Quote:
|
Within a few years it was all academic, British manufacturers failed to predict the demand for operationally practical and reliable light weight cameras, and were put to the sword by the likes of Sony and Ikegami.
|
UK manufacturers did understand this, but faced with high development and production costs there was no competing with the products from the Far East. Much the same story as with domestic TVs.
What also didn't help was the BBC and its continual demands for camera features which couldn't be sold on the world market. How could that circle be squared - sell to your state broadcaster but not the world or vice-versa? You couldn't do both. Marconi chose world sales (a much bigger market), yet continued to try with the BBC. EMI (and then Link) chose the BBC market and could only export in really tiny numbers as a consequence.
Philips/Pye TVT was not selling a British made product but they had triax first and that was their ace card on OB - at least for a while. It was money and profitability that extinguished UK camera manufacture, not a lack of foresight.
Marconi was certainly guilty of using too much metal in almost all of their products which didn't help on the miniaturisation front. It used to be said that Marconi's was a metalworking company that did some electronics as well! Too cruel, of course, but you did get a lot of metal for your money - especially with the MkVII and its magnesium body shell.
Best regards,
Paul M