A number of people were curious about threading a bipack magazine. Those of you that have done this will know that it is not as straightforward as one might think. I don’t know if this is the best or only way to thread a bipack magazine, but this is the way I have done it […]
Threading a Bipack Magazine Read More »
As I bring the Fox camera closer to running film for the first time in many years, I thought it was very interesting to show how much thought went into the simple magazine. Anyone who has loaded a film magazine knows the frustrations associated with that process, especially those in the visual effects end of
Ingenious Features of the Fox Camera Magazine Read More »
Mitchell Standard #532 was originally purchased by the United States Army Signal Corps in 1943. We acquired it in 2021 from the camera inventory of John Lemmon Films, Inc., a studio based in Charlotte, North Carolina who specialized in clay animation. When the camera arrived in our shop, I found that the variable shutter blade
Mitchell Bi-pack Animation Camera Read More »
Every once in a while, it is the simple things that make me really excited. My friend Mark Mervis was able to help me add a Panavision matte box to the Super R-200 camera, making the camera a more complete production package. I am hoping my lead on a Panavision battery and charger will come
Adding a Matte Box to the Panavision Super R-200 Read More »
As I am still working on the movement from the Fox Camera, I thought I would answer the questions I have received regarding oiling the movement. While in use, the movement would obviously be in the camera, but it is far easier to show the oil points with the movement out of the camera. If
Servicing the Fox Camera Movement Read More »
There are 2 things I thought would be interesting to share this week. Back in the mid-1980’s, I was buying equipment from a fellow who lived in Sacramento, and one of the things that was included in the pile of stuff was a set of the shop blueprints and handwritten notes from the Twentieth Century-Fox
Fox Cine Simplex Video Read More »
We acquired Mitchell Standard #532 in 2021 from the camera inventory of John Lemmon Films, Inc., a studio based in Charlotte, North Carolina who specialized in clay animation. The camera was originally purchased by the United States Army Signal Corps in 1943. When the camera arrived in our shop, I found that the variable shutter
Mitchell Standard sn. 532 Read More »
At the heart of the Fox Cine Simplex camera is the film transport. The differences between the much loved Mitchell NC and BNC style movements and the Fox movement are very difficult to describe in words. The answer seemed to be a short video demonstrating the unique features of the Fox camera’s pulldown and registration
Servicing the Fox Camera Movement Read More »
In my last post, I talked about the soundproofing material I found inside the Fox Cine-Simplex camera. As I dig deeper, I am more and more impressed with the lengths the designers went to in their efforts to isolate all of the moving parts from the body of the camera to make it as quiet
Examining the Soundproofing in the Fox Camera Read More »
The deeper I dive into servicing the Fox Cine Simplex camera, the more fascinating engineering choices I find. As I was checking lubrication for the main drive, shutter shaft, and sprocket drive, I discovered the camera cavity was full of what looks like wool. A terrific early insulation, the wool would enhance the sound-proof nature
Continuing the Disassembly of the Cine Simplex Read More »
