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TeleTales #90…The Real Beauty Of The RCA TK30

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Eyes Of A Generation.com

TeleTales #90…The Real Beauty Of The RCA TK30

Notice the lighting in this 1948 photo from WDAF in Kansas City. When the TK30, the first Image Orthicon camera debuted in 1946, it brought with it several new advantages. One of which was the ability to shoot with 10X less light than the Iconoscope cameras.

With only 250 foot-candles, vs 2,500, studios would be a lot cooler. The IO image was a lot sharper too and for the first time, television cameras had a turret of lenses that allowed each camera to give four different views of each single scene, depending on which of the four lenses was chosen.

The TK30’s, chrome trimmed sister was the TK10 which, except for the decorative chassis with a red stripe at the top and a glossy paint job, was exactly the same camera, yet the TK30 was deemed a “Field” camera while the TK10 was designated a “Studio” camera. The reason for this was that the TK30 could operate in the filed with less power, but could also be operated in the studio with a TK10 power supply. Even the viewfinders were interchangeable.

I never understood why RCA never made a movable viewfinder hood for the TK30, where they needed it most. The TK10’s hood was movable, but would not fit on the TK30. Enjoy and share. -Bobby Ellerbee

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12 responses to “TeleTales #90…The Real Beauty Of The RCA TK30”

  1. Tim Miller

    An NBC affiliate that sadly flipped to Fox.

  2. Kent Ayers

    It also looks like the cameras are on wooden tripods or “sticks”.

  3. Bob Basile

    I think that’s Randall Jessie conducting the interview.

  4. Bill Morris

    Gorgeous floor

  5. Bob Brown

    The wood floor at WDAF is still in use to this day.
    In fact it was resurfaced just before this set was constructed.

  6. John Holt

    The people on the sofa don’t look real. Has this been touched up?

  7. Kevin T. Doherty

    RCA 77Ds on booms.

  8. John Dolive

    Interesting side note: this studio had a wooden floor!

  9. Roy Fechter

    Bobby, you had a professional photographer take pictures of the cameras in your collection last year. Please show us the one of your TK30.

  10. Bob Batsche

    Interesting wheels under the cameras.

  11. Bryan Durr

    Have driven by that station a million times. One of a dozen that are west of the Mississippi and have s “W” in their call sign. It’s located on Signal Hill in Kansas City.

  12. Gustavo Brasil

    I’m curious that at that time they were using fluorescent tubes on lightining.

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