As the iconic Live Aid concert reaches its 40th anniversary, interest in the technical and historical aspects of the event are once again on the rise - especially following a BBC Four rebroadcast of the concert on Friday 11th July.

Originally held at Wembley Stadium in 1985, Live Aid not only made musical history but also showcased the scale and ambition of live television production at the time.

As a BBC Television Studio Engineer I've been asked this question a lot over the last few days: What Cameras were used to capture Live Aid?

I can't answer first-hand as I was just six years old when the concert aired, but I'm fortunate to still be in touch with colleagues who were across the production requirements of the day, and I thought I'd share this information as there's no other record online.

The UK leg of Live Aid was produced by the BBC using its OB (Outside Broadcast) units and crew. Unsually, the camera crews were asked by producers to dress entirely in white for visual consistency and to blend in with the stage aesthetics on wide shots.

Philips LDK 5 – Main Stage Cameras

Image from the Pye/Philips LDK5 Brochue

The Philips LDK 5 was the principal pedestal-based camera used for the majority of the event's stage coverage. These cameras featured three-Plumbicon tubes, and were widely adopted by BBC OB units in the mid-1980s for their reliability and excellent colour performance - not the mention the fact that cabling them was much easier. Triax multiplexed cables were more robust than multicore cables used in older studio-based cameras, an essential requirement for the constant movement of an outside broadcast.

Two LDK 5s were mounted on dolly tracks along the front of the Wembley stage. These could move laterally to provide dynamic tracking shots of performers, mimicing how the audience would see them from the front row. A third LDK 5 was positioned further back in the stadium to capture wide and mid-shots of the stage.

Philips LDK 14 - Handheld Cameras

Image from the Pye/Philips LDK5 Brochure

To capture intimate close-ups of instrumentalists and soloists, Philips LDK 14 cameras were used handheld on stage. These were shoulder-mounted three-tube portable ENG (Electronic News Gathering) cameras, dating back to 1979.

Two LDK 14s are visible in various shots, working stage left and stage right. Stage based handheld cameras are particularly effective for capturing solo performances.

This iconic image features Freddie Mercury performing directly to a Philips LDK 14 operated by the late Bob Wilson. The identity of the camera assistant, clearly enjoying the moment, remains unknown — if you can identify him, please get in touch.

Philips LDK 14 – Reverse Angle Camera

A single Philips LDK 14 camera was used in a hoist-mounted pan-and-tilt configuration, positioned centrally behind the stage and facing out towards the crowd. This provided a unique reverse shot, capturing the backs of performers with the audience reacting, and then panning round to get that unique overhead shot of the drummers too.

Some shots from this camera appear slightly soft, particularly at wide angles. This is a known limitation of the LDK 14 - the camera had no wide-angle lens adapter available, and its image quality suffered at the extremes of its zoom range. Fortunately, those breathtaking images of the vast Wembley audience basking in the sunshine weren't spoilt by this camera's limitations.

Example reverse shot from the pan and tilt hoist. Credit: BBC (Photo used under UK fair dealing for the purposes of commentary and analysis)

Stage Screens

They're common everywhere these days, but back in 1985 large screens were rare. I'm not sure what these ones are - possibly early projection systems or CRT-based walls? Like many large screens of that era, they appear dim and low-contrast and remind us of how production technology has developed over the last 40 years!

Finally

A photo that shows both cameras in action!

Freddie Mercury performs at Live Aid 1985. A Philips LDK 5 camera is visible in the foreground and on stage is a handheld Philips LDK 14 (Photo used under UK fair dealing for the purposes of commentary and analysis. Original photographer unknown — please contact to credit or request removal)