We promised in our last post that I would give a closer look at the 16mm camera collection I showed off last week. I had very limited time to look through them this week, so I was only able to evaluate a few of the pieces.
Arriflex M
To begin, I looked at the ARRI M since I haven’t had one of those in a very long time. I was able to inch the camera by hand using the motor coupling, and the magazine, the movement (the pull-down claw and the registration pin), and the shutter all worked smoothly. The spinning mirror is in good condition. The viewfinder optics are very dirty, but they work. Other than needing a deep cleaning and a general service, this camera is in pretty good condition. I’ll put the last motor I have on the camera sometime soon and see how it runs.
Arriflex S
The ARRI S cameras are a totally different story from the M. Two of the cameras are extreme project cameras, missing a lot of parts. One camera is repairable, just missing the eyepiece and motor.
Arriflex 16 BL
The ARRI 16 BL also inches by hand, but is extremely dirty. It didn’t come with a power cable and I don’t know if I have one, so I didn’t try to power it on. The 16 BL is also missing its eyepiece and the lens blimp. As seen in the photo, I have a small collection of lens blimp parts that I would include with the camera.
Auricon
I am not sure of the exact model of this Auricon, but it was modified by Gordon Yoder’s Professional Cine Products to take Mitchell-style magazines. The camera has both the magnetic sound head and the optical sound head, turns over by hand easily, and has an Angenieux 12-120 reflex lens on it. The lens is in poor condition, but usable.
Cine Kodak Special II
The Cine Kodak Special II is fairly clean. It takes a wind, but the shutter release button is not working. These are fairly simple cameras, so I’m sure this one is fixable. It also comes with two lenses, a 100’ magazine, and a 200’ magazine.
Kodak Reflex Special
The Kodak Reflex Special is really dirty as well, but it turns over easily by hand. I have not tried powering it up yet. The viewfinder has some dust in it, but is in working condition. The spinning mirror shutter is clean and the magazine seems to work properly. It has some fascinating lenses that were manufactured for Kodak by Angenieux that are in good mixed condition. The set includes a 10mm, a 15mm, a 25mm, a 50mm, and a 75mm. There were 2 extra duplicate lenses that we set aside, a 25mm that has some fungus and a 15mm that has some coating damage to the front element. I can’t wait to take a closer look at this camera as I’ve never seen one before.
Pathe Reflex 16AT
As for the Pathe Reflex 16AT, it takes a wind, but doesn’t run reliably. It feels like it just needs to be serviced. The real star of this camera is that fascinating magazine though. The feed side is a separate compartment from the takeup side which I have not seen on a 16mm camera before. Pretty cool!
Cinema Products CP 16 R
Lastly there is a much abused Cinema Products CP 16 R. It turns smoothly by hand but I have not tried to power it up. It is missing its viewfinder and pistol grip and the reflex mirror is in poor condition. This is an excellent project camera, but it needs a LOT of TLC. It does come with two CP 400’ lightweight magazines, but no battery or power cable.
I was hoping to play with the ARRI SR and the Nagra 4L in time for this post, but sadly I ran out of time. Something to look forward to for next week! Many people were interested in these cameras in as-is condition and we are certainly open to offers.
