Nikon Coolpix S01 compact digital camera

 

In my last post I wrote about the importance of affordable and user friendly camcorders that anyone can get to film precious memories or start them on their professional filmmaking career. Now it is time to talk about photographic cameras that fall under the same category, which is why I will be talking about the compact digital camera, the Nikon Coolpix S01.

          

As mentioned in both the Philips VKR6847 Explorer Camcorder post and the Panasonic/National NV-M5 Camcorder post, the invention of smaller and cheaper camera equipment set forth a new way of documenting human history. The same could be said about compact digital cameras. Mirrorless and easy point-and-shoot mechanics, the compact camera has the advantages of being: “easy to use, contain liquid crystal display (LCD) screens and image management software which allows the user to select and edit images, cheaper price. The quality of image from a compact camera with higher resolution can be considered of “good” quality digital image,” (MediaLab 2024).

As Veldman (2024) points out, camera companies made a quick profit off of selling compact digital cameras and that once they hit the market nearly every household had one ready to be used of every family gathering and writes: “You most likely remember lining up at family gatherings for the obligatory group photos, grinning while blinded by the camera flash.”

It was also, as mentioned above, that it was an easy, fun and cheaper way to introduce the art of photography to a new generation, allowing them to play around, experiment and learn the fundamentals before moving to industry standard (aka more expensive) cameras.

But as Veldman (2024) further writes, this camera isn’t something to underestimate, after all, “…it’s not the camera that makes the shot; it’s the photographer that makes the shot…” and that (as Chase Jarvis said) “the best camera is the one you have with you.”

Not only that, but as mentioned in the Panasonic/National NV-M5 Camcorder post, if you want to give something an old or nostalgic feel, then it is better to use something that is old. So, instead of using filters that cheapen the aesthetic, just use a real compact digital camera.

After all, how else can you capture the feel and look of the mid to late 2000s Indie Sleaze look and feel without the “the high-contrast Polaroids and flash-lit photography that prevailed at the time.” (Dinsdale 2022)

Now let’s start with the history of the Nikon company history. Nikon was founded in 1917 and was first called Nippon Kogaku K.K. or Japan Optical Industries Co., Ltd. (AboutPhotogarphy 2023), which was a merger of three optical firms (Nippon Kogaku Klub) and was a response to the need and national urgency for advance optical instruments, which was lead by the then president and nephew’s founder of Mitsubishi Koyata Iwasaki (Nikon 2024).

The Nikon company started out manufacturing ridgefinders and microscopes, but it was later that a need for optical instruments became evident that Nikon led to the “combining the optical instruments division of the Tokyo Keiki company and the mirror division of Iwaki Glass with Fujii Lens Manufacturing. This merger gave rise to Nippon Kogaku K.K. and, subsequently, the Nikon of today.” (Nikon 2024)

By 1933 Nippon Kogaku K.K. manufactured the NIKKOR lens, made for aerial photography and map making. They came in two lenses, the 70cm F5 and the 18cm F4.5, which set Nikon on a path to create high-performance lenses. (Nikon 2024)

In 1946 the name Nikon came into being when the call for domestically made cameras was in high demand “the company came up with the tentative name "Nikorette" to express compactness while building on the "Nikko" abbreviation of its Nippon Kogaku name at the time. However, due to opinions that this was a weak-sounding name for a product destined to be a major future player, the company used the Nikko base and added an N to the end which creates a more masculine impression in the Japanese language, and thus the official Nikon name was born.” (Nikon 2024)

By 1948, Nikon released its first camera the Nikon Model I, by 1957 it was the Nikon SP (a ridgefinder camera). Then in 1959, they released the Nikon F, a SLR camera, that had an interchangeable lens feature. This set them on a path of being associated with quality photographic cameras because in the coming years they made big leaps in the advancements of lenses and underwater cameras, that by 1971 they caught the eye of NASA and commissioned space approved cameras for the 17 missions and the Apollo 15 launch, which was known as the Nikon Photomic FTN camera. They carried on building, improving and even made many “firsts” in the camera industry until the Nikon name was so popular that in 1988, the Nippon Kogaku K.K. or Japan Optical Industries Co., Ltd., changed the company name to the Nikon Coperation and in 2003, got its iconic yellow logo that “symbolized the concept of ‘fusing the future possibilities with reliability’.” (Admin 2017)

Now this was a bit more in-depth then I thought I would go, but I will close off the history lesson by relating it back to the object of this post and that is by stating that Nikon released their Coolpix cameras in 1997. (Admin 2017)

But the compact digital camera goes as far back as 1988, with the introduction of the FUJIX DS-1P (Stapley 2022) and “…could store 10 images on a 2MB SRAM card and in the near future it was intended to use a compression method of 1:8 so that up to 40 images could be stored. The original press release states that images could be played back by means of an exclusive player and there was talk of a video printer. Also the camera was able to store voice or sound simultaneously and the camera was referred to as a ‘Future Electronic Still Camera’.” (Digitalkamera Museum 2024)

FUJIX DS-1P. Image Source: https://www.digitalkameramuseum.de/en/cameras/item/fujix-ds-1p-3

Digital compact cameras, as mentioned above, was part of the Indie Sleaze aesthetic, which used the flash application of the compact digital cameras to take messy and high contrasting photos.

