Sony MVC-5000 (© Bruce Schwartzman)

Sony ProMavica MVC-5000 (1990)

The Sony ProMavica MVC-5000 was a very heavy and bulky two-chip camera and already in use with USA Today. The two chips pick up luminance and chroma separately. The result was that the camera produces more than 500 lines horizontal resolution. More than the average 400 lines of other SVC. The camera also had a built-in microphone near the back of the camera that could record up to 9.6 seconds of audio per frame (max. 25 frames or 480 sec. of audio). A variety of Nikon lenses could be used with this camera when the MCL-200N lens adaptor was mounted. To help move faster across VF disks, Sony introduced a new Hi-band ProMavica player (MVP-660). An external microphone and a remote control (RM-S7) could also be attached.

The earliest, verfiyable reports about this camera are from 1990, plus the manual is from 1990. So the general internet claim that this camera is from 1989 is simply wrong. Unless anyone can undeniably prove that, I stick with 1990. There is a funny story on the internet where USA Today used the MVC-5000 to shoot pictures of the 64th academy awards ceremony in February of 1992 so the images could make the deadline for the morning paper.

Specifications

  • Brand: Sony
  • Model: ProMavica MVC-5000
  • First mentioned: 1990
  • Marketed: yes
  • MSRP: $10,000
  • Imager Type: 2x 0.38MP 2/3" IT-CCD's
  • Resolution: -
  • Internal Storage: -
  • External Storage: Hi-VF Disk
  • Lens: lens dependent
  • Shutter: 1/15s to 1/2,000s (mechanical) and 1/60s to 1/4,000s (electronical)
  • Aperture Range: lens dependent
  • LCD screen size: -
  • Size: 177.5 x 143 x 131mm
  • Weight: 1,600gr. (body) / 3,000 gr. (complete set)
  • Remarks: -

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