The original thought was to convert the Mitchell 205 to PL lens mount. When I discovered that this was impractical, the compromise was to fit the camera with an Angenieux 25-250 zoom lens. This is an older Angenieux zoom that has the unique 1960’s vintage Hollywood look that was found both in feature films and […]
Birth of a Lens Support for the Mitchell 205 Read More »
One of the more surprising and interesting relics we found in the Lucky Brown MovieTech collection was this outwardly nondescript wooden case. We were first intrigued by the MGM decals on the top and front of the case, how heavy it was, and by the name Ray June inscribed on the lid. Inside this custom
Ray June’s Filter Cabinet of Curiosities Read More »
You all know how much I enjoy playing with this equipment. This afternoon I was revisiting John Hora’s Mitchell MK II S35R camera. It brought back to mind how much I hate the door on this camera, but love everything else the camera can do. John’s camera features the BNCR hard front, a swing-away video
An Interlude with the Mitchell MK II Read More »
At first glance, it seemed possible that the Mitchell 205 could be relatively easily converted for PL lens mounts. This would make the camera more versatile as there are more lenses available in PL mount than in BNCR mount. So I began the process of taking the camera apart to find out if the conversion
Mitchell 205 to PL mount Conversion? Read More »
As a prelude to some work I will be doing in the next week or so evaluating the Mitchell 205, I was hoping to begin this week by taking a deep dive into some history of this camera. However, after many hours of searching, we are no more informed about the history of the 205
Mitchell 205 35mm Silent Studio Camera Read More »
Ok, so there was one further delay with me demonstrating the rebuilt TechniCraft sync sound motor on Mitchell BNC Rackover #357, but it’s ready now! While every detail of this camera has not yet been fully examined, I did the basic service to make sure that nothing would be harmed while demonstrating the motor. I
TechniCraft Motor Running Test: Mitchell BNC Rackover 357 Read More »
A brief post this week as we have spent much of the last week and a half unburying the collection of my dear friend Ewing Miles “Lucky” Brown. I’m sorry I forgot to take a picture of the disaster that was the storage space where Lucky’s equipment has been living for the past few years,
Digging for Treasure at the Remains of MovieTech Studios Read More »
A quick recap since my last update on this camera back in March: I have been restoring an original rackover Mitchell BNC (#357), but ran into some difficulties with motors. I first tried the TechniCraft motor that came with the camera, but the motor would not find sync, it just ran wild. Then I tried
A Motor Update for Mitchell Rackover BNC #357 Read More »
Way back in 2019, I was asked to rebuild the missing sections from the Dykstraflex camera moving system so that a working Dykstraflex could be demonstrated at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Galactic Innovations event. This project happened on a tight schedule, and in the middle of me moving my business across
Further Adventures with the Dykstraflex Read More »
A friend of mine pointed me toward an estate sale of a former USC professor last week and I found a couple of interesting relics that begged me to bring them home. This home in Westwood, CA had the most amazing and eclectic collection of just about anything you could think of, from a player
Estate Sale Finds! Read More »
