit on a flat surface. The camera is relatively small with dimensions of only about 5" high, 2" wide and 3" deep without lens. The lens adds about .875" more. The camera is quite hefty for its size with solid metal construction. The best date seems to be about 1947 to 1950 based on ads from the time. A charming blog entitled One Foot in Front of the Other describes the author's father purchasing a Sportster in 1947 to take pictures of a new baby. The camera was used up until about 1964 when the author, apparently the last of four children, was two years old. My guess is the majority of movie cameras and video cameras were purchased for the same reason - to take moving pictures of kids growing up. That's why I got my first video camera and why my dad got the Kodak Cine Zoom camera below. The price in a 1950 magazine ad shown at AdClassix was $99.75. Sounds like a pretty good price until you adjust it for inflation - that's about $870 in 2007 dollars. While mine looks similar to those in the 1947 and 1950 ads, the Sportster name appears to have been used from the 1930s to 1950s. Also, the ads refer to the Filmo Sportster. Mine does not refer to Filmo. A Bell & Howell "Filmo" Sportster on eBay similar to mine was made in the United States. The "Filmo" cameras may therefore be limited to those made in the United States. If you have any additional information, please e-mail me. Mine is serial no. 17921. Mine was a 2007 Christmas present from my sister who acquired it an estate/garage sale in the Bay Park area of San Diego. It is in very good cosmetic and working condition. It winds and runs well.
Revere 8 Ranger Model 81, double 8mm movie camera 1949 made in US (Chicago) with 12.7mm f2.5 coated lens and spring winding mechanism. Sources: Neil Prince Cine Collection, Vintage Movie Cameras. Additional 1.5 inch Wollensak Raptor f3.5 telephoto lens. Purchased at an estate sale on July 16, 2005 for about $10 with film, filters, meter and case. In good cosmetic and working condition. The lenses appear to be clear although two filters have mold. (Photo of mold taken with a loupe in front of camera lens. Exposure darkened and contrast increased.) Photos: Large, Other side. Price in 1952 Sears Camera Catalog was $74.50.	Revere Model Fifty Five, 8mm movie camera from the early 1950s. Purchased at garage sale in July 2004 for $4.00 with case and instruction booklet. Similar Revere 50 camera with f2.8 lens and two speeds, 16 and 64 frames per second, sold for $49.50 in the 1952 Sears Camera Catalog.
Keystone K-36, 8mm movie camera made in the USA by "Keystone Mfg. Co. Boston, Mass," serial number J 6757. Three speeds: 12, 16 and 48 frames per second. Manual wind. Interchangeable 1/2 inch focal length, f3.5 to 22 lens. Very heavy, all metal construction. Purchased at a La Mesa garage sale on October 8, 2005 for less than $2. An eBay action at the same time indicated a 1936 manufacture date. In excellent working condition. About 16cm x 7cm x 4.5cm, not including lens.	Cinemaster II G-8, 8mm movie camera made by Universal Camera Corporation of New York in the United States. Three speeds: 16, 24 and 32 frames per second. Manual wind. It has some sort of exposure meter which you turn and it shows some sort of scale. When doing this the image is very dark and I'm not sure if it is working. Interchangeable 1/2 inch focal length, f2.5 to 16 lens. Very heavy, all metal construction. Purchased at a La Mesa garage sale on October 8, 2005 for less than $2. In excellent working condition with original box, but no manual. One was being sold on eBay at the same time. The description stated it was purchased in 1946 with an original price tag of $66 which is about $665 in 2005 dollars. Collecting Movie Cameras confirms the 1946 date with an original price of $51. About 12.5cm x 5cm x 9.5cm.
