American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1959)

instt'ad a footagt' totalizer is used. Both counters are mounted inside the camera box — the totalizer above the focusing tube and the footage counter below it. with the reset knobs acces¬ sible only when the camera door is opened. One of the salient features of the Mitchell camera is the focusing tube which, after the camera is racked over, permits viewing and focusing the scene directly through the taking lens. After focusing is completed, the camera must be racked back to operable position, as it cannot be operated in the rackover position. This is a safety check against the possibility of the operator forgetting to rack the camera back to shooting position after viewing and focusing. Another innovation are the two viewing filters which are built into the focusing tube for the purpose of enabling tbe cameraman to observe tone values in the scene as they relate to the type of film being used. The filters — one for use with panchromatic film and the other for ortho — may be quickly flipped in and out of viewing position by means of buttons located next to the focusing eyepiece. Actually, these filters are little used today by Hollywood’s professional cameramen who j)refer to use the more convenient viewing glass which they invariably wear suspended from a cord around the neck. The variable shutter is an important element in any motion picture camera designed for professional work, and is a notable feature of both the NC and the BNC Mitchell cameras, as well as other Mitchell models. Fully open, the Mitchell variable shutter has an open¬ ing of 175°. This may be varied from the maximum to fully closed position, while the camera is operating or when still, and the shutter may Ite locked in any position at 10° increments by means of the hand dissolve lever at the back of the camera. ith the BNC Mitchell, dissolves can be produced automatically as well as by manual control simply by pushing but¬ tons located on the back of the camera near the hand dissolve lever. One of the differentiating features of Mitchell cameras is the manner in which the lenses are mounted. On the NC model, lenses are mounted on a ro¬ tary turret; in the BNC, a single lens is accommodated at a time and there is no turret. Only NC camera lenses have focus lockscrews. BNC lenses are locked Why buy the Cow when you only need a quart? Smart Pros rent their equipment from CECO* Why invest a lot of money for expensive photographic equipment for which you may have only limited use? Do what the top Pros do — rent your cameras, lighting, sound recording and editing equipment from CECO’s vast stocks. Everything is delivered to you “better than new” — because everything is checked out for perfect performance before it goes out on rental. You save on taxes, too. Ask us about rental-lease arrangements. Cameras 16mm & 35mm— Sound (Single or Double System)— Silent — Hi-Speed Lenses Wide angle— Zoom— Telephoto— Anamorphic Sound Equipment Magnetic— Optical Grip Equipment Parallels— Goboes— Other Grip accessories Dollies Crab— Western— Portable-Panoram— Cranes *CECO Trad emark of Camera Equipment CO Lighting Arcs— I ncandescents-Spots— Floods— Dimmers —Reflectors— All Lighting Accessories Generators Portable— Truck Mounted Editing Equipment Moviolas— Viewers— Splicers— Rewinders Projection Equipment 16mm & 35mm— Sound & Silent— SlideContinuous Television Closed Circuit TV FRANK C. ZUCKER (Jflm€Rfl €ouiPiii€nT(o.,inc. Dept. A 315 West 43rd St., New York 36, N. Y. • JUdson 6-1420 with HALLEN'S new COMPLETELY TRANSISTORIZED PORTABLE MAGNETIC FILM RECORDING SYSTEM H A L L E N ELECTRONICS 332 N. LA BREA AVE., LOS ANGELES, CAL. WEbster 1-5343 MAY • 1 959 313