American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1941)

♦ ♦ ♦ THE SHOWCASE ♦ ♦ ♦ Filmo Eight "400" The long-awaited Filmo Eight "400", newest unit in the B'ell & Howell 8mm. line, is just announced. Taking 8mm. reels of up to 400-foot capacity, the new "400" will present a full half hour of 8mm. movies without the interruption of changing reels. Yet it retails at a price somewhat lower than its 200-ft. predecessor. Embodying all the features of the famous Filmo Master 8, the new "400" is said by its sponsors to be the "ultimate in 8mm. motion picture projectors." All-gear drive, B & H pre-aligned and ; prefocused projection lamp, "floating j film," fast lens, power rewind, metered I lubrication, two-way tilt, among other features, are claimed by Bell & Howell 'for the Filmo Eight "4*00". At the same time, B & H also announce their new 400-foot, 8mm. reel of spring steel, with its accompanying humidor can of aluminum. The Filmo Eight "400" is priced at $112.50; 400-foot reels and cans, 60c each. At the same time, Bell & Howell makes sensational news by lowering prices on previous models of Filmo 8mm. projectors and cameras. The famous Filmo Master 8 projector (200-foot capacity) has been reduced in price to $99.50, and the Filmo "Sportster" 8mm. camera (16, 32, 48, and 64 frame-per-second speed) is now priced at $69.50. Bell & Howell states that neither quality nor features of these popular models have been modified in any way — that the "Sportster" camera and Filmo Master 8 projector are at their new prices the identical models which have been so thoroughly approved by movie amateurs in the 8mm. field. Kriegr-O-Tone Color Camera A new addition has been made to the photographic field by the Krieger Color and Chemical Co. of 6531 Santa Monica Boulevard, Hollywood, California, with the announcement of their new threecolor 4x5 camera which will retail at what is said to be the lowest price of any color camera on the market. It is announced as bringing color photography within the price-range of thousands of amateurs' purses by selling at $147.50 complete with a 7%-inch Velostigmat f:6.3 lens employing a Be tax shutter having speeds up to 1/100 of a second. The camera-case is all metal, carefully designed for strength and light weight. The total weight with holders and lens shade does not exceed six pounds and the grip-handles are mounted in a natural position for the hands with the trigger release at the tip of the right thumb. The new fast Defender type B tri-color combination film is used and as this film has a Weston Daylight speed of 6, small apertures and fast shutter speeds can be used for sharpness and action-subjects. For daylight shooting, a KB-6 filter is used, and a KF-1 filter is necessary for flash-bulb shots. The two filters, filter holders and lens-shade are accessories and sell for $3.75. No filter is necessary when using the photoflood light-source. The 71/4-inch focal length lens can focus from 22 inches to infinity and is mounted on an adjustable lens-board for vertical and horizontal tilts. Although the Krieger Dye Company will develop and make prints from customers' negatives at a small charge, a dye kit can be purchased which is, in itself, a miniature darkroom for color work. The dyes, magenta, yellow and blue, make a gallon of each color solution. Other necessary chemicals such as of ammonia, buffer and acetic acid, are also provided. Each camera sold will be registered and the buyer will be given an actual print with negatives made with that particular camera. Full instructions for loading and using the camera and for making paper prints in color are provided to acquaint the purchasers with the ease of color photography. The camera is well adapted for aerial, news, sports, commercial and portrait photography. The new camera is far removed from the experimental stage after many months of exhaustive research. New Sound Kodascopes F'ive new 16mm. sound-on-film projectors, priced from $295 to $520 and covering a wide range of school, industrial and home uses, are announced this month by the Eastman Kodak Company. The new machines are similar to one another in general design, but are differentiated in power-output, soundproofing and other features. Available power-output of the various models ranges from 10 watts up to 40 watts, with both double and single-speaker units available. According to the Eastman announcement, projection-light output appears to be standardized at 750 watts. Six projection-lenses ranging in focal length from 1-inch to 4-inch, and in speed from f:2.5 to f:1.6 are available to suit different projection distances and screen-sizes. All models accommodate 1600-foot reels. The mechanical design of the new Sound Kodascopes adheres to the usual Eastman standards of efficiency and durability, while the amplifiers, speakers and associated electrical equipment are of similar quality. In each of the new machines special provision is made for smooth, unvarying movement of the film past the sound-scanning aperture, and either variable-area or variable-density sound-tracks can of course be used. Lowest in price of the new models is the Model FS-10, stated to be especially suited for home use. It is to retail at $295 complete with 2-inch f:1.6 lens, 750-watt lamp, all tubes, speaker and speaker-cable, spare exciter-lamp, etc. This model has a rated sound-output of (Continued on Page 144) American Cinematographer March, 1941 125