Keystone Capri K-36,1957 according to Cimematographica. 8mm, double-8.Keystone-Elgeet 1/2 inch, f1.9 lens. Spring wind. In good working condition with leather case. Similar to the Keystone K-25 Capri made in 1946 and discussed at Digicamhistory which describes the history of Keystone. Made in USA. Purchased on eBay on 1-19-06 for $.99 plus $6.21 shipping.	Auricon Model CM-72A (1949) Auricon Cine-Voice 16mm Sound-On-Film Camera, Serial No. E6-83,444, 15 Watts, 100 feet film capacity, made in USA by Bach Auricon, Inc., Hollywood 38, California. Auricon made early 16mm sound movie cameras that were used frequently in documentaries and in early television. Auricon is described at the foreign language site cinepresa da collezione (Rough Translation from Yahoo). Date is from the above site and CINEMATOGRAPHICA. A photo is at the following Asian language site, cine vis 8-16. The October 2003 Popular Photography online magazine has a great advertisement for the Model CM-72A. It lists the price in 1953 as $695 with a single lens mount, lens and portable power pack not included. Adjusted for inflation this equals over $5,000 in today's dollars! It's big weighing in at over 10 pounds and about 10" high, 5.5" wide, and 9" deep, without any lens. My Auricon was purchased at a La Mesa, CA garage sale for about $13 on 8-5-06. It looks to be in good condition but is untested. It did not come with a lens. Images: Large, Interior, Label.
(Large Image)	Bell & Howell Filmo 8mm "Picture Master," Design 151, Model A, Projector (circa 1943) (also known as Bell & Howell 151A projector) 8mm film projector. Date from List of Vintage Movie Cameras, Projectors, etc. (under Bell & Howell cameras (not projectors) - Model 151A 1943 8mm, about half way down page). (Photo from List of Vintage Movie Cameras, etc..) Paul's 16mm Collecting Pages has a list of 16mm Bell & Howell projectors. The design or model numbers appear to be in chronological order. If that holds true for the 8mm projectors also, 151 would fall between the 16mm model 142 produced from 1939 to 1941 and the 16mm model 156 produced from 1942 to 1945. This supports the 1943 date. Takes a DES/120V/750W ANSI bulb available from donsbulbs.com. Controls include projector on-off, lamp on-off, pilot on-off, speed slow-fast. 115 volts, 8 amps, either AC or DC. There is an AC-DC switch on the bottom. Made in U.S.A. by Bell & Howell Company Chicago with additional locations listed as Hollywood, New York, Washington D.C. and London. Lens: focal length 1 inch, f 1.6, "ELC," Made in U.S.A. Lens is clear with no scratches or mold. (Detail of lens and threading area.) Purchased at a garage sale in the Rolando area (south of University) of San Diego on 8-4-07 during the annual neighborhood garage sales for about $12.50 (purchased with some other items). In good cosmetic condition and working condition to the extent light comes on and motor runs. I have not tried it with film. Comes with wooden case with leather like covering. Includes oil bottle and oil can.
(Large Image)	Bell & Howell Filmosound 185 Projector produced 1949 to 1951 according to Paul's 16mm Film Collecting Pages. The similar later model 202C cost $699 in the 1953 Sears Camera Catalog, about $5,300 adjusted for inflation! A photo from that site shows a large separate speaker. I only have a smaller speaker that fits into the case. Film-Tech has a Bell & Howell repair manual for Filmosound amplifiers, including the 185 (under 16mm Projectors, B&H Amplifiers models 120, etc.). It refers to a monitor speaker and a stage speaker. I must have the monitor speaker but not the stage speaker. Purchased at a garage sale on 2-3-07 for $2.50. It is in good cosmetic condition and seems to work in that the bulb lights and a lot of things run! I have just tried it for a few seconds. It even comes with its own little oil can. Paul's 16mm Film Collecting Pages indicates that 16mm film was introduced in 1923 for amateurs and was used mainly for educational, training and industrial films, and in television for distributing programs for broadcast. The advent of video tape put an end to most of these uses. Motion picture films in theaters are generally 35mm films while most amateurs by the 1950s used 8mm film. I remember fondly watching excellent 16mm films in science and social studies in school in the 1960s and 1970s. 16mm film provided good resolution projected onto a screen. Indeed, until the recent advent of video projectors, students in the 1980s and 1990s had to watch movies on small television screens instead of movie screens. My only recollection of television in school was watching either the lift off or return of a Gemini rocket in the 1960s. VCRs were yet to arrive.
