Chapter 7) Video Cameras

  7.1) 10-pin Video Camera connector

(From Sam Goldwasser)

This from a JVC camera. The 10 pin connector I know is sort of standard.

I know the 10 pin end is a standard. I have a couple of other cameras that have this connector. I don't know if the JVC end is a standard. There are 5 pairs of signals:

   1. Power and GND
   2. Video and return
   3. Audio and return
   4. Control and return
      I never bothered to figure out what this did (signal that you are taping from/to camera?). 

12 Pin          10 Pin          Function
  1             1               Video
  2             2               Video Shield
  3
  4
  5
  6             6               Control
  7             7               Audio
  8             8               Audio Shield
  9             9               Control Shield and +12 Return *check this*
                                        Center pin of power connector.
 10             10              +12
 11
 12

(From Jim Novack)

I recommend that you confirm these, at least for power!! You do not want to be wrong for power. Better yet, use the power jack on the back of the camera to start off.

While the signal pin-out was standard, different manufacturers used a different strategy for pause/go from the camera trigger. I think some used a positive voltage, some used a negative.

There was a technique used that allowed viewing tape playback on the camera viewfinder. I think the same wire that fed camera input to the VCR was used, but the VCR put a DC voltage down it to tell the camera a signal was incoming, not outgoing. I'm hazy on this, it was a while ago!

What you really need is a camera A.C. adapter. These were sold so that people could use these 10-pin cameras with their home VCR. It generally was a small box that contained a 10-pin receptical, a power supply, a small audio circuit (I think) to amplify the camera mic level signal to line level, and video and audio outputs. I have one of these, a Panasonic PK-A789s that I have used with Panasonic, JVC, and RCA cameras. Check with video shops-they might have one gathering dust. Watch out for anything from the pre VHS era (before circa 1977). I remember that Sony, and others, used the same connector for the cameras for their "Porta-Pak" reel to reel and U-Matic decks, and the pin-out on these was different-a sync signal was fed to the camera, for one. They also made A.C. adapters for those cameras (Sony's was called a CMA-2--why do I remember these things??) Avoid these because they would probably fry your camera.
  7.2) Panasonic Video Camera pinout (round, 10-pin)

(From Bruce Coates)

(Re: Panasonic WV-3230)

The 10 pin connector pin out used on the Panasonic seems to conform to the "standard" 10 pin VHS pinout (pretty much anyway).

Here's how it's listed in the service manual:

   1. Video Out/In
   2. Video Ground
   3. Serial Data In/Out (*)
   4. Serial Clock /IN Tally (*)
   5. Standby Control (high) / Right Audio out (*)
   6. VTR Record (H)/ Pause Out (L) Out
   7. Left Audio Out
   8. Audio Ground
   9. Power Ground
  10. +12v IN 

The "*" are the NON STANDARD PINS. From the information that I have, pins 3 and 4 have no specific assignment and vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. I also believe that pin 5 is usually used only for Right audio out. One word of caution, if you're trying to connect this camera to any external power supplies, be EXTREMELY CAREFUL that you have the correct polarity. There is NO REVERSE POLARITY PROTECTION in the camera and I can tell you from experience that hooking it up backwards will completely destroy the power supply circuits inside.

  7.3) Quasar video camera pinout

(From: Mike Turner mike.turner@johnabbott.qc.ca))

   1. Video out (REC)/in (PLAY)
   2. Ground for pin 1
   3. Not used or tally
   4. Ground for pin 5 or serial clock in (depends on camera)
   5. Audio in, standby or audio out (2)
   6. Remote pause
   7. Audio out
   8. Ground for pin 7
   9. ground for pin 10
  10. +12 volts DC 

I expect you will use only pins 1,2,7,8,9 and 10 



      10-pin connector
 Pin
 Number  	 Pin Function
 1 	 Camera Video Out
 2 	 Camera Video Ground
 3 	 View Finder Video In
 4 	 View Finder Video Ground 
 5 	 NC
 6 	 Record/Pause Out
 7 	 Camera Audio Out
 8 	 Camera Audio Ground
 9 	 DC Ground
 10 	 +12V DC In

      14-pin connector
 Pin
 Number  	 Pin Function
 1 	 Camera Video Out
 2 	 Camera Video Ground
 3 	 View Finder Video In
 4 	 View Finder Video Ground 
 5 	 Start/Stop
 6 	 Tally Signal In
 7 	 Camera Audio Out (CH2)
 8 	 Record /Review Button
 9 	 Camera Audio Out (CH1)
 10 	 Audio Ground
 11 	 Audio In (CH1)
 12 	 Audio In (CH2)
 13 	 +12V DC In
 14 	 Ground