It was also a part of the 2010s mirrorless revolution. Where “…compact system cameras, as they were also known – often seemed to be marketed with an air of apology for not being DSLRs.” (Stapley 2022)

Now for a simpler explanation of the history of the Coolpix brand, because I fear I might overdo it, here is an excerpt from Nikon (2010):

“The history of the COOLPIX series began in 1997 with the COOLPIX 100. The camera was slim enough to fit in a jacket pocket and was equipped with an innovative new PC card function that allowed the camera body itself to be connected directly to a computer for data transfer. Nikon has continued to lead the digital camera industry since then by developing and releasing models with revolutionary new features. The COOLPIX 900, released in 1998, offered a swivel design that allowed the lens portion to be rotated up to 270°. In 2005, Nikon released the COOLPIX 5900/7600/7900 with the revolutionary Face-priority AF (autofocus) function that automatically recognized faces with autofocusing and the COOLPIX P1, the world's first camera equipped with a wireless LAN communication function for transferring images over a wireless network. The COOLPIX S500, released in 2007, had the world's most compact body and also offered the fastest power-up and release time lag (at the time), and the COOLPIX S1000pj, released in 2009, was the world's first camera to be equipped with a compact projector. With a total of 100 COOLPIX models released, Nikon continues its tradition of innovation in 2010 with the release of the COOLPIX S1100pj, the second COOLPIX camera to be equipped with a built-in projector, and the COOLPIX S5100 with a number of functions that enable the capture of beautiful night time shots. The COOLPIX brand continues to offer increases in basic camera performance as well as new and advanced digital technologies for new value and user benefits.”

Now for the thing we are all here for, the Nikon Coolpix S01 compact digital camera. This is one of the smallest digital cameras I have seen and have the dimensions of 3.1 in. (77 mm) x 2.1 in. (51.2 mm) x 0.7 in. (17.2 mm) (Nikon), making it almost as small (maybe even smaller) than a business card. But make no mistake, as the old saying goes, all good things come in small packages.

                         

The Nikon Coolpix S01 has a max internal storage of 7.4GB, take photos, videos with sound and also has the ability to playback said video. According to Nikon it can shoot in 30fps and in both HD (128x720p) and SD (640x480) for up to 29min for one single shoot (page 12 of the reference manual).

The camera has features that are automatic, such as auto focus, that activates when a face is detected or puts focus in the middle of the frame when the zoom is activated or if there is no face. But not all is lost because the user does have some control. As stated on page 14 of the manual: “Although the focus area may still be displayed or the infocus indicator light green, the camera may fail to focus if the subject is very dark, fast-moving, mixes areas of sharply contrasting brightness (e.g., is half in the shade) or near and distant objects (e.g., is behind the bars of a cage), is dominated by regular geometric patterns (e.g., venetian blinds or a row of windows in a skyscraper), or contrasts poorly with the background (e.g., is the same color as the background). Should this occur, try pressing the shutter-release button halfway a second time or recomposing the photograph.”

The AF comes in two options, that is made for the movie (film) feature. First, which is the default setting, is AF-S or Single AF, “Choose if the distance to the subject will not change very much during recording. Focus locks when recording starts” and AF-F or Full Time AF, “Choose if the distance to the subject is likely to change during recording. Focus is adjusted during recording.” 

Another automatic feature is the built-in flash. The flash, when set to auto, will only go off if a lack of clarity is detected, but the flash can be turned on for every shot or turned off completely.

The camera monitor is touch screen control and has an anti-refection coating, with the dimensions of 2.5 inches and a sensor size of 1/2.9 inches (Nikon). The camera is easy to use with clear instructions and is as simple to navigate as any camera app on a smart phone.

 The camera comes with many different scene modes as seen on the image below from page 12 of the manual.

Scene Modes, Page 12 Reference Manual

And on page 42 the manual lists the many filters that can be applied.

Camera Filter Options, Page 14 Reference Manual

The ISO of the camera is between 80 -1600 and appears to also be automatic (Stoker 2012), and seems to be set by the camera depending on the motion detection, which bumps up the ISO sensitivity the more motion there is. It also changes depending on the zoom setting as well.

It also has a time and date setting, I know, not that interesting, but this camera has a time zone setting, where you pick the country you are shooting in, giving a more accurate time and date, even after many years of inactivation.

