One of our next pieces up for service is this Auricon Super 1200 camera, a favorite for news-gathering, documentary, and industrial films beginning in the 1950s. Auricon cameras were designed and built by the Berndt-Maurer Corporation (later Bach-Auricon), founded in 1935 by Eric M. Berndt and John A. Maurer. Previously, Berndt and Maurer had both worked as engineers for the RCA Research Laboratory in New York. Walter Bach joined the company in 1939, shortly before they moved from New York to Los Angeles. The company was known for their 16mm sound on film cameras, like the Auricon CineVoice (1942), which were noted for their reliability and steady operation. In 1953, the Auricon Super 1200 was introduced. One of the camera’s main selling points was its use of 1200′ magazines that could record approximately 33 continuous minutes of film without reloading. The Auricon Super 1200 gained popularity because it featured 2 independent finder systems, an “instant focusing ground glass”, an optional variable shutter for effects and exposure control, and could be ordered from the factory with variable area or variable density optical sound recording, or optionally with a magnetic sound head for use with magnetically stipped film. Additionally, the camera was self-blimped and said to be virtually silent.
Auricon Super 1200 Camera with 1200′ magazine 
Auricon Super 1200 Camera with 600′ magazine