Jonathan Thursby

EV’s own account traces Jonathan’s route from Anglia TV to rally-car cameras, World Rally Championship work, offshore powerboats and Top Gear before the move into downhole imaging. EV’s published founder history ↗

Before compact action cameras became commonplace, Jonathan was building complete filming systems around separate cameras and tape recorders: mounts, batteries, controllers, microphones and interfaces. In his account, the engineering was as important as the shot, with vibration, heat and water each demanding a different solution. Building the camera systems · 24:00–27:27 ↗

Jonathan dates the core motorsport minicam period to 1993–2004, covering WRC, the British Rally Championship, BTCC and offshore powerboat racing. This date range is his account; it is not presented as a recovered newspaper credit.

A contemporary 2002 industry article names Jonathan and Eastern Video in its reporting on miniature cameras, including WRC work. Arabian Business, 2002 ↗

Jonathan remembers Top Gear’s Botswana production as a job that drew on his whole skill set. Keeping cameras working in heat and dust was only part of it; he and the team also helped keep the cars running. Jonathan on Botswana · 4:09–5:04 ↗

His account of Richard Hammond’s car, Oliver, captures that hands-on approach. After the river sequence, he recalls working with the team on the engine, distributor and fuel lines, getting the car running again and driving it back to camp. The Oliver story · 8:59–10:52 ↗

The same practical experience led beyond television. Jonathan describes recognising that the skills used to protect cameras in racing and marine environments could answer a different problem: reliable images from inside an oil well. From filming to oil wells · 5:04–6:41 ↗