Kodak Brownie 8, according to the Brownie Camera Page this very basic movie camera was sold from April 1961 to November 1962. The original price was $24.50. It has a plastic body with a 13mm lens. Aperture control is by a plastic turret with different sized holes that rotates in front of the lens. You dial in "bright sun," "cloudy," etc. A window tells you what the actual aperture is. One speed. Mechanical wind. Mine is in good condition except the winding crank is missing and therefore I have been unable to test it. Purchased on October 8, 2005 for less than $2.	Kodak Cine Zoom Camera, 8mm camera from early 1960s with f1.9 zoom lens and "electric eye" exposure. This was my dad's movie camera. I have fond memories of watching movies of his forehead as he checked whether the camera was running. There are priceless movies of trips to Oregon and at parks when I was a young boy. According to a Kodak Zoom 8 ad in the June 1960 National Geographic magazine, the Kodak Zoom 8 camera cost $139.50, about $900 today. (The camera in the ad appears to be the same model, although mine says "Kodak Cine" instead of just Kodak, and says "Zoom Camera" instead of "Zoom 8 Camera.") The price in the 1961 Sears Catalog was $119.88. 8mm and Super 8 film is still available at 8mmfilmstock which also provides extensive information about film, processing, and movie making.
Bell & Howell Model 374, Super 8 autoload movie camera, circa 1969, purchased at garage sale on May 28, 2005 for $4 with case (interior foam badly deteriorated), manual and box (neat late '60s design). "Electric Eye" exposure (red dot if not enough light). Zoom lens 12.5 to 25mm (very telephoto), f2.8, focus range 2 feet to infinity. Has "Focus-Matic" feature where you view subject, press button on side, read distance, then turn focus ring to that distance. Not exactly auto focus yet! Good cosmetic condition. Batteries leaked (4 AAA) and I cannot get the camera to work. Has detachable "pistol grip." A very basic camera compared to the Minolta D-6 below.	Honeywell Elmo Super Filmatic 104, circa 1967, super 8 single lens reflex (through the lens viewing and focusing) silent movie camera, made in Japan, with 3X f8.5mm to 34mm, f1.8 zoom lens. Powered by 4 AA batteries in a plastic holder in a compartment at the top of the camera. A 625 button battery at the opening of the film compartment apparently controls the meter. 625 batteries, common in many cameras of the era, were mercury batteries and no longer available. Alternatives are available, however. See, e.g., Miranda Camera Battery. There is a label attached to the camera stating "CDS BATT 2.26.72" which I assume was the last time this battery was replaced. 18 and 24 frames per second. Apparently manual and automatic exposure. In very good cosmetic condition. The lens looks clear but with some slight internal spots. (I don't think it is mold. Maybe a slight coating problem.) Viewfinder image is clear and useable but quite dark and with a yellow cast. The camera is not working yet. There is very slight corrosion on the spring to the negative terminal and the corresponding connection to the battery pack. I need to clean these and try fresh batteries. It appears to be a fairly sophisticated camera approaching the sophistication of the Minolta Autopak-8 D6 below. Purchased at a La Mesa garage sale on October 8, 2005 for less than $2.
Bauer C2-A Super, (Large Image) Super 8 purchased around March 2007 for about $1 at a Fletcher Hills (El Cajon, CA) garage sale. In good operating and cosmetic condition. I don't know how to check the meter. The cross-hairs in the viewfinder are not straight. Battery compartment door tends to fall out. Motor runs. Takes 4AA batteries. 8X power zoom, 7.5 to 60mm, f1.8 lens. Made in Germany. Similar Bauer C-2 with 8-40mm Schneider Variogon zoom lens was $259.95 in 1967 Leedar Photographic Catalog. That equals about $1,580 adjusted for inflation to 2007! One sold on eBay on 4-8-07, the day I am writing this, for $26 with $10 shipping. It came with a case and looked to be in somewhat better condition.	GAF ST/602, Super 8 with 6X power zoom lens, 8mm to 48mm, f1.8. In decent working and cosmetic condition except the leatherette covering is off or coming off leaving a sticky residue I haven't been able to get rid of yet. According to Super8Wiki, frame rates of 18, 24 and single frame. May have been made by Chinon. Price in 1977-78 Sears Camera Catalog was 194.50, about $650 in 2007 dollars. Purchased at a Fletcher Hills (El Cajon, CA) garage sale around March 2007 for about $1.
