The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

April 1954 THE CINE-TECHNICIAN 51 A FILM TECHNICIAN'S XOTHHOOto Compiled by A. E. Jeakins THE first Zoomar varifocal lens made its appearance in 1946 when it was demonstrated before the Society of Motion Picture Engineers. Since then it has been widely used in both the motion picture and television fields. The latest development of this lens, the Zoomar for use with 16mm. cameras, has just been marketed in the U.S.A. It weighs li pounds and the overall length is 5 inches and can be fitted to any type of 16mm. camera without modification to either camera or lens. The makers claim that not only can it be used as a special effects lens, but it will act as an all-purpose lens, doing the work of all lenses from lin. to 3in. focal length. The physical length of the lens does not alter during zooming. The coupled finder, an integral part of the lens assembly, is of the wide-vision type, and the image the cameraman sees matches that produced by the lens at any setting of its range. The zoom mechanism does not rely on the operation of cams or gears which are subject to wear. All the optical components are coated and there are no cemented elements. The technical data for the Zoomar 16 are given as follows : Aperture range f.2.8 to f.16. Zoom range lin. to 3in. Distance range 8 feet to infinity (adapters available for closer distances). Overall Dimensions 5Jin. long, 4iin. wide, 2in. high. • In an earlier issue we reprinted an article which described the method adopted at the Paramount Studio for photographing motion pictures in a wide aspect ratio, which was to place a standard camera, modified to achieve an eight sprocket-hole pull-down, on its side. Vistavision high and wide screen. Dotted line shows how ordinary motion picture screen size compares with a Vistavision screen. Broken line shows comparison of 2.55 to 1 ratio screen with the 1.85 to 1 ratio Vistavision screen. The system, under the name Vistavision, has now been introduced to the industry in the U.S.A. and will soon be demonstrated here. Paramount president Barney Balaban, who did the introducing, said that the keywords in Paramount thinking are ' compatibility ' and ' flexibility.' (We are quoting from an account given in the "Motion Picture Herald"). And that with this method of screen presentation it would not be necessary for the exhibitor to invest large sums of money in new equipment. As has already been made clear, the Vistavision camera uses a horizontal double frame negative, which photographs images on an area two and a half times the normal 35mm. camera frame. This large negative is then compressed, by printing, to a standard 35mm. frame for release. This process, it is claimed, " eliminates grain and fuzziness " and provides a large screen picture of excellent definition and quality. " Paramount determined," again quoting Mr. Balaban, " that in the presentation of a motion picture screen height was equally as important as width. Therefore Paramount recommends that every exhibitor instal the largest possible screen both as to height and width that his theatre will permit. Having done this, the exhibitor will be able to play pictures of any size and ratio he desires." Films photographed in Vistavision do not need an anamorphic lens for projection. However, it is possible by optical printing to make anamorphic prints of films photographed with this system, and Paramount plan to make both normal and anamorphic prints of its pictures