One of the most unique and sought-after sound era production cameras is the Twentieth Century-Fox Cine-Simplex camera. Camera number 109 was a key part of John Hora’s camera collection and will be my next major restoration project. Some of the key features that made the Cine-Simplex stand out were the design of the film transport, […]
Twentieth Century Fox Cine Simplex Camera Read More »
As a quick follow-up to our post about John Hora’s Mitchell MK III: the camera has found a new home with my dear friend Mark Mervis who has spent countless frustrating hours cleaning rotted and broken belts out of its inner workings. Mark has managed to identify the correct parts from the shards and goo
Mitchell Mark III Repaired Read More »
A couple of days ago, Worrall Geared Head #192 limped its way into the shop. This geared head came in with the BNCR #136 that we showed in our last post, and believe it or not, it was in worse condition than the camera. I spent time this week evaluating and disassembling this geared head
Worrall Geared Head sn. 192 Read More »
We have just received this wonderful, but in need of much love, Mitchell spinning mirror reflex BNCR, serial #136. So far, we are unable to decipher who the original owner was, but we know that it was first purchased in 1954. Unfortunately, this camera was stored poorly and suffers from petrified grease, minor corrosion and
Mitchell BNCR sn. 136 Read More »
As I go through inventory, bringing things back to life one by one, I rediscovered this amazing Arriflex II C that is part of the Denny Clairmont legacy. This camera is out of Denny’s first foray into cinema equipment rentals, and shows Denny’s dedication to improving everything he made available to his clients. As I
Arriflex 35 2C from Clairmont Camera Read More »
Parvo pan and tilt head restored and waiting for its camera! Now that I’ve had my hands on all the bits and pieces that make this unit pan and tilt, there are still a few very interesting mechanisms that make this head unique. Our 2nd photo shows one of the most interesting assemblies; the jackscrew
Restored Parvo Pan Tilt Head and Tripod Read More »
During the disassembly, de-greasing, and reassembly of the Parvo pan tilt head, I was fascinated by the unique anti-backlash adjustment features of the pan and tilt axes. This geared head only tilts down from the horizontal position, an interesting limitation. The hinge point for tilt and the worm gear that operates pan live in the
Disassembly of a Parvo Pan Tilt Head Read More »
Resurrected from the depths of storage, the mechanical repairs and restorations of the Vinten Model H camera have finally been completed. The camera, lenses, and motor have all been cleaned and brought back to working condition. Much muck and mire were discarded in this process, and many new parts had to be manufactured, but as
Restoration is Complete on the Vinten Model H Camera! Read More »
As I zero in on the completion of repair work on the Vinten Model H camera, I started work this week on what seems to be a variable speed motor. I don’t have it fully working quite yet, but the motor has three very interesting features for its vintage. It engages with a clutch in
Vinten Model H Motor Read More »
As we approach the completion of work on the Vinten camera, I turned this week to servicing the lenses that came with it. All 3 of the lenses were in ok optical condition, but suffered from years of neglect. I began by removing the miles of tape wrapped around the lens controls and cleaning the
Vinten Model H Lenses Read More »