Bell & Howell 2123 XL, (circa 1977) (Large Image) Silent Super 8 movie camera purchased on 3-31-07 for about $2 at an El Cajon, CA garage sale. In good operating and cosmetic condition. Motor runs, power zoom works, focuses, and red low light indicator works. Single lens reflex viewing and focusing. Appears to have through the lens automatic exposure. Uses 4 AA batteries in the handle. Diopter adjustment for eyepiece. Screw cable shutter release socket on shutter button. Close focus 5 feet. Tripod socket. Focal length 10.5mm to 26mm, about 2.5X. "f/1.2" lens. According to Super8Wiki manufactured in 1977. According to the same article, 18 frames per second and single frame. The same or very similar model number is in the 1977-78 Sears Camera Catalog. The catalog does not state the model number but it appears to be 2123 or perhaps 2125 in the photo. It sold for $164.50, or about $550 in 2007 dollars. The camera in the catalog has slight differences including a 8.5 to 24mm zoom lens, an additional contrast control button, remote control jack and gold instead of silver and teal lettering. That camera also appears to be largely the same as the Sears XL selling for $159.50. Made in Japan. I don't know who the actual manufacturer was.	Kodak Instamatic M6, (circa 1966) Super 8 cartridge loading Instamatic camera with f1.8 zoom lens. Single lens reflex viewing and focusing. Manual zoom lens. Does not have specific focal length range, but Super8Wiki lists the M7 as having a 12mm to 36mm focal length. Folding handle, tripod socket, shutter release socket, and diopter adjustment. Close focus is slightly less than 6 feet. Apparently single speed of 18 frames per second. Takes 3 AA batteries and one PX-13 mercury battery for the meter. Meter appears to work by dropping an arrow in the viewfinder if there is not enough light. Backlight - normal switch. A 1966 magazine advertisement on eBay indicates it was sold in 1966 with a suggested retail price under $160, which astonishingly equals about $1,000 in 2007 dollars. Body made of metal, but definitely a relatively unsophisticated consumer model. Made in USA. Apparently came in an all black model which I have and a model with one black side and one off white side. Purchased at an El Cajon, CA garage sale on March 31, 2007 for about $2. In fair cosmetic condition. Zooms and focuses, although the focus is a little rough. The meter battery compartment had a leaking 1.3 volt PX-13 battery. I cleaned out the compartment carefully and put in a new 1.5 volt PX625 battery. The meter appears to work. The AA battery compartment is clean and you can hear the motor running. I do not see the shutter moving or the gear which advances the film moving. Perhaps film needs to be in the camera.
