When last we talked, I shared with you a collection of lenses that were used by visual effects master David Allen. With the exception of one particularly stubborn zoom lens, I have finished cleaning, lubricating, and collimating all of the lenses I shared. This week I promised to give you a look at one of Dave’s cameras, his Fries Mitchell 35R. The Fries Mitchell was a workhorse of the visual effects world because it was very rugged, because it was able to shoot from single frame stop motion animation up to 120 fps high speed pin registered images, and because it was affordable at the time.
These cameras are repurposed Mitchell High Speed Standard and GC cameras that have been reflexed. The cameras could easily be fitted with crystal sync motors, single frame motors, and literally thousands of other accessories that made them excellent for visual effects work. I don’t know exactly what projects this camera worked on, but Dave was an ingenious tinkerer who built everything from front and rear projectors, animation armatures, hanging miniatures, large and small tabletop miniature sets, and numerous other amazing contraptions. This camera began its life as a Mitchell GC and was first sold to the U.S. Navy in 1958. Who knows what other things it photographed before it came into Dave’s studio!
