This past week I had the privilege of doing preventative maintenance on the Dykstraflex camera for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. I serve on the Academy’s Technology and History Subcommittee, and following the restoration of the Dykstraflex camera crane, subcommittee members were concerned that the camera may have developed problems after having […]
Dykstraflex Camera, Revisited Read More »
It’s a little late for Star Wars Day, but we wanted to share this latest project in anticipation of the premiere of “Obi-Wan Kenobi” tomorrow. Previously, in 2019, I completed a major restoration of the Dykstraflex camera crane for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The restored Dykstraflex was prominently displayed at the
Dykstraflex: Preparing to Service the Camera that Shot the original Star Wars Trilogy Read More »
Despite my good intentions, replacing the roof on our building interfered tremendously with progress on Mitchell 46 this week. My next step in restoring this camera was to prepare the casting so it can be accurately mounted on the milling machine. There are very few things on the casting that remain true, so the only
The First Step in Setting Mitchell 46 Up for Machining Read More »
A Pana ARRI 35 II C joins our offerings! While we were in the middle of moving from our previous location to our present one, we were offered a collection of cameras and accessories that we never had much of a chance to sort through. This diamond in the rough came to the surface a
A Pana ARRI 35 II C! Read More »
In order to move forward with the machine work on the replacement bottom plate for Mitchell 46, the front plate had to be installed so that three important things could be established: First, the proper thickness of the front plate so that the camera will slide freely on the rackover L-base and still light trap.
Mitchel 46: The Glue Crisis Read More »
The task at hand with Mitchell Standard #46 is now to put metal back where it was unceremoniously removed. This problem is compounded by the fact that so much material was removed from the bottom of the camera casting, that some areas are perilously thin. After three days of contemplating the next steps, and a
Mitchell Standard 46 – Creating the Replacement Bottom and Front Plates Read More »
This week we bid a fond farewell to the Showscan CP65 equipment as it headed to its new home. Prepping this package and staging everything for pickup took up the best part of this week. I was personally involved in the early Showscan project working for Doug Trumbull. I worked alongside John Russell building the
A Farewell to Showscan Read More »
These are the last two Moviecam SuperAmericas that have come to us from the Bruce Taylor collection. Both of these cameras, as well as the camera we showed last week, were a part of Bruce Taylor’s Indi35 cine rental inventory. Bruce has entrusted the two SuperAmerica MK 2s and the SuperAmerica MK 1 to us
Two More Moviecams For Your Consideration Read More »
To go along with our ongoing restoration of Mitchell Standard #46, we are currently in the process of researching the history of the camera’s first owner, the Christie Film Company. Brothers Al and Charles Christie founded the Christie Film Company in Hollywood in 1916 and produced short and feature-length comedies through 1933. The Great Depression
Some Help with a History of the Christie Film Co. Read More »
The Moviecam Super America MK II is an extraordinary 35mm sound silent motion picture camera featuring Super 35 format and a PL lens mount. When it was introduced in the 1980s, the Moveicam Super America (and its successor the MK II) represented a seachange in the design and functionality of professional motion picture cameras. The
New This Week: Moviecam Super America MK II Read More »