	Canon Auto Zoom 518 Super 8 according to Canon Camera Museum marketed September 1967. This one was sold much later, however, since it came with a warranty card indicating it was purchased from College Camera in San Diego on 8-21-72. Serial no. 342935. Came with the box, case and manual. It has a price tag on the box for $229.90 from North Park Camera in San Diego. $229.90 in 1972 is over $1,140 in 2007 dollars. 9.5 to 47.5mm f1.8 zoom lens, both power and manual. Speeds of 18 fps and slow motion of approximately 40 fps. Reflex viewing and focusing. F-stops viewable in viewfinder. Exposure meter operating on two 1.3 volt mercury batteries. Motor for film is run by three 1.5 volt AA batteries in the top battery compartment. Motor for the power zoom is run by one 1.5 volt AA battery in the handle. The power zoom feature and handle is the major change from the prior Zoom 518 Super 8 model marketed December 1964 according to Canon Camera Museum. My Auto Zoom 518 has a sound feature which is not mentioned at the Canon site and is not included in the manual except on a separate loose page which explains the process. The box also refers to the sound feature only with a separate sticker stuck on the box. Close examination of the camera in the main manual indeed reveals that it does not have the remote and sound input jacks that my camera has and which are shown on the separate loose page. These jacks are also not mentioned at the Canon site. Recording of sound involved use of a separate sound tape recorder which I do not have. The late purchase date of this camera may be an indication it was a later variation of the original Auto Zoom 518 Super 8. It wouldn't be until August 1976 that Canon came out with their first true sound camera, the Canon 514 XL-S below. Purchased at a La Mesa, CA yard sale as I recall in early 2007 for $15. The camera belonged to the seller's father. The seller recalled that the sound feature was big deal back then and his dad would spend a lot of time getting the sound right. In very good cosmetic condition. Meter responds to light but is likely inaccurate since I used 1.5 volt PX625 silver oxide batteries. I could not get the motor or power zoom to work. I don't know if you need film in it for the motor and zoom to work, but I doubt it. There may be a corrosion problem especially in the handle battery compartment. Manual focusing and zoom work fine. Lens is clear.
Minolta Autopak-8 D6, Super8 silent movie camera from the early '70s, in good working and cosmetic condition, although I have not run film through it. Single lens reflex, f1.8 zoom lens, focal length 8.4mm to 50mm, close focus 4 ft (1.2m). Purchased in July 2004 on eBay for $.99 with about $14 for shipping. Shipping was delayed, however, and seller refunded all amounts. See Super8Manual for general information about Super8 cameras.	Canon 514 XL-S, (August 1976) compact sound super 8 movie camera Which according to the Canon Camera Museum was their first sound camera and became a long-selling hit. Sophisticated sound system with automatic and manual audio level controls. Fast f1.4 5X power zoom lens, 9mm to 45mm. 18 and 24 frames per second and single frame in silent mode. Operates on 6 AA bateries which fit in handle. (See view with handle. View above is with handle folded.) Cost in 1978-79 Sears Camera Catalog was $354.50, over $1,000 in 2005 dollars as measured from 1978! Camera was purchased at a local garage sale around November 2005 for $15. It is in excellent cosmetic and working condition. Includes leather case.
Sankyo Sound XL-25S, (Large image) Super 8 sound movie camera selling in the 1976-77 Sears Camera Catalog for $249.50, about $890 in 2007 dollars. Manufactured from 1976 to 1978 according to Super8Wiki. 2.5 to 1 power zoom, 10.5 to 26mm, f1.2-f45, single lens reflex viewing. Automatic through the lens CdS exposure. 18 frames per second, plus 36 fps for slow motion and single frame advance. Operates on 4AA batteries. This one came with a boom microphone selling for $69.50 in the 1976-77 Sears Camera Catalog. In excellent working and cosmetic condition. Comes with a case. Purchased at a garage sale in Fletcher Hills (El Cajon, CA) for about $8 on 3-30-07. Still has film in it. Serial no. 757252. The Sears Camera Catalog also has the similar but more advanced XL-60S with 6 to 1 macro zoom for $364.50.	Sankyo Super CM 300, (Large image) according to Oliver's Camera Page in French, manufactured from 1970 to 1977. Super 8 silent camera. f1.8 power zoom (9mm to 30mm) lens. Single lens reflex viewing and focusing. According to 8mm Ireland, speeds of 18 and 36 frames per second as well as single frame. According to Super8Wiki original price in the United Kingdom in 1970 was 63 British Pounds. Takes 4 AA batteries. In very good cosmetic and working condition. Purchased for about $8 at a Fletcher Hills (El Cajon, CA) garage sale on 3-30-07 for about $8. Still has film in it. Serial no. 829934. Comes with hard Sankyo case.
