Monday, December 20, 2010

The Combat Camera

Margie Stewart holds the camera designed by Harry Cunningham to be used in the war - 1942.
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6 comments:

  1. AzathothXDecember 21, 2010 at 12:31 AM

    "My, that's a big one"
    I used highly modified versions of this camera for years for Visual Effects work. A great many Star Trek: TNG, DS9 and Voyager spaceships were shot with one (back before everything was CG). Cunningham and Toland could have had no idea their "combat" camera would go on to shoot the Enterprise, and many other space battles.

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  2. Estancia De La Ding DongDecember 21, 2010 at 1:26 AM

    WOW - From the wars in Europe and the Pacific to the wars in space ! Very cool !

    I'm sure the production houses I've worked for have used modified version of the camera - especially the motion control table-top stuff.

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  3. DanDecember 21, 2010 at 11:07 AM

    Whose idea was this camera angle, and what did they crop out? :)

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  4. AzathothXDecember 21, 2010 at 1:09 PM

    Doubt you ever saw one in production use.
    I am pretty sure we had the only 2 converted for Motion Control use by our in house machinist, and they were tiny when he was done and used Nikon or Canon SLR lenses. Most of the 35MM Motion Control Cameras were (are) modified Mitchells (also from the late 30's -50's) There were a few Bell and Howells and maybe some Acmes and Oxberrys and customs but 96% were Mitchell Stds., NCs or GCs the 65MM's were FC'c or BFC's (also Mitchells but on steroids)or Todd AOs (left over from Around the World in 80days)BFC stood for Blimped Fox camera but we all knew it was really Big Fucking Camera.One more thing a bunch of the 35MM Mitchells were still "hot" and could fog film,as lots of them were used to photograph Atomic Tests! We would have them checked with a Geiger counter before using them.Did not want to put your eye up to those.

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  5. Estancia De La Ding DongDecember 21, 2010 at 1:26 PM

    That's it - the Mitchell was most certainly what we used. It's pretty fascinating about some of them still being 'hot'. Of course on these film/commercials jobs I was working as a production manager or producer, so you have to excuse me for not remebering all the details - that was ten years ago as well. Back then, I was more concerned with making sure the PA's kept the craft service table stocked and finding out what restaurant the clients wanted to go to for lunch...

    I miss those days.

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  6. Estancia De La Ding DongDecember 21, 2010 at 1:28 PM

    Oh, and Dan - the photo was taken by an unnamed, Acme Wire Service photographer - perhaps he was trying to show off a bit with the upward angle shot or just an avid Hitchcock fan.

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