Home Movies and Home Talkies (Jun 1933-May 1934)

14 HOME MOVIES & HOME TALKIES Ready for taking. The daylight loading spool is In position and the finder raised ANYTHING tending still further to reduce the cost of home movie-making and bring it within the reacli of thousands who have hitherto been debarred from participating in the hobby is bound to be of " news value ' ' to readers of Home Movies and Home Talkies. For some time past we have known of an extremely ingenious j^iece of apparatus combining in one small unit both taking and projecting mechanism ; and, indeed, it is over a year since we first tried the original model. The apparatus, which is known as the " Mida.s," has now been shown to tlie ]3ublic in the Cine Section of tlie Ideal Home Exhibition at Olympia, where it proved one of the most popular of all the exhibits. The models demonstrated there, however, were not "production models," i.e.. were not the final models to be su])plied to the public. For this reason we withheld our report on this instrmnent imtil we were in a position to test for ourselves the actual production turned out by the factory in <|uantity. A New Instrument 1'he " Midas " must not be confused with any previous combined cameras and projectors which have been marketed, one of whiclx was of such inferior construction that this journal refused either to review the apjDaratus or publish the advertisements. It has been designed throughout with great engineering skill and faithfully peiforms what it sets out to do, i.e., to take good clear jjictures on !).5-mm. film and to project them with the same apparatus so as to give bright little pictures 8 to 12 inches in width in a darkened room. How it does this will be seen from the accompanying illustrations and tiie following description . CAMERA AND PROJECTOR IN ONE The <« Midas** Tested Small Size The ajjparatus itself consists of a rectangular box about 3 inches by :i inches by 5h inches with a film holding mechanism jirojecting, when loaded, about another 2 inches. The shape of the apjiaratus is thus rather imeon\^entional. The main portion of the case is divided into two parts, whicli clip together in use, one section containing the operating mechanism, lens, film chamber, etc., and the other two standard torch liatteries, which can be obtained from any electrical sho[) or from most chemists. One of the many interesting novelties in this apparatus is that the camera mechanism is actuated by a miniature electric motor concealed in the base, the power for this being j)rovided from the two toi'ch batteries. Separated for easy carrying. The battery case is shown open It is claimed by the makers that tliis pair of batteries, which cost 8d. each, will ])rovide enough power to expose thirty or forty 80 -foot reels of film Open for loading. Note path of film through gate, and condenser of lamp house in back portion Ready for projection. Processed "film spool In position, driving crank extended. Finder switch " on " and fmder frame down and although we have not operated the camera on enough reels to check this claim tlie statement seems reasonable 1 laving regard to the efficiency <»nd low current consumption of the Tiioloi and the smoothness with which the (hive mechanism operates. Mlien used for pi-ojecting a hand drive ia used, the batteries now serving to provide power for the small 6-volt l.nni) which illuminates the film. The ( lUiim lens, which is a Taylor Hobson .iiiasiitrinat with a maximum aperture of / 2. .5, also serves for i)rojection. W'fien taking, the lens is used at a fixed focus but in projection focusing Is eff(>cted by a small milled wheel on the toji of the camera. In order to ])revent the lens being unwittingly left out of focus when ' ' shooting the mere lifting of the direct vision viewfi.nder frame automatically returns the lens to infinity. Similarly, the peep-hole of the finder is also the battery switch and when this hole is in the position for viewing, the interior lamp is turned off, thus ]5reventing fogging of the raw film. Simple Loading Loading both with new stock for filming and with the processed film for projecting is carried out quite sim]>ly. The camera is opened by a simple release and the special film cliarger (consisting of two chambers clamped side by side) is inserted in the back and clamped into position, thus giving a light-tight joint. A loo}) of film is passed through an apei'ture in the lower i)ortion of the mechanism as the charger is inserted, after which it is threaded through the gate and roimd a curved jiiece of metal. The operation of shutting the apjiaratus automatically foi'ms a loop and brings the film in contact with hoth feed and tK|ce-up sprockets. The (Continued on pnae 29)