	Polavision Camera. Polavision, introduced in 1978, was an entirely new process resulting in near instant movies. Film cartridges about 13cm x 7cm x 1.5 cm were used in the Polavision camera. These were not cheap. A 2.5 minute film cassette was $7.99 in the 1978-79 Sears Camera catalog. After filming you placed it in a special Polavision Player which developed and played the cassettes. Players were expensive at $379.50 in the 1978-79 Sears Camera Catalog, over $1,000 in today's dollars. While Polavision was an innovative development, it was short lived likely for several reasons. First, it was expensive. Second, the quality was relatively poor. (See The Land List). Third, the movies did not have sound. As indicated by the Canon 514 XL-S above, sound was becoming common at the time. Fourth, as demonstrated by the RCA Video Camera below, portable video cameras were right around the corner. Today you can buy a decent digital video camera for about $300 with 60 minute Mini DV tapes costing less than $5. You can edit the tape on your computer and view it on your television. My Polavision camera outfit was purchased on eBay on 10-19-05 for $6.50 plus $11.45 shipping and $1.30 insurance. It is in good cosmetic and working condition. It includes the outfit with accessories. The original price on the box was $199.95.
RCA Color Video Camera CC001, RCA's first consumer color video camera, purchased at a local garage sale for $5 on June 11, 2005. Manufactured November 1978. It is a camera only. To record, you had to hook it up to a separate VCR. At present, you have to plug the power supply into an AC outlet. The camera has a 20 foot cord, however, to allow you to move around. You could also use a battery pack and portable recorder. A complete setup may have been thousands of dollars. Today you can get a digital camcorder for $300 that you can hold in the palm of your hand and edit on a computer! Quite a change in less than 30 years! The CC001 has an interchangeable Canon f1.8 6X zoom lens (12.5mm to 75mm). The viewfinder on the side on this camera is simply an empty box you look through. It could be equipped with a 1 inch CRT viewfinder, however. Without the CRT viewfinder you would have to use a monitor to focus or simply measure or estimate distance. It is in good cosmetic condition. I do not have the right connector to attach the camera to a television monitor, but I improvised with an RCA plug and got it to show an image in white and green. I suspect with the right connector it would work. Photos: Power Supply, Shoulder Mounted. See labguysworld for additional information.	Thompson-CSF Betacam Portable Videocassette Recorder VT-626, essentially the same as the Sony BVW-25 and the Ampex CVR-25. The Betacam format introduced by Sony in 1982 was the professional version of the Sony Betamax format introduced in 1975. This portable VCR was likely sold somewhere between 1982 and 1986 when an advanced Betacam SP format came out. See Wikipedia - Betacam and Marcel's TV Museum (Dutch site referring to production of the BVW-25P in the mid-80's). Marcel's TV Museum has excellent photos of the similar Sony BVW-25P:close-up, internal, case. The BVW-25P designation may have been for SP playback since the photos have a label stating SP playback which mine does not. BCS Broadcast Store lists the manufacturer's suggested retail price for the Ampex CVR-25 as $13,250! BCS Broadcast Store lists a used Sony BVW-25 for $1,510. Broken or unknown condition used models appear to go for under $50 on eBay, however. Other useful sources include: History of Camcorders, History of Videotape - VHS, Wikipedia - Videocassette Recorders, Wikipedia - Camcorder, Wikipedia - Betacam and Wikipedia - Thompson-CSF. My Thompson VT-626 was purchased at a La Mesa, CA garage sale on 8-5-06 for about $5. It is in good cosmetic condition. It did not come with any cables or batteries and is untested. It takes two NP-1 or one BP-90 batteries. This unit would be hooked to a video camera for recording or a monitor for playback. It is big weighing about 14 pounds and about 10.5" x 13" x 5." While I could not find an appropriate input connection to hook up the RCA CC001 camera above, please see the photo of me with both to see what taking video was like in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
