American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1952)

KEEPING UP WITH I MODEL II I = The ideal 35mm camera = — for newsreel, industrial, EE — location, travel, expedi = EE tion and scientific motion zE — picture photography. EE: — Famous Arriflex Features: zzz z^ • Reflex focusing through tak — ing lens, even when camera — is running. ~ • Bright uninverted finder zzr image magnified 6V2 times, zz: • “Follow-focus” without as zz sistant. ;zz ZZ • No parallax or other finder zz problems. — — • Full frame focusing. ZZ~ • 3-lens turret. Z~ — • Quick change geared film — — magazines (200 feet and — — 400 feet) . — — • Variable speed motor built zz into handle. ZZ1 • Tachometer registering from ZZZ 0 to 50 frames per second. — ZTT • Compact, lightweight. “ — o Equally adaptable for tripod — or handheld filming. — ZZZ • Easily detachable matte box “ filter holder. — Available through dealers, or directly from KLING Sole U.S. Agents 235 FOURTH AVE., NEW YORK 3, N. Y. AN ENTIRELY new synthetic base for photographic film has been developed by Du Pont research, it was announced today by the Du Pont Company. Preli¬ minary tests show that it is several times tougher and has much greater dimen¬ sional stability than any of the present types of film base. It is classed as a safety base, and is less flammable than present safety bases. The new material, technically known as a polyester, is chemically related to “Dacron” polyester fiber, the newest of the company’s synthetic textile fibers. Both are condensation polymers made from ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. Du Pout’s Photo Products Department is currently producing polyester base in laboratory scale equipment and will shortly start up a new pilot plant at its Parlin, N.J., laboratory. Polyester base is exceptionally tough, a characteristic that is particularly ad¬ vantageous for motion picture use. It has twice the tear resistance of the standard acetate or nitrate base film, and can be run through a projector from three to four times as long before per¬ forations show appreciable wear. Be¬ cause of its toughness and greater stiff¬ ness, it is believed that polyester film may make it possible to reduce the thickness of motion picture film by at least 20 per cent, with a resulting greater footage per reel, and accompanying sav¬ ings in processing and handling. The dimensional stability of the new base offers important advantages, par¬ ticularly in the motion picture industry and graphic arts, where close tolerances are essential. Polyester base keeps its shape to a remarkable extent even under the most extreme conditions, and such microscopic changes as do occur are much smaller than in existing films. Another important characteristic of the new base, its lack of brittleness at low temperatures, combined with its dimen¬ sional stability, makes it especially well suited for aerial mapping films which must frequently withstand low tempera¬ tures and humidities. Five years of research and an invest¬ ment of more than one and a quarter million dollars have gone already into the development of this new film base, the company said. It added that the deci¬ sion as to large-scale production would await the results of the evaluation tests now being conducted in cooperation with the Motion Picture Research Council and others having special in¬ terest in the unique properties of the new material. If it meets all tests satis¬ « factorily, more than two years will be needed to design and complete largescale manufacturing facilities, the com¬ pany emphasized. A UNIQUE SYSTEM Gf universal ratings and allied electronic testing equipment with which the quality of 35mm motion picture film can be measured in mathe¬ matical terms, has been developed by Otto H. Schade, of the RCA Tube De¬ partment. The universal ratings made available by Schade’s system can be applied to measure with scientific objectivity the picture reproducing quality of all pic¬ ture-producing instruments including camera and projection lenses, positive and negative motion picture film, and TV camera tubes and kinescopes. Utili¬ zation of the system and its allied test equipment now enables producers of motion pictures to select film and lenses on the basis of the scientific ratings scored for each component. THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS is the only scientific institution in the world which has complete facilities en¬ tirely within its own organization for making an optical instrument, beginning with the raw materials and in turn pro¬ ducing the glass, the optical design, the lenses and prisms, the mechanical parts, and finally the finished product. Since its founding in 1901, the Bureau has conducted a broad program of optical research and development which has led to the solution of many problems of in¬ terest to both Government and private industry. This work has included the develop¬ ment of technological processes for the production of optical glass, the study of properties of optical materials, the main¬ tenance of optical standards, the design of lenses and optical systems, the pro¬ duction of prototype optical instruments, the determination of performance chara¬ cteristics, the devising of methods for testing calibration, the preparation of specifications, and a complete consultant service. • A WORKING LIBRARY on accomplish¬ ments and techniques in all branches of photography may be consulted at George Eastman House, the international photo¬ graphic center in Rochester, New York. More than 4,000 items have been added to the historical photographic collections since the institute was opened in 1949. American Cinematographer January, 1952