I Hacked a 60s Camera for That Hollywood Look!

[@japhyriddle]

I wouldn’t describe this as a “Hollywood look” since it looks nothing like film, but who am I to tell you what it reminds you of. I’ve worked with a lot of these single tube Vidicon cameras. There are some cool things you can do with these by adjusting some of the trim pots inside the camera. For starters, you can get the image to look sharper. There’s an electronic focus pot that looks to be out of calibration in this video. All tube cameras have image lag (comet tailing), and you can actually control how much of it there is. You can make the image really smeary if you want. You can even disable the auto-exposure system just by adjusting a couple of pots. Also, you can adjust the horizontal and vertical scales. This allows you to shoot “anamorphic” and then do a stretch in post to get widescreen, or any aspect ratio you want. The pots are usually labeled, but be careful, there’s a lot of high voltage in there if you decide to play around. Congratulations on getting one of these cameras. Great video : )

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you so much for your detailed comment and the tips! I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience with these cameras. I’ll admit, I’m fully aware the footage doesn’t look exactly like Hollywood film, it’s not film after all, but there’s something about the overall vibe of the camera’s image that reminds me of that cinematic feel. Plus, I used the term more as a way to make the video easier for people to understand and to grab attention, it’s kind of like clickbait, but hopefully in a good way! When I disassembled the camera, I did notice the trim pots and made sure to note their original positions before experimenting a little. I didn’t tweak them too much, though, and ultimately decided to keep everything as it was. However, the anamorphic trick you mentioned sounds fascinating, I love the idea and will definitely give it a try! and maybe make a video about that! Thanks again for the insights, and I’m really glad you enjoyed the video! 😊

[@protogon]

i love everything you're doing to keep these old cameras alive!! excited to see what you have in store next once you can get into designing circuitry!!

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you so much! I’m really excited about diving deeper into that world as well. One of my most ambitious projects right now is converting an old Bolex film camera into a digital one to fully utilize its high-quality lenses. I know this will take a lot more time and learning, formal study will definitely be essential, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. 😊

[@invujerry]

It would be really nice to see you get a recorder that can do 60FPS. Most of that stuff was recorded in 60i, so it would help I think.

[@LotoTheHero]

Very cool project! It's nice to see you give this thing a new life!

[@MaxVegaKun]

@@LotoTheHero Thank you so much!

[@DonaldDrennan]

This camera is from the late 70's or early 80s. Consumer video cameras were just not available in the 1960s, only film cameras. I was born in the 60s and grew up in the 70s. Up until the late 1970s, even television news reports were made with film cameras. Television stations had their own film processing labs, and editing was done by cutting and taping together actual strips of film. I once visited a local TV station in '75 or '76 and saw this being done. They had to work fast. Later on, they switched over video cameras, but they were very large and bulky. When I was in 6th grade, our school acquired a black and white Panasonic video camera with a reel to reel video tape recorder that was not exactly portable. Good work converting that camera to record in digital though. Interesting.

[@StephenMcLeod]

such an awesome project!!

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you so much! I’m really glad you think so!

[@choglatemilg]

really loving your content Max!

[@MaxVegaKun]

I truly appreciate the support! Thank you!

[@g-r-a-e-m-e-]

That was an amazing project, and fantastic result. Almost anyone else would have given up, but not you!!! Full marks ❤

[@juaane]

Thank you for your inspiring videos and the tip with the minidvr! That’s the product I was looking for!

[@MaxVegaKun]

I really appreciate it! I’d recommend checking out my video review of the mini DVR it’s a great device, but the audio quality isn’t the best, so it really depends on what you plan to use it for. Hope it helps! 😊 kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5uwpKh6Zapld5I

[@MiamiMillionaire]

Actually, the camera does not use a cathode ray, but a Vidicon tube

[@MaxVegaKun]

You’re absolutely right, the camera uses a vidicon tube, not a cathode ray tube. Thank you for pointing that out! I had initially understood that the vidicon tube was a type of cathode ray tube, but thanks to your clarification, I looked it up and now see that they aren’t exactly the same. I really appreciate you taking the time to share that!