	Minolta Video Camera, Recorder and Tuner (Large Image.) Early to mid 1980s. Consists of Minolta Color Video Camera K-800S AF, Minolta Portable VHS Video Cassette Recorder V-770S, and Minolta Video Tuner T-770S. The camera, usually resting on your shoulder, connects to the portable video cassette recorder, which is contained in a very nice Lowe-Pro Video VCR Compact II case slung over your other shoulder. The portable VCR has a slot in the back for a battery, type BP-2. A battery was not included. It is a large "brick" type battery similar to, but not the same as, the battery in my Panasonic camcorder below. I remember seeing an arrangement like this once when I was in Salt Lake City in about 1983 and being amazed that normal people could now make video movies. The seller said he thought he purchased it in 1985 for $1,900. An eBay entry states a similar, although perhaps earlier and less sophisticated, camera model K500S was from 1982. A German site states the K500S model is from 1984, however. The only date on the documentation that came with the equipment was for a RCA battery which has a copyright date of 1983. The 1985 date for the K800S seems pretty accurate although shortly after that time all in one units took over. The $1,900 price equals $3,679 in 2007 dollars. I purchased a new Canon digital camcorder on clearance in the Spring of 2007 for $175. It's less than 5% the new price of the Minolta in constant dollars, fits in the palm of your hand, has much higher resolution, and can be easily edited on a computer. Quite a difference in only 22 years! My Minolta system was purchased at a garage sale at the annual Rolando area (south of University) garage sales on 8-4-07 for $5. It's in very good cosmetic condition. I have not yet tried to see if it works although the seller said he thought it would. It's a fantastic addition to the museum, and while the system is pretty obsolete, the Lowe-Pro case could actually make a pretty nice laptop case.
Panasonic VHS-C NV-S250 Palmcorder, (Large Image) purchased at a La Mesa, CA garage sale on 12-3-06 with case, manual, battery, charger, VHS-C tape and video cables for $5. It said it needs work, but it seems to work both playing and recording. It is in decent cosmetic condition with some dents in the speaker grill and a few scratches. It has a larger after-market battery that holds a charge. VHS-C was a consumer oriented format based on the VHS format. The compact VHS-C cassettes could be placed into an adapter which could then be played as a regular VHS tape in a VHS VCR. This Palmcorder has an 8X wide angle zoom lens 5 to 40mm, f1.4. It has a single black and white eyepiece viewer. It has amazing close up features at the wide end of the zoom range like many camcorders. It will focus on a piece of paper placed on the lens with light coming from behind the paper. I could not find the date of this camcorder. Before the serial number is the code VGN6486. The serial number is K3HF02083. The power adapter is Model No. VW-AS2E with serial no. K308507YD. I'm guessing the 86 and 85 may be date codes for 1985 and 1986.	Panasonic Palmcorder HQ VHS-C AFx8, (Large Image) purchased at a local garage sale for $5 in the Fall of 2006. It is in good working and cosmetic condition. It an 8X zoom lens, 6-48mm, f1.8, with a flying erase head for seamless cuts between scenes. Single black and white viewfinder. It was manufactured in May 1991 according to the date on the bottom of the camcorder. It came with two batteries, one large capacity which does not hold a charge and a smaller one that holds some charge. It also came with the power adapter/charger and a nice carrying bag. With the flying erase head and more features, this camcorder appears to be more recent than the NV-S250 to the left. While it has fewer features, the NV-S250 does sport a wider angle, and faster lens, however. The 6 volt batteries on the two camcorders are interchangeable.
Panasonic OmniMovie HQ, purchased new in 1989 for about $800 or $850 at Fedco, this uses standard size VHS and SuperVHS tapes. It has an autofocus, 8X zoom lens, high speed shutter and flying erase head. This was a large camcorder that you sat on your shoulder which added to stability but also made it difficult to carry around. It was used to capture many now precious movies of my sons while young. I'm now burning those movies onto DVD. (Video tape apparently degrades over time.) It is still in good working order when used with AC power. It seems to have problems charging batteries now, however. (My younger son used to be fasinated with it and once knocked it off of a table.)	Sharp Digial Camcorder, my present camcorder which takes mini-DV digital tapes. Purchased at Amazon.com for $350 in 2002, it has many nice features, but at times the image becomes very pixelated and the clean heads signal comes up. Looking at reviews in Amazon.com, this may be a common defect in this camera.

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