The camera has a NIKKOR 3x Optical Zoom lens with a focal length of 4.1-12.3mm and f/stop of 1:3.3-5.9. The lens has an electronic lens that opens when the camera is switched on. The lens is also a retractable lens, that expands out when switched on and retracts when switched off. Giving it a stylish look and feel as well as makes it easier to carry on the user’s pocket, but this is also a down side because this means it is a fixed lens and can’t be interchangeable.

                                         

 The image quality of the camera can be described as Stoker (2012) puts it:

“All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 10-megapixel High JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 2.5Mb. As a snapshot camera pure and simple, we're not expecting the Nikon Coolpix S01's image quality to astound in any way, shape or form. But, to be critical for a moment, at maximum wideangle setting we are noticing some loss of focus towards the extreme corners of the frame, whilst pixel fringing is visible in high contrast portions of images. Neither is a surprise. What is however, is that there is a fair level of detail captured too if conditions are right - and some quite pleasant results are possible, as hopefully our sample images here demonstrate. Colours are also realistically natural without being washed out or faded. Because the flash is so weeny, it works fairly well for indoor shots and portraits in that it's not powerful enough to bleach your subject.”

                 

The zoom has two modes, Optical Zoom and Digital Zoom. The difference between the two is that Optical Zoom is used to magnify an image by 4x and still keep the image quite clear, but there is a point where the Optical Zoom stops and Digital Zoom takes effect. This is to magnify an image further, but the digital processing of the image passing the Optical threshold the image will be grainy. The zoom is controlled by a ring around the shutter button, that is pushed towards the W to zoom out and the T to zoom in. This zooming in and out function works by causing the lens/zoom barrel to move towards or away from the body.

Zoom In/Out diagram, Page 14 Reference Manual 

Now let’s talk about the camera body. First is the retractable lens, mentioned above. Second is the built-in flash. Third is the Self-timer lamp/ AF-assist illuminator and fourth is the speaker, which is just a small pin hole next to the lens.

                   

On the top is the Shutter button, with the zoom mechanism around it. Next to it is the playback/photo display button, which is one of two ways to view images and videos, the second is to go into the main menu on the touch screen and select the gallery labelled as “Play”.

What is interesting about the Nikon Coolpix S01 is the different ways photos can be seen. One is to press the Playback button and manually scroll through the images and use the zoom function to inspect the image (and even retouch the image) or turn on the Slideshow function to view them in order of when they were taken. 

But video can’t be edited, just watched, with play/pause, fast forward/rewind etc. with sound playing from the small mono built-in speaker. 

Then on the other side of the Shutter button is the power button. This camera has an internal built in battery that has to be recharged with a USB charger cable, much like a phone. This cable is plugged in at the bottom, where connector cover protects the USB and audio/video connector. This is also where the user plugs in the charger cable to transfer images to a computer. This is also where you can find the Reset button to revert the camera to factory default.

But these are not the only things that the camera can do. There are controls to set the White Balance, exposure, self-timer and much more. To read about everything this camera has to offer, please read the manual here:

https://cdn-10.nikon-cdn.com/pdf/manuals/coolpix/S01RM_EN.pdf

The fun thing about this camera is that it comes in different colours. This particular model is chrome or as it is called “The Mirrored Version”. Other colours include white, red, pink and silver (Stoker 2012).

Nikon Coolpix S01 Colour Options. Image(s) Source: https://www.nikonusa.com/p/coolpix-s01/26347/overview 

The camera comes with three accessories: an AC adapter, USB cable charger and a strap.

The year of this camera’s release seems to be 2012.  Evidence comes from Stoker’s (2012) review that was posted in December of 2012 and states “Just in the (Saint) nick of time to catch the lucrative Christmas (of 2012) gifting market, the Nikon S01 arrives to a fanfare heralding it as the smallest Coolpix to date.”

This date is also confirmed by other reviewers, like Grinning Cheek to Cheek’s (2012) review, where it is a paid promotion for the camera’s release before Christmas and the comments going as far back as December of 2012.

Now for the brief explanation on how the compact digital camera works, with a brief explanation from an excerpt from Faith’s (2023) article, because like everything above I fear I might overcomplicate things. So without a further ado, here is Faith (2023) to give it to you straight:

“A compact digital camera works by capturing light through a lens and converting it into digital signals that can be stored on a memory card. The lens focuses the light onto a sensor, which is made up of millions of tiny light-sensitive pixels. These pixels convert the light into electrical signals, which are then processed by the camera's image processor to create a digital image.

One of the key components of a compact digital camera is the LCD screen. This screen allows the user to preview the image before taking the shot, and also provides a way to review the images that have already been taken. The LCD screen is made up of thousands of tiny pixels that display the image in real-time. The latest point of view is that many compact digital cameras now feature touchscreens, which allow for more intuitive control and navigation.

Another important aspect of a compact digital camera is the image processor. This processor is responsible for processing the digital signals from the sensor and creating a final image that can be stored on the memory card. The latest point of view is that many cameras now feature advanced image processing algorithms that can enhance the image quality and reduce noise in low-light conditions.

