Back in the days when I was still shooting vfx, a Fries conversion was quite a luxury compared to the various rackover Mitchell cameras that were more readily available to me. Though the world has mostly turned to digital image capture, the various Fries reflex conversions still have an important place in the continuing world of filmmaking. The popularity of these cameras stems from the long list of features they offered at a reasonable price: 35mm pin registered movement, through-the-lens reflex viewfinding, high speed up to 120fps, orientable viewfinder, numerous lens mount options, and available crystal sync motors. There are certainly more things to praise about these cameras, but I think those are the key features that made them so popular. Here presented for your amusement are 4 recent acquisitions, three Fries 35R cameras, and one Fries 35R3 camera. The 35R3 also features a really interesting Jackson Woodburn DMS-120S motor that I haven’t had a chance to test yet. These cameras are making their way across the service bench and will be available soon.