[@roboshobo]

Your videos and projects are so cool. This camera is from the mid to late 1970s. You can tell because the logo is in the Avant Garde ITC font. This didn’t happen until Magnavox was bought by Phillips in 1976.

[@roboshobo]

Also your thumbnail calls this a digital camera but it is an analog camera because it uses a tube for the image sensor. Regardless, I think the projects you do are quite cool, I wish I had the skill to figure out some of these mods from scratch like you do.

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you so much for the clarification! I actually spent days researching the camera’s model and serial number, but I couldn’t find an exact match. The similar models I came across dated between 1961 and 1966, which is why I thought this one was from that era. Hearing from someone with more knowledge really makes me feel like I’m on Pawn Stars! Haha, I appreciate you sharing this info, it adds so much value to the video! 😊

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you so much for your comment and kind words! You’re absolutely right, the camera itself is analog since it uses a tube for the image sensor. I labeled it “digital” in the thumbnail mainly because of the process the mini DVR performs, converting the analog signal from the camera into a digital file on a microSD card. It was also a bit of a marketing choice for the thumbnail hehe, to make it easier for people to understand what the video is about at a glance. I really appreciate your feedback and your support! 😊

[@birne2676]

Another brilliant project of yours! Keep on going!

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you so much for the encouragement! Each project takes a lot of time and effort, so it’s really motivating to hear that. I’ll definitely keep pushing to bring more ideas to life!

[@TheOriginalCoolDad]

Awesome save on an old camera!! Love how you approach and explain everything!!

[@bopmicrofunk]

awesome work man 💎

[@cptsalek]

Brilliantly done I have to say, especially replacing the fixed cable with a dedicated port on the camera makes this look way more professional.

[@MaxVegaKun]

@@cptsalek I really appreciate your comment! Replacing the fixed cable with a dedicated port was a challenge, it took me about 8 hours to get it just right. It’s great to know that the effort paid off and you noticed that detail!

[@dottedgreenline]

Great work! Nice video!

[@MaxVegaKun]

@@dottedgreenline Thank you so much!

[@divergentthinkingproductions]

What would be cool is if you could get some kind of commission to shoot b-roll on some tv or movie that's actually set in the late 60's/early 70's.

[@Asiertxu1974]

Realmente interesante proyecto!!! Es increíble ver funcionar de nuevo cámaras de épocas tan alejadas con tu gran creatividad. 🙂 Gracias a tus video, he empezado ha realizar mis propios proyectos . Un saludo desde Bilbao! Asier.

[@JerryLass]

Great video! Keep it up!

[@Swenglish]

That's awesome! The little spots in the image, is that just dirt on/behind the lens or something, or is something a bit damaged?

[@afshinrohani]

love your work bro

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you so much! It means a lot to know you’re enjoying the projects. Your support keeps me inspired to keep creating!

[@malmaoo]

Excellent work love the pictures

[@MaxVegaKun]

I really appreciate it! Bringing those vintage images to life was such a rewarding part of the project. It’s great to know they resonated with you!

[@Krzysztof_L]

Great work :) I've got vintage polish vidicon CCTV camera, now I have to find a way to capture video from it onto SD :)

[@Cristian.Cortez]

I don't really have anything to say but you asked for a comment so... Here it is, love your videos!

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you so much! Comments like yours really help with the algorithm, and I truly appreciate the support. 😊

[@Exaldia]

yooo this is sick!! 👏🏻👏🏻

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked it! :)

[@VietinghoffAlex]

Super cool!

[@raw55films]

Increíble. La sensación que te da esa imagen es única. Me inspira a perder el miedo e intentar hacer esas intervenciones a cámaras antiguas.

[@MaxVegaKun]

@@raw55films La verdad es que es algo que no se puede replicar con un simple filtro, anímate! incluso si no puedes a la primera aprenderas mucho y sera divertido :)

[@ShadowFandub]

Por seguridad por favor añade un bms de 12v, el modulo de carga usb cumple su funcion de recargar las baterias pero el bms te protegerá de eventuales problemas como sobre descarga o sobre carga, incluso corto circuito.