In conclusion, a compact digital camera works by capturing light through a lens and converting it into digital signals that can be stored on a memory card. The LCD screen allows for previewing and reviewing images, while the image processor is responsible for creating the final image. With the latest advancements in technology, compact digital cameras are becoming more powerful and feature-rich, making them a popular choice for both amateur and professional photographers.”

I know I say this a lot, but I really believed this was going to be a short one, but if there is anything this post proves is that bigger isn’t always better and that this camera is small, but mighty.

Thank you for making it to the end and as always, I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did researching it.

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 List of sources:

Admin. 2017. Nikon’s 100 years of imaging excellence (brief history of Nikon). https://nikonrumors.com/2017/09/21/nikons-100-years-of-imaging-excellence-brief-history-of-nikon.aspx/

Digitalkamera Museum. 2024. Fujix DS-1P (1988). https://www.digitalkameramuseum.de/en/cameras/item/fujix-ds-1p-3

Dinsdale, E. 2022. Indie sleaze dispatches: nostalgic photos of mid-00s London. https://www.dazeddigital.com/art-photography/article/55369/1/indie-sleaze-rebecca-zephyr-thomas-london-00s-shoreditch

Faith, K. 2023. How Does A Compact Digital Camera Work? https://www.kentfaith.co.uk/blog/article_how-does-a-compact-digital-camera-work_3524#:~:text=digital%20camera%20work%3F-,A%20compact%20digital%20camera%20works%20by%20capturing%20light%20through%20a,of%20tiny%20light%2Dsensitive%20pixels.

GRINNING CHEEK TO CHEEK. 2012. NIKON COOLPIX S01 REVIEW. https://www.grinningcheektocheek.com/nikon-coolpix-s01-review

MediaLab. 2024. Cameras and Digital Devices: Advantages and Disadvantages. https://www.labce.com/spg3038919_cameras_and_digital_devices_advantages_and_disadva.aspx#:~:text=Advantages%3A%20Relatively%20easy%20to%20use,%E2%80%9Cgood%E2%80%9D%20quality%20digital%20image.

Nippon Kogaku Klub. A Little Bit of History. http://www.nipponkogakuklub.com/NKK/Nikon_History.html

Nikon. 2010. Worldwide launch of the Nikon COOLPIX "Capture more. Feel more." brand site on September 30. https://www.nikon.com/company/news/2010/0930_coolpix_more_01.html#:~:text=The%20history%20of%20the%20COOLPIX,a%20computer%20for%20data%20transfer.

Nikon. 2024. Coolpix S01. https://www.nikonusa.com/p/coolpix-s01/26347/overview

Nikon. 2024. History. https://www.nikon.com/company/corporate/history/#:~:text=The%20origin%20of%20Nikon%2C%20as%20Nippon%20Kogaku%20K.K.%20was%20established&text=(Japan%20Optical%20Industries%20Co.%2C,such%20as%20rangefinders%20and%20microscopes.

Stapley, J. 2022. The History and Evolution of Digital Camera Photography. https://www.wexphotovideo.com/blog/news-articles/social-commentary/the-history-and-evolution-of-digital-camera-photography/

Stoker, G. 2012. Nikon Coolpix S01 Review. https://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/nikon_coolpix_s01_review

Veldman, D. 2024. 5 Reasons to Own a Compact Camera. https://photzy.com/five-reasons-to-own-a-compact-camera/

 

Panasonic/National NV-M5 Camcorder

 

Going back to camcorders. I am especially exited about this model because of its look and how it operates, as well as the fact that it records videos on VHS tapes.

Camcorders are one of the most important inventions of history documentation (see Philips VKR6847 Explorer Camcorder post for more information) as well as inspiring new filmmakers in the 70s, 80s and 90s to learn and create amazing pieces of film art. It caused an electronic revolution to capture memories in the form of home videos, allowed amateur filmmakers to teach themselves and experiment with different filming techniques in transferring from the old 8mm and Super 8mm films.

As V2DT (2021) writes:

“Having access to filming equipment meant that not only did people now have the ability to capture personal memories on film, but filmmakers had the chance to practice their skills and create content with ease in the comfort of their own homes.”

And that, “It required almost no technical skill, which is why the VHS tape was so attractive to the public in the late 1970s. By the mid-1980s, VHS tapes were found in most homes and used to store home movies and record television. Television and movie production companies also used the technology as a brand-new revenue stream – giving film fans the option to purchase movies they saw in the cinema to watch at home.”

With camcorders being more inexpensive than what the mainstream film production companies where using, it made it easier for aspiring filmmakers to create, mass produce and sell their own films. Although, I am sure most of these films ended up being memed on by YouTube movie reviewers.

VHS camcorders also inspired many film genres, such as Found Footage films and continue today to help enhance and inspire new ways of filming horror films.

