[QuadList] VPR5

[Don Norwood]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Trevor Brown" <videovault at sky.com>


>
> The VP5 with its big battery mod and big spool mod was quite a beast to
> carry around

Well.....yes.....and no.  As you and others pointed out, compared to a 
one-piece camcorder, it was not nearly as convenient, and the timing of its 
arrival in the market limited its viability.  But compared to the VPR-20 and 
similar products from other manufacturers, it was an amazing leap forward.

To go back even further (and since this is the quad list!), the VPR-5 in its 
large-reel configuration is not much different from the size of the VR-3000, 
but the VR-3000 weighs over 50 lbs!  Still, the 3000 represented an 
achievement which at the time, I believe was more dramatic than the VPR-5. 
A look inside the machine clearly shows where Ampex took advances and 
techniques from its aerospace systems, and incorporated them into the 
design.  In the almost 20 years between the introduction of the VR-3000 and 
the introduction of the VPR-5, there were obviously tremendous advances in 
technology, but given their respective time frames, both were extremely 
impressive.  However, the VR-3000 didn't have any competition, so it enjoyed 
a long product life compared to the VPR-5.

Don
www.digitrakcom.com