American cinematographer (Apr 1930)

April, 1930 American Cinematographer Thirteen Fearless Camera Company 'Presents Silent Super-Film Camera New Camera Designed for 65 Millimeter or 35 Millimeter Standard Film. Also for Color. By Hal Hall O NE OF the outstanding events in Hollywood technical circles in a year of revolutionary innovations is the com- pletion by the Fearless Camera Company of a new silent, high-speed camera designed for 65 millimeter film, but which, in ten to twenty minutes times may be turned into a standard 35 millimeter camera. The presentation of this camera to the trade marks still an- other change in film width conditions. For months the air has been filled with talk of wide film. No standard width has been settled upon, and the Society of Motion Picture Engineers has been struggling with the problem, as well as many pro- ducing organizations. Then came Fox with its Grandeur, 70 millimeters, revealing stereoscopic depth. Undoubtedly, there is to be a change in film width. Wider film is here to stay, if all indications mean anything. All pro- ducers are and have been eagerly watching the various develop- ments along this line. While wide film is apparently to be the rule eventually, the producers realize that such a change will take time, and that 35 millimeter pictures must continue in the meanwhile. This condition has placed producers and cameramen in a peculiar situation. If new camera equipment is purchased of standard 35 millimeter size, the cameraman or producer won- ders just how long this will be of use. On the other hand, the purchase of a wide film camera is a move which calls for serious consideration and hesitancy. Now Ralph Gordon Fear, president of the Fearless Camera Company, believes he has solved at least part of the problem by producing a camera that can be used to shoot on either 65 millimeter or standard 35 millimeter film. In selecting 65 milli- meters as the width for the “wide film’’, Fear declares this to be the ideal width. Other outstanding features of his new camera, claimed by Fear, include arrangements whereby the camera may be changed by the changing of movements and sprocket assemblies so it can be used for either 62 or 70 millimeter film. Also the camera is designed to be used without any sound proof covering or booth, and. according to Fear, is designed for use in using the Multicolor process of producing pictures in nat- ural colors. Fear, who is well known in the motion picture techni- cal circles, has been engaged in technical work for the past ten years, and has followed the problems of sound and wide film closely with the idea of bringing out a camera that would be both silent and readily convertible for use in photographing on any sized film. In his own words he de- scribes the new camera and its features as follows: “The new camera is built, first, to be silent so that it can be used in the open without any sound proof covering for all ordinary shots: second, to use the new 65 mm. super-film: third, so that it can be readily converted to the special 62 and 70 mm. film which some of the producers are experimenting with; fourth, for taking colored pictures in the camera without any alteration; fifth, for record- ing sound directly in the camera if so desired, and lastly and most important, 35 mm. film can be used in it also. “As two large film manufacturers are now in a position to furnish the 65 mm. super-film to the producer, the difficulty of obtaining film has been eliminated, and for this reason the 65 mm. standard has been adapted for the new camera. “From the cameraman’s point of view the most interesting feature of the Fearless camera is the feature of being able to use the camera for either 35 mm. or wide film. The camera is normally built for the standard 65 mm. super-film. A special movement for 35 mm. film has been developed, and this move- ment is interchangeable with the 65 mm. movement. Two interchangable sprocket and roller assemblies have been developed. One is for 65 mm. super-film and the other for 35 mm. film. So by merely removing one movement and sprocket assembly and substituting the other, the camera can be used for either size film. This feature applies to any other size film as special movements and sprocket assemblies can be furnished for any size film up to 70 mm. The change over from one size film to the other can be made in less than ten minutes. “When the Fearless camera is purchased for 65 mm. super- film or for special size wide film, the accompanying magazines are designed so that 35 mm. film can also be used in them. This is accomplished by providing the film rollers with a relief so that the 35 mm. film is properly guided into the magazine and by furnishing special take-up spools for the narrow film. These spools hold the film central in the magazine and pre- vent it from creeping to one side or the other. In fact they practically act as a film reel. “Standard 35 mm. magazines can also be used on the camera when using 3 5 mm. film; thus making it possible to use some of the equipment that the producer now has. This is accomplished by mak- ing a special adapter which fastens on top of the cam- era. This adapter partially cov- ers the hole for the large size film and excludes all light from the inside of the camera when using the 35 mm. magazines. With the adapter in place, standard 35 mm. magazines can be used. “Inasmuch as this feature of interchangeability is one of the biggest features of the Fearless camera, extreme pains have been taken to secure pat- ent protection on this feature, and thus prevent infringement. Separate patent applications have been made on the con- struction of the magazine with the relieved rollers for Right side of new camera showing oil tank and footage meter.