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Tubes


Paul Bruening

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I was brain-surfing today and came across an old thought- Remember tube cameras? I was particularly fond of the look of Saticon tubes.

 

After I got up off the floor where I had been laughing hilariously at myself and poking myself with a stick a thought occurred to me. At first, I thought it was just gas. But, no, it was a thought:

 

What if you brought back three tube cameras but A-D the signal and hyper-sample the image? Basically, take the best of both worlds: the analog surface area of tubes and the micro data harvesting of modern circuitry? You see, the sucky thing about digital is the grid that gathers the analog field of light. Tubes don't have to limit their gathering to a grid of little boxes. If the guns could hyper-sample the image, they could multi-sample and compensate, nay. even oversample way more latitude than film or chips.

 

Dumb idea?

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I was brain-surfing today and came across an old thought- Remember tube cameras? I was particularly fond of the look of Saticon tubes.

 

After I got up off the floor where I had been laughing hilariously at myself and poking myself with a stick a thought occurred to me. At first, I thought it was just gas. But, no, it was a thought:

 

What if you brought back three tube cameras but A-D the signal and hyper-sample the image? Basically, take the best of both worlds: the analog surface area of tubes and the micro data harvesting of modern circuitry? You see, the sucky thing about digital is the grid that gathers the analog field of light. Tubes don't have to limit their gathering to a grid of little boxes. If the guns could hyper-sample the image, they could multi-sample and compensate, nay. even oversample way more latitude than film or chips.

 

Dumb idea?

 

 

I only understood a portion of what you said, but I always loved the look of tube cameras prior to everything going to chips. If it gives a better image, then why not? I think it's a great idea. :)

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I keep on picturing Manuel in the Kitchen of Faulty Towers screaming "fuego fuego!" and laughing!

 

Though, honestly, it's a cool idea, but from what I've heard, as tube cameras were before my time, the tube alignment was always a bit problematic? keeping them from getting out of position or something of the like. My dad spoke of it from his "early days."

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I keep on picturing Manuel in the Kitchen of Faulty Towers screaming "fuego fuego!" and laughing!

 

Though, honestly, it's a cool idea, but from what I've heard, as tube cameras were before my time, the tube alignment was always a bit problematic? keeping them from getting out of position or something of the like. My dad spoke of it from his "early days."

 

Here's the guy who would know:

 

http://www.pharis-video.com/p3822.htm

 

As for alignment in a new tube camera, you'd have to get back focus right, but the three color planes could be lined up digitally.

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

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And what about the ''comet'' effect that you get shooting every single highlight??

I don't thing that you will never manage to reduce this.

Dim

 

Not that Paul can even read this :rolleyes: but, I noticed that as the most dated element I can discern in "Alien", all their ship monitoring cameras are tube. Too bad someone didn't have the forethought to try to minimize that, maybe by shooting on film and telecineing the result to tape.

 

I liked another sci-fi movie, forget which one, where all of their TVs are 2.39:1. Unfortunately, in the drive to sell new TVs to people who already have TVs, this may very well come true in the future.

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And what about the ''comet'' effect that you get shooting every single highlight??

I don't thing that you will never manage to reduce this.

 

Perhaps the MTI guys who pioneered dirt and scratch removal could handle it.

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

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Perhaps the MTI guys who pioneered dirt and scratch removal could handle it.

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

 

Could you charge the phosphor like in a CCD? Or, even, make it a "smart" phosphor that would reject levels that cause ghosting. I have to admit, I had forgotten entirely about ghosting. It was the bane of tube cams, no doubt.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_camera_tube

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