“Modern cameras have embraced the concept of high dynamic range, high resolution, and perfect colour reproduction. So much so that it feels like looking through a window when we watch movies. But when using these tools to try and capture the nostalgia of the 80s and 90s, creative film makers always have a hard time finding the grunge of those eras when their initial composition is too clean. Cinematographer Alexander Chinnici and the team behind the V/H/S/85 “wrap around” "TOTAL COPY," decided the best way to dirty up the frame, was to go back in time. Directed by David Bruckner, "TOTAL COPY" used the unique approach of shooting on 40-year-old analog cameras and quite literally flicking the magnetic tape of a VHS cassette to get the effects they wanted.” (NSF Staff 2023)

The use of camcorders isn’t just for horror filmmakers, but anyone who wants to find new ways to tell their story, evoke an emotional response or capture a certain look. As Altunin (2022) writes, that it is all about the aesthetics and how you want to use them. Altunin (2022) points out that there are filters that modern filmmakers can use, but it will never be just right or capture that nostalgic feeling. 

“We’re not saying you should throw out your modern gear and start shooting on old relics, but there’s a certain mood that you can only get from old technology. If you’re trying to emulate the past, why not shoot with the past?” (Altunin 2022)

 Now time to get back to the object for this post, the Panasonic National NV-M5 Camcorder.

Firstly, at look at the company’s history, Panasonic. Panasonic was founded in 1918 by Konosuke Matsushita, but first went under the name the Matsushita Electric Housewares and Manufacturing Works (Panasonic Industry 2024). Which then lead to the name Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd, that was broken up and helped form the Sanyo Company (see the Sanyo IMP 500Ω Dynamic Japan Microphone post for more information).

The company name had many changes over the years. First the Matsushita Electric Housewares Manufacturing Works (1918), then Matsushita Electric Manufacturing Works (1929) and by 1935, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. Then in 2008 it changed to the name of one of its most popular brands: Panasonic. (Panasonic Group)

Panasonic was one of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.’s brands that appeared in 1955 on a sound speaker for their export market. The name came from Sonic (meaning sound) and Pan (meaning universal). (Panasonic Group)

But interestingly, this camcorder isn’t technically Panasonic, but falls under the branding of National. A brand name that came into being in 1927, when Matsushita invented a new bicycle lamp. He came up with the name when “he came across the English word "international" in the newspaper. Looking up the definition in the dictionary, Konosuke saw that within "international" was the word "national", meaning "of or relating to the people of a nation". This struck him as perfect for a product that he believed every household in the country would one day be using.” (Panasonic Group)

 

The National brand name would eventually be abandoned at the end of 2010 and all products will be branded with the Panasonic name. “While the company was using 'National' and 'Panasonic' brand names over the period, it decided in 2003 to unify a global brand into 'Panasonic' with a brand slogan 'Panasonic ideas for life.' The timing to change the company name and unify its global brand coincides with its 90th anniversary this year. At the same time, some group companies which currently use 'Matsushita' or 'National' in their names will also change their company names using 'Panasonic.' Together with the brand unification in Japan, the company will lead all its resources and activities to enhancing the value of 'Panasonic' brand.” (Panasonic Group)

Panasonic’s first VHS camcorder was the National NV-M1 in 1985 (Panasonic Group), which appears to be the first of the M series of VHS Movie camcorders.

National NV-M1 1985. Image Source: https://holdings.panasonic/content/dam/panasonic/phd-global/en/corporate/about/history/chronicle/img/inp1985.jpg

Now for the Panasonic National NV-M5 Camcorder, or more accurately (from what is in the company’s history), this camcorder should be named the Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. National NV-M5 Camcorder, but for my own sanity and ease of typing, I will refer to it as the NV-M5.

The year of production of the camera is anywhere in the late 1980s, as evident of the release of the NV-M1 in 1985. Another piece of evidence points out that it is more specifically released and manufactured between 1986-1988 (Radiomuseum). But I suspect that this camera is an earlier model or maybe even the model first released in Japan because unlike the other NV-M5s I found on the internet, the name Panasonic doesn’t appear on the camcorder, instead everywhere it says Panasonic on other camcorders, on this particular model has the name National. And as mentioned above, National was the brand name used for products to sell in Japan and Panasonic was international. Although this can be debatable...

NV-M5 Prop for hire. Image Source: https://www.aliashire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Panasonic-M5-VHS-Movie-Camera-Prop-for-hire-1.jpg

But none the less, this makes this NV-M5, more unique and possibly part of the first batch to be released in 1986.

The NV-M5 is also quite popular. According to Academic: “The Panasonic NV-M5 is a VHS recording camcorder, first launched in 1986. As one of the first camcorders to record directly onto VHS, the M5 enjoyed commercial success throughout the late 1980s at a time when VHS was becoming increasingly established as the home video format of choice for consumers. Unlike other cassette types such as Hi-8 and VHS-C cassettes recorded on the M5 Could be played directly in a conventional VHS VCR, without the need for an adaptor or connections between the camcorder and television.”