[@MaxVegaKun]

@@ShadowFandub Muchas gracias! Si lo agregue solo que olvidé grabarlo y cuando me di cuenta ya habia enrollado las baterias con cinta aislante y me dio pereza desenvolverlas jeje 😅 Pero muchas gracias por comentarlo por si alguien quiere hacerlo :)

[@hotgarbageD]

This is such a wonderful project. Very well done. I find the music distracting, but otherwise, great video. Wishing you good luck on your electronics journey. I've been offered a nice VHS camcorder, and had no idea how to capture video from it. I'll use the mini DVR. Thank you for the recommendation and the video!

[@espice8876]

Amazing!!

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you so much!

[@lighthouseisland7668]

Love watching these videos of yours, looking to mod a nuvicon video of mine inspired by some of your other videos!

[@MaxVegaKun]

It’s awesome to hear that you’re taking on a retro camera project! I’m glad my videos have sparked some inspiration. Best of luck with the mod, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out. I’m not an expert, but if I can help in any way, I’m here! 😊

[@FleaCon]

Awesome video bro, what city are you in?

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thanks so much! I’m based in Riverside, CA. 😊

[@FleaCon]

@ great work bro. 👍🏼

[@malmaoo]

B & W seem to be very real

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you! I aimed to keep the black-and-white aesthetic as authentic as possible. It’s incredible how much character that look can bring to a project :)

[@epicvission]

Hermano una pregunta - Seria posible conectar un HDMI output cable, en vez de el MINI DVR? Estoy interesado en hacer esto pero para producciones en vivo. Necesitaría un señal en vivo q sale de la cam por HDMI?

[@MaxVegaKun]

¡Hola! Claro que se puede hacer. La opción más sencilla y económica sería utilizar una capturadora USB con entradas RCA, como la EasyCAP. Esta capturadora tiene entrada de video analógico, por lo que no necesitas un conversor a HDMI. Solo sería necesario un adaptador para convertir la salida de 3.5mm que usé en este proyecto a RCA, y listo. Si prefieres usar un conversor a HDMI, puedes optar por uno económico como el AV2HDMI. Sin embargo, ten en cuenta que estira el video a formato 16:9 y la calidad no será la mejor. Para conectarlo, solo necesitas llevar la salida de video de la caja al conversor AV2HDMI y de ahí a tu capturadora HDMI. También considera que este conversor requiere alimentación de 5V. Ambas opciones son viables y tienen un costo aproximado de 4 dólares en AliExpress. Si buscas mayor calidad, hay otros conversores disponibles, pero a un costo más elevado. Espero que esto te ayude!

[@Gerasimos.Panagatos]

Amazing video, I love your work, I purchased a mini DVR myself for our Sony Handycam but unfortunately the mini DVR produces a very bad audio quality, it is unusable, video quality tho is great.

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you so much for your support! I agree, the audio can be a big drawback and isn’t ideal for every use. On the bright side, the video quality really stands out. Hopefully, you can find a way to make it work for your projects! 😊

[@luxgroberts3943]

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you for your support!

[@Jimmy-vy5up]

📹🦾

[@MaxVegaKun]

@@Jimmy-vy5up Thank you so much!

[@KanalFrump]

not so much hollywood look, more like the authentic vibe of late 1960s roving news footage. If you ever get bored with your camera probably some film film FX place would love to use it for period authentic prop footage. Though these days who cares about authenticity, young people barely know what a CRT picture looked like anyway.

[@yorgle]

Awesome! How much time do you get on a charge? If you wanted to make the cable a little more flexible, that silver connector can be opened up, and you could wire that first set of thin wires from the other end right into the connector there.

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thanks for the suggestion and the question! I actually haven’t fully drained the first charge yet, but I used it for about an hour and a half without any issues. Based on the battery I used a 5000mAh and the voltage and power consumption, it should last around three hours. As for the cable, that’s a great idea! I actually did exactly that with the connector going to the camera, and I had planned to do the same for the other end. But after so many hours working on it, I was completely exhausted, so I left it as-is for now. Haha! Thanks again for the tip, it’s much appreciated! 😊

[@hughsgarbagetrucks]

🥣