American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1941)

cer's mind. The photographic germ had ikten him, and it was not long thereifter that he gave up his electrical job, uid went to work in a motion picture film aboratory. Here he worked up through >very stage from sweeping the floor to nixing solutions, developing negative, inting, toning and printing. At length, i rush call came for a cameraman to ihotograph a picture, but no man was Available. Walker, despite his lack of xperience in camerawork, talked himself nto the job — and made good. He's been naking good ever since. "That may sound like coming up the iasy way," he remarks. "But it wasn't. had to find out everything for myself — uid do it the hard way. I always manmid to do it, but sometimes I was cerainly praying for luck! And I've had nany occasions to envy most of my felow cinematographers who, when faced vith a problem, could think back to their arly training as an assistant to this or hat outstanding cameraman, and recall iow their teachers had solved similar iroblems. I still feel the lack of that aried early training, for while I don't hink any of us is consciously imitative, know that even today I sometimes vonder how another chap would handle his problem. I know, of course, how Ye done similar things in the past, or iow I intend to do now. But I'll admit here are times when I'd like the psychonuical advantage of that little mental heck on my own methods." Walker doesn't mention the other side >f the picture, however — that this spirit :' Independence and self-reliance has tiven his work an individuality which las made him one of the industry's realy outstanding Directors of Photography. Doated Lenses (Continued from Page 161) -liminates an ordinarily imperceptible ,;iaze which ordinarily veils shadow.ietail. By eliminating this haze, it perits smaller increments of illumination o produce a photographic exposure in nuch the same way that, as we discovred when faster films came into use, he added exposure-making sensitivity nade "spilled light" pick up where previously it could be ignored. At any rate, found the use of front-light and filler, ight less necessary using coated lenses i,:han it would have been using conventional objectives. This style of lighting would probably lot be appropriate for all types of stories, though I feel that the enhanced lefinition and brilliance would be suitable for more than might at first be exacted. We should remember that there ire styles in photography, as well as in inything else, and these styles are subject to change. My personal feeling is ;hat the woozy, heavily-diffused style of •inematography is rapidly becoming a node of the past. None of us, I am sure, ■vould today count as good photography :he excessively diffused "fuzzygraphs" •vhich fifteen or twenty years ago we considered the last word in photographic art. In the same way, I feel present-day camerawork is evolving steadily away from even the less obvious diffusion currently in use, to new standards of photographic brilliance and definition. Properly used, the coated lens is a valuable instrument in this modern trend of photography. END. Showcase (Continued from Page 183) user's choice of viewpoint. It covers the field of the 50mm. lenses, slips into the universal accessory bracket on top of the Ektra, and will retail at $15. The Right-Angle Finder for the Kodak Ektra is of particular use in obtaining imposed shots, as well as for shooting in cramped quarters where it is inconvenient to face the subject. Its price is $10. The Ground Glass Focusing Back for the Ektra possesses several interesting design features, which fit it both for accurate and studied composition of general scenes, and for extremely critical focusing on close-up subjects — such as table-top scenes, medical specimens, and line or tone copy. Similar in shape to the Magazine Back of the Ektra, it incorporates a ground-glass panel of extremely fine texture, a self-erecting magnifier for critical focusing, and a mirror which can be set at a 45-degree angle for reflex-type focusing at various camera positions. The price is $25. The Ektra Flash Synchi'onizer is a compact, highly efficient unit especially designed for use with this camera. It attaches to the top of the camera by means of the Ektra's accessory clip, and the tripper unit is simply screwed into the cable release opening of the camera. No other adjustment is required, yet the unit synchronizes for speeds up to and including 1/1500 second. The quickejection socket and ellipsoidal reflector are arranged to accommodate No. 30 or No. 31 Photoflash lamps. For work in dim light, a small flashlight lamp is included, which when turned on provides illumination for the scales and control dials of the Ektra. The price is $17.50. The Kodak Tripod Clearance Head for the Ektra is a compact, inexpensive unit which raises the camera a short distance above the tripod head. This allows the hinged cover of the Magazine Back to be opened for loading or unloading, or another Magazine Back to be substituted, without removing the camera from the tripod. The price of this unit is $1.25. 5 Speeds for B&H Magazine Bell & Howell announces the addition of a fifth speed to the Filmo Auto Master (Turret Head), and the Auto Load Speedster, B&H 16mm. magazine loading cameras. This new7 speed is 24 frames per second or "sound" speed. Films taken thus may have a sound-track "dubbed" in later, and since all 16mm. sound pro jectors operate at 2 1 frames per second, the action in the picture is, of course, perfectly natural. 24 speed is also ideal for slowing down rapid action to a degree more pleasing on the screen, action such as a pole vaulter rising to clear the liar, kittens at play, etc. This new speed gives these B&H cameras a speed range of from 16 to 64 frames per second. There are now five 8 EnlTo9ed 16 Redu ced TO 8 Geo. W. Colburn Laboratory Special Motion Picture Printing 1197 MERCHANDISE MART CHICAGO COOKE LENSES Easily passing tests far more exacting than present uses require, Cooke Lenses bring assurance of meeting both your present and your future needs. Speeds and focal lengths for every need. Write for descriptive literature. BELL & HOWELL COMPANY Exclusive World Distributors 1848 Larchmont Avenue, Chicago New York: 30 Rockefeller Plaza Hollywood: 716 N. LaBrea Ave. London: 13-14 Great Castle Street RUBY CAMERA EXCHANGE Rentals — Sales Excharn/cs Everything You Need For The Production Of Motion Pictures Under One Roof 35— 16mm. // r Invite Foreign Inquiries In Business Since 1910 729 Seventh Ave., New York Cabli Address: Rcbvc\m American Cinematogkaphek April, 1941 199