The NV-M5 camcorder came with some accessories, which fortunately this NV-M5 has, but also unfortunately is missing a few (I say a few, but in actual fact all) of the key accessories.

Page 11 of the NV-M5AM Manual.

Let’s start with what this NV-M5 has. First is the carrying case, made from hard plastic and has protective padding on the inside and compartments for the camcorder and other accessories.

Second, the battery pack, which is a VW-VB30E 12v battery, that is charged with a clip charger. Third, is the VHS tape, but I will go in more detail later.

Fourth is the pause remote control unit, which is used to remotely start and pause a recording from a distance. Fifth is the AV adaptor, to watch on TV or through a VCR or used today to convert the VHS footage to digital.  

Lastly, is the earphone, that is plugged in to the earphone jack and can only go in one ear, most likely for convenience. Think about it, if you are on set and just want to review the footage, it would be a lot of hassle to take out headphones and put them on or having to individually put each earphone piece in both ears, while holding the massive NV-M5.

Now for what is missing. First is the most important parts: the AC adaptor, battery pack charger and car battery cord, meaning that this camcorder can’t be switched on or powered up. Other missing pieces are the Coaxial cable, batteries for clock display (easily replaceable), line adaptor and shoulder strap (which is just lost at the moment…) and lastly the manual.

The camcorder has many interesting and useful features, such as its electronic viewfinder. The viewfinder shows the basic indications, like battery life, white balance stings for indoor and outdoor shoots, brightness, shutter speed and also has built-in warning systems. These warning systems let the user know if the battery is low, stops the user from recording if the tape erasure prevention tab isn’t intact, as well as warns the user if there is dampness or water in the tape or tape compartment.

The viewfinder can also be moved around depending on if it is on a tripod or being carried on the cinematographer’s shoulder for easy accesses and convenience. There is also a removable eyecup. The eyecup is used by cinematographers to comfortably look through the viewfinder. This eyecup can be lifted up, for if the cinematographer has it on a tripod and wants to view what’s being shot from afar. It also has a slider to help widen or narrow the image.

The NV-M5, like the Philips VKR6847 Explorer Camcorder, also has a built in VCR to review the footage shot and also like the Philips VKR6847 Explorer Camcorder, it has a slider to cover the play, fast forward, rewind etc. buttons when recording. But the NV-M5 has an extra feature with these buttons and that is the Audio Dub. This is to dub over audio in the footage, with the use of an external microphone.

Then on top of the camcorder are all the settings before the user shoots.

The NV-M5 has an Edit switch. This “refers to the process of shooting your program sequentially–each scene shot in order, and at the length that it will appear in the finished program–so that you have a complete program as soon as you are done taping. While it is useful in just about any shooting situation, in-camera editing is really effective when shooting an event, i.e. something that you already want to shoot in sequence. In-camera editing is ideal for weddings, birthday parties and the like.” (Videomaker 2024)

There is also a Tracking tool in the form of a wheel. This is to help clear up distortion. Then there is the counter, which has two functions, reset and memory. Reset, is self-explanatory, whereas memory is used when the user wants to find a specific scene. Once it is found the user presses the memory button, this is to help the user wanting to watch the scene and then if they want to re-watch it, then memory will help them rewind to the start of that scene. There is a time and date setting, that can be switched on and off. The time and date have a separate battery compartment.

Now for the buttons that are set for the shoot. 

First is the Focus, that can be switched between manual and auto. It also has a Push-Auto button that when pressed it automatically adjust the focus, for as long as the user holds the button in. Second is the White Balance. This can be switched between an Outdoor setting, Indoor setting, or the user can leave it up to the camcorder and put it on auto. 

Third is the Date, where the user chooses to display the time and date, or just the date or they could just switch it off.

Fourth is the High Shutter Speed setting, that can be turned on or off. Then lastly there are the Back Light and Fade buttons. The Back Light button can be held in to help compensate for the lack of backlighting and Fade, like the Philips VKR6847 Explorer Camcorder, gives the footage a fade-in or fade-out affect for that added cinematic flare all home videos need.

Above these buttons are the Stand By and Rec Review buttons. Stand By is used to help save battery, when not recording and the user doesn’t want to switch off the camera. The Rec Review is used to watch the footage while the recording is on pause.

The lens is a TV lens 9-45mm, with a manual focus ring and a zoom lever, that can easily switch between a wide and telephoto shot. This lens is also a macro lens, which allows it to shoot small objects. Zooming can also be done with two buttons, on the side for Power Zooming, without using the lever.

The NV-M5 has a built-in microphone, but also has an external port of an external microphone. This is needed for the Audio Dubbing feature. 

To learn more about these features, you can find the manual here:

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/542707/Panasonic-Nv-M5am.html

As mentioned above the NV-M5 is powered by either a battery pack or an AC adapter and turned on by a switch, labelled Operate.

