I think it comes from an historic reference of more than 30 years old, so since it gave a nice demarcation of which to go where, and E was perfect for Europe, it has stuck. Been there forever, all the way back to 3/4" and beyond.

Best,

Jan

Thanks to Barry and Jan for helping clear things up! Note, some manufacturers, like JVC and Sony, designate it as "u" for United States, "e" for Europe/PAL, etc.

heath

Aha, so that's what the U is for.
I think the manufacturers should take a hint from the auto industry and computer software makers. Name the damn things. I can't keep the alphanumerics of the cameras I own straight, much less all the others.
It would be a lot more fun to say, "I'm thinking about buying that 2007 Oscelot."
"Oh yeah, well, I'm gonna hold out for the Wauxahatchee at NAB." "Wauxahatchee--hell, that baby's obsolete before it's even out; take a look at the Orangutan Orange!"
"Ah, the OO is nothing but vaporware; I'll stick with my tried and true Dyslexicon."
"I've got a Wexler."
"...Snob."

If you got it from B&H they sometimes designate packages with various letters at the end......but the P is definitely NTSC

I sent a note to B&H, hopefully they'll correct it soon.

I am sorry for the confusion. We're comparing B&H's internal skus to the manufacturer's product codes. I've let the web team know about this and hopefully they'll make things correspond.

Thanks Henry -- your presence here is always appreciated.

I understand the "E" for Europe. "U" for USA makes sense. "N" for North America or NTSC is good too. But "P"? Where'd that come from?