Fries Mitchell 35R3 #984

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Item #C10521MJ

The Fries Mitchell 35R3 is one of the most reliable and compact high speed motion picture film production cameras ever made. Modified from an original Mitchell GC, the 35R3’s dual-pin registration and four-pin pull-down mechanism make for exceptionally steady images. This camera features a spinning mirror reflex viewfinding system and is ideal for registered plate photography, second unit, and MOS production. This Fries Mitchell 35R3 comes out of the inventory of Cinema Production Services, a pioneering miniature effects company out of Hollywood. It was used in the production of many feature projects, such as "Live Free or Die Hard", "Mr. & Mrs. Smith", "Battle Los Angeles", "The A-Team", "Rose Red", "Final Destination 3", and many more. This particular camera, serial number 984, is in excellent used condition. It features a pin registered ground glass assembly for precise visual effects line up, an orientable viewfinder, a PL lens mount, a coveted Lynx Robotics C-50M crystal motor with motion control input and output, single frame animation mode, and crystal speeds from 1 to 120 frames per second, a Cohu color video tap, and one 400' magazine. Fries Mitchell 35R3 #984 began its life as a Mitchell GC, and was originally sold to the U.S. Army in 1952.

Fries Engineering was established in 1973 by Doug Fries, whose career includes stints at Librascope, Photosonics, Mitchell Camera Co., Film Effects of Hollywood, Todd A.O., Cinema Research, Stereovision, and Cinemobile, among others. Fries Engineering is most famous for its 35R and 35R3 conversions of Mitchell cameras, but Doug has a much more in-depth history of providing equipment and technology to almost every corner of the motion picture industry. Doug first became interested in photography and photographic equipment during his time in the Air Force as a photo interpreter. Through good friends like Ed DGiulio, John Jergens, Lin Dunn, and Hal Scheibe, Doug was able to hone his engineering skills before he started Fries Engineering. Other notable projects Fries Engineering worked on include 40 cameras for Aardman Animations, IMAX, underwater cameras for Jacques Cousteau, the Mitchell AP 65 camera for Todd A.O., the Fries Directors Finder, and scratch-built Fries 435