Quad Setup Vintage JVC BY-110 Videocameras (1986)

by Mark R. Hasan on June 23, 2014

When JVC brought out its BY-110UL16 (aka, model BY-110), a smaller, cheaper, yet still pretty damn good 3-tube camera (the unit is outfitted with three 1/2 inch Saticon tubes instead of the bigger and more popular 2/3 versions), it was around the time ENG cameras were starting to be available in both tube and CCD variants, and not long afterwards, units that were either standalone cameras or modular camcorders capable of recording in VHS, SVHS, U-matic, and Betcam.

The usage of different type of tubes also seemed to indicate that Saticons were for Important Things, and Newvicons, being more burn-resilient and better in low-light situations, were preferred for night shoots.

In preparation for an upcoming shoot, I did some test filming over the past two weekends, partially to see how the camera handled bright exterior sunlight  and a harsh spotlight in otherwise dark locales. Being a classic standalone camera in need of a power supply (the original chunky batteries are long dead) and a separate video recorder, the most accessible locations were the 1) backyard, and 2) the home.

It’s a real challenge trying to figure out how to take a vintage camera to a location and find the simplest means to both power it + record SD footage for editing in an HD project. The BY-110, like other similar cameras, needs its own unique accoutrements that make it almost impractical in 2014, but I’m hoping the end results will justify the headache in coordinating the transportation, setting up, striking down, and returning home of said chunky gear.

(I do have fond memories of the simplicity in having to carry a camcorder + tripod, and maybe an extension cord to get the job done. Way, WAY back, I taped two years of fFIDA dance performances, and going back & forth was easier because the gear was smaller & lighter, and easy parking was still possible in T.O.)

In any event, I’ve uploaded the two sets of videos:

[embed]https://vimeo.com/98840583[/embed]

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7DzjZl7OtM[/embed]

The Garden Colours version on Vimeo will be up in a week’s time, but you can access the same montage in HD on YouTube:

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=183&v=noiqSbWPnrQ[/embed]

As for the above videos, all the footage was recorded straight to miniDV using a Sony GV-D1000 watchman (somehow Sony’s use of that moniker seems out-of-place when applied to prosumer gear), and edited in Adobe Premiere.

None of the Headshots footage was treated – what’s in the video is the raw footage – but I did do some slight colour correction on the garden footage because there were inconsistencies due to the changes in lights, and my erroneous use of the camera’s built-in 5600 K / 25% ND combo filter.

One thing that did mandate some reshooting was underexposed footage because what seemed hot in the viewfinder was actually the right exposure to get good colour and overall brightness. Classic case of what the camera’s systems says is safe and reasonable actually isn’t. I didn’t have any polarizer or ND variants for the lens size (77mm), so there were some shots in which capturing detail necessitated a few somewhat hot whites.

Other point: I used a vintage Slik tripod (model 312V) which handles broadcast cameras – in weight, bulk, length – extremely well.  Without a greased tripod head, the tilts and pans aren’t fluid – you have to make your own resistance to get those movements that glide instead of  ‘swoop.’ Panning is less a problem, but my beat-up 35mm Black’s tripod from high school (it still works!) is great for panning but way too small for ENG cameras.

Some extra photos from JVC BY-110 Videocamera

3 tube Saticon JVC BY-110 video camera, 1986.