The international photographer (Jan-Dec 1930)

April, 1930 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-three The Fearless Silent Super Film Camera A New Universal Camera for Modern Conditions The year 1930 will go down in the history of motion pictures as marking the advent of a new type of picture. Wide film is apparently the most revolutionary development in the motion picture industry since the advent of the talking picture. The wide picture is here and undoubtedly here to stay. All producers are eagerly watching developments, and some of the larger producers are rushing out new equipment to make this type of picture. However, it is going to take some time to build equipment to handle this new type film, and in the mean time production must continue on the present 35 mm. film. This condition has placed a dilemma before the producer and cameramen who need new photographic and camera equipment. If he purchases camera and equipment for 3 5 mm. he realizes that it will be obsolete in a short time, and on the other hand if he purchases camera equipment for the new film he can not get full use of it until the exhibitor is in a position to show the wide picture. The Fearless Camera Company, headed by Ralph Gordon Fear, believe they have solved the answer to his dilemma in the development of a new camera. Mr. Fear is well and favorably known in the industry and his accumulated scientific and practical knowledge, gained through ten years of intimate association with engineering phases of the industry, makes it possible for him to see the needed developments necessary to keep in step with the rapid growth of motion pictures. In describing the new Fearless camera, Mr. Fear said: "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 recording sound directly in the camera if so desired, and lastly and most important, 35 mm. film can be used in it also. "Inasmuch as both 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 3 5 mm. or wide film. The camera is normally built for the standard 65 mm. super-film. A special movement for 3 5 mm. film has been developed, and this movement is interchangeable with the 65 mm. movement. Two interchangeable sprocket and roller assemblies have been developed. One is for 65 mm. super-film and the other for 35 mm. film which are interchangeable. 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." In regard to the magazines relative to this change in film size Mr. Fear says: "When the Fearless camera is purchased for 65 mm. standard 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 prevent 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 making a special adapter which fastens on top of the camera. This adapter partially covers 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. "Insasmuch as this feature of interchangeability is one of the biggest features of the Fearless camera extreme pains have been taken to secure patent protection on this feature, and thus prevent infringement. Separate patent applications have been made on the construction of the magazine with the relieved rollers for handling 35 mm. film; on the adapter for attaching 35 mm. standard magazines to a wide film camera; on a narrow magazine with a wide base for attaching to a wide film camera, and on a movement adapter for properly locating a movement designed for a narrow film camera in a wide film camera. These patent applications preclude the possibility of any other manufacturer building a similar camera in which both wide film and narrow film can be used. "Other features furnished as standard equipment in the new Fearless camera include a quick focusing device; full force feed lubrication to all major driven parts, all driving parts being inclosed and running in an oil bath, and two built-in footage counters. As special equipment the camera can be furnished with a built-in speedometer, a built-in three speed high speed gear box and a built-in sound recording mechanism. "To elaborate on the method of focusing the photographic lens — the camera is built with a sliding turret and lens car rier on the front of the camera box. This lens carrier is mounted in dove tails and constructed so that it may be shifted across the front of the camera box to a point where the photographic lens is in front of the ground glass of the focusing tube. The lens carrier is made so that the light shade is mounted to it and instead of having to shift the camera, magazine, motors, cables, etc., only the light weight lens system and light box is shifted. "The actual shifting is accomplished by merely pressing down a knob and moving a lever from one side of the camera to the other. This focusing operation is performed so quickly that it has been a revelation to all who have seen it. Suitable stops prevent over-travel and suitable locks are provided to hold the lens carrier either in the focusing position or in the photographic position. The image is viewed with a conventional finder or focusing magnifier which is supplied for either five or ten power. The focusing telescope is of the simple astronomical type, and re-inverts the inverted image formed by the lens on the ground glass, thus bringing the viewed image right side up and right side to. "The Fearless camera can be furnished with a built-in auxiliary recording aperture at the proper distance from the photographic aperture and sprocket for recording sound directly in the camera. The auxiliary sprocket for pulling the film past the sound recording aperture is driven by a mechanism designed to absorb vibration so that the sound recorded is free from the so-called wow-wows caused by irregularity of film speed by the sound aperture. This feature of builtin sound recording makes it possible for the producer to make sound pictures at once without having to wait for new recording apparatus for the new size film. The design is adaptable to almost any type of light valve or glow lamp type of recording. "A standard Fearless Silent movement of enlarged size is used to feed the film intermittently past the aperture. Two claw pins are used on each side of the film to pull the film down and pilot pins are used to lock the film during the exposure. This movement is extremely easy to thread and due to simplicity of design and accuracy of workmanship is so silent that only by placing the ear against the frame of the movement can any sound be heard while in operation. "The camera has been designed for silence throughout and extreme pains have been taken in the design and construction to eliminate noise wherever possible. The camera can be used in the open for all ordinary shots without any sound proof covering. This has been accomplished by using fibre gears to transmit the power, precision bearings for the driving shafts, and by inclosing all (Concluded on Page 20)