"First" digital camera

From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
Date: Sun May 30 15:11:25 2004

>
> In message <m1BUTpF-000JCGC_at_p850ug1>
> ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) wrote:
>
> > Normally you can get JVC service manuals...
> I didn't feel like spending =A330 to =A390 on a manual when all I wanted =
> was the
> finder pinouts. The camera lens was smashed to bits.

Yes, but the schematics of the finder would be useful if you ever need to
repair it.

Anyway, \pounds 90 is very expensive for a video service manual. I assume
you tried some of the places that advertise in the back pages of
Television magazine. I think you'd ahve found one there for under 20 quid.


>
> > All my video cameras have the=20
> > old-fashioned CRT-based viewfinders, and it's generally easy to see whe=
> re=20
> > to feed video into those.
> Same with the family camcorder. It's a fairly big black Sony Handycam tha=
> t
> takes a Video8 tape, has the standard array of controls (including

My Handycam is one of the original ones... Record only, and with an
optical (not even reflex) viewfinder.

Apparently, when you'd recorded whatever on the 8mm tape, you either
played it back on a little tabletop recorder/player (I have this), or
sent it to Sony, who would copy it to Betamax (what else :-)) for you. Hmmm..

> focus-lock and zoom). TTBOMK a fair bit of the tape mechanism is metal,
> aside from a few plastic bits "here and there". Nice camera, except the
> batteries are truly shot and a bit difficult to get. I think Sony still m=
> ake

Can you not rebuild the battery pack? Cut it open, replace the cells? To
put this on-topic (slightly), that's what I do with HP calculator batteries..

> > Any markings on it at all?=20
> The chip is missing. Looks like it's a case of "fit this chip and the vid=
> eo
> connector and drill a hole in the case" - the firmware has all the Video =
> Out
> options enabled.

Oh, right...

It's got 8 pins, you'vr indtified 2 as ground, and one as the video
output. One is not used. That leaves 4. At least one must be a power
supply line (maybe identifyable either by having a steady DC voltage on
it, or by havine a sizeable (100nF or more) decoupling capacitor on it.

HAve you tried probing the unknown connections with a 'scope?


> I guess the chip is probably a video buffer. SunPlus don't seem to want t=

Elantec made/make a fair number of those, many of them fixed-gain
(including unity gain), and many in 8 pin DIL packages. Have you looked
at their databook yet?

-tony
Received on Sun May 30 2004 - 15:11:25 BST