This is needed to open the tape compartment, with the eject button. This camcorder records on VHS tape, which is mentioned in the Philips VKR6847 Explorer Camcorder post, but here I will go deeper into the history and how it works.

The VHS tape was in development in early 1970s and released in 1976 (ScanCafe 2020).

 VHS stands for video home system (although originally it was vertical helical scan), and was invented by the Victory Company of Japan (JAV). It became the biggest competitor to Betamax, 8mm tapes and even some disc formats and in the end it won the format wars. This is because of its “many advantages including, the ability to rewind and fast forward at quicker rate, the unthreading system, and more importantly its longer recording time…” but ultimately lost in the 2000s (2005 manufacturing of feature films on VHS stopped) with the introduction of the DVD. (Chris 2023)

As Shannon writes:

“Eventually JVC made improvements to the VHS and released the S-VHS, or Super VHS. This iteration of the device came with improved video bandwidth, making it a popular choice for the camcorder market. Maybe you remember or even had one of those magnificent early camcorders that held an entire full-size VHS cassette! They were massive over-the-shoulder cameras that looked destined for a news studio rather than your family vacation. Again meeting a need, JVC later released the VHS-Compact, or VHS-C, in keeping up with the ever evolving camera industry. Although the VHS-C was originally developed as a device for portable VHS players, the market thrived as palm-sized video cameras became the standard. As the tech grew, the hardware shrunk. Finally, the Digital Versatile Disc, or what we now know as the DVD displaced the VHS, due to DVD’s superior quality capabilities. In 1995, big names like Apple and IBM came together to demand a single format, which encouraged Phillips and Sony to shake hands and adopt a standard format that could be used in all computers. DVD went on sale in 1996 in Japan but took until 2003 to become a household name in America, where it became the go-to format moving forward until Blu Ray and streaming took over in the late 2000s/early 2010s.”

Now for an explanation of the VHS tape/camcorder. I touch on it briefly in the Philips VKR6847 Explorer Camcorder post, but here I will go in more depth.

First a quick excerpt from Shannon’s article:

“A relatively simple looking device, the VHS was designed to prevent unspooling. The cassette contains two small spools of magnetic tape, including the supply reel and the take-up reel. Beginning-of-tape and end-of-tape sensors prevent the tape from potentially unspooling itself inside the VCR. Regulations for magnetic tape were actually much thinner than what came out of production. Most magnetic tape was produced at thickness higher than regulation called for to prevent breaking and tearing in the tape.”

And that the “thinnest acceptable width for playback, a VHS cassette can hold about 1,140 feet of tape (nearly four football fields), and about 4 hours of footage. At either end of the spool, clear tapes provides a signal to the VCR that the end of the tape is near. Making cassette tapes with plastic produced a nice, lightweight product that could store hours of footage without the heavy film reels of the past. The entire cassette is 187 mm wide, 103 mm deep, 25 mm thick. The device is screwed together with 5 miniscule philips head screws.”

Inner workings of a VHS, by Jens Peterson. Image Source: https://kodakdigitizing.com/blogs/news/inner-working-of-the-vhs-tape

The VHS tape also consist of (according to Lui 2024):

“the top of the cassette, looking through the reel windows. The left reel is the supply reel, the right reel is the take-up reel…” with an arrow that shows which way to insert it.

“…a hinged flap which protects the top surface of the tape during transport.”

On the other side: “…of the cassette is a collection of holes. The two large circular cutouts allow for the driving tangs to engage with the teeth in each reel. There is a reel lock which prevents the reels from turning freely and loosening tape during transport which is disabled once an object penetrates the hole in the middle.”

This middle-upper hole “allows for an end-of-tape sense light to enter the cassette. Likewise, the top cut-outs allow for the capstan and pinch roller and two guides to enter the cassette and pull the tape out into the machine.”

To tell how long the VHS can record is to look at the bottom of the tape. In the example in this post we find E-180 written. The 180 revers to the length and according to Skears Photographic (2024), this means it can record up to three hours, so from this we can deduce that the 180 refers to minutes.

This tape is covered in an oxide-coated mylar film and like cassette tapes works with magnets (Hall 2024). 

The process of how a camcorder records onto the VHS tape is interesting. So to make sure that it is explained in a precise and short manner (rather than my over explanation and pointless ramblings) I will show and excerpt from Videomaker (2024):

“When you slide your favourite movie or a blank cassette into the VCR, a number of things happen. The protective flap on the video cassette opens, and when you hit play or record, two slim, smooth pins called loading pins slide up behind the tape and pull it into the VCR’s mechanism. Rollers and guide pins gently press the tape against a series of heads located on the VCR’s head drum. These various heads alternately erase, record or play back the audio and video information depending on what buttons you press on the front of the deck. Let’s look at what the tape does on its journey through the system. In a standard VHS VCR or camcorder, the tape first encounters the full erase head. When you press the record button, this head erases the tape as it passes across it. The tape is now ready to record a new signal. After erasing the tape, it then wraps part way around the spinning drum found at the centre of the VCR. This drum contains all or some of the following: video record and playback heads, stereo audio heads and a flying erase head. Remember helical scan? As mentioned before, the drum is spinning at a high rate of speed at a very precise angle. The tape passes across this slanted drum creating a pattern called a helix. This helical scan is the secret to how VCRs and camcorders can record so much information on a relatively short tape. Because the tape runs across the drum at an angle, the recorder can lay down more and longer parallel tracks. This gives the record and playback heads the chance to read or record onto the slim diagonal strips provided. As the drum spins and the tape feeds over it, it records or plays back the video, and in some formats, the audio information. In the VHS family, the tape then passes across two fixed heads, stacked one on top of the other. These two heads are the linear audio record head and the control track head. If your VCR is capable of dubbing linear audio, the tape will pass a linear audio erase head before it gets to the audio record head. The final major part of the tape transport system is the capstan. This slender metal post rotates at a very consistent and precise speed. A rubber roller presses the tape against the capstan so that when it spins, it pulls the tape along through the mechanism at a constant rate. From there, the tape then goes to its take-up reel.”

For more specific information, please check out YSU’s paper The Video Cassette recorder. It is very interesting and goes into more specifics. Link:

https://fowens.people.ysu.edu/ElectronicTechforConsumers/VideocassetteRecorder.htm

Also check out Brain, M’s 2023 article How VCRs work. Link:

https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/vcr2.htm

What a post, and I thought the last one (Sanyo Memo-Scriber TRC9100 cassette player/recorder post) was a lot, but this one takes the cake, but still fun and interesting. The NV-M5 is an interesting piece of film technology history and one of the crown jewels of this online museum/blog.

Thank you for making it to the end and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did researching it.

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List of sources:

Academic. Panasonic M5. https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/3495026

Altunin, Y. 2022. Why Filming on a 20-Year Old Camcorder Can Be a Good Idea. https://nofilmschool.com/20-year-old-camera

Chris. 2023. A Brief History of VHS Tapes. https://dvdyourmemories.com/blog/a-brief-history-of-vhs-tapes/

Hall, M. 2024. What is a VHS Tape and How Does it Work? (Explored). https://www.sancanational.org/what-is-a-vhs-tape-and-how-does-it-work-explored/

Lui, G. 2024. Intro – Inside the VHS Cassette & VCR. https://goughlui.com/the-vhs-corner/intro-inside-the-vhs-cassette-vcr/

NFS Staff. 2023. This ‘V/H/S/85’ Story Merged Horror With Nostalgia Using 40 Year Old Cameras. https://nofilmschool.com/vhs85-analog-cinematography

V2DT. 2021. How the Invention of the VHS Tape Changed the Film Industry. https://www.video2dvdtransfers.co.uk/blog/2021/10/27/how-the-invention-of-the-vhs-tape-changed-the-film-industry/

Panasonic Group. Brand History. https://holdings.panasonic/global/corporate/brand/history.html

Panasonic Group. Company name change from Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. to "Panasonic Corporation" and corporate brand unified as "Panasonic" worldwide. https://holdings.panasonic/global/corporate/about/history/chronicle/2008.html

Panasonic Group. First use of the National brand: in 1927 at age 32. https://holdings.panasonic/global/corporate/about/history/konosuke-matsushita/story2-03.html

Panasonic Group. Innovative Product: VHS camcorder. https://holdings.panasonic/global/corporate/about/history/chronicle/1985.html

Panasonic Group. Matsushita Electric to Change Name to Panasonic Corporation. https://news.panasonic.com/global/press/en080110-6

Panasonic Industry. 2024. 100 Years of our success story. https://industry.panasonic.eu/company/history

Radiomuseum. VHS Movie Camera Recording And Playback NV-M5. https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/panasonic_nv_m5.html

Shannon, M. HISTORY OF THE VHS TAPE. https://kodakdigitizing.com/blogs/news/history-of-the-vhs-tape

ScanCafe. 2020. History of the VHS tape. https://www.scancafe.com/blog/history-of-vhs-tape

Skears Photographic. 2024. SONY VHS E180 VHS 3 HOUR TAPE - 3 PACK. https://www.skearsphoto.com/audioequipment/sony-vhs-e180-vhs-3-hour-tape-3-pack.html#:~:text=Sony%20Hi%20Resolution%20VHS%20(PAL,9%20hours%20in%20extended%20play.

Videomaker. 2024. Getting Started: In-Camera Editing. https://www.videomaker.com/article/7252-getting-started-in-camera-editing/

Videomaker. 2024. What’s Under The Hood: Inside Your VCR or Camcorder. https://www.videomaker.com/article/2659-whats-under-the-hood-inside-your-vcr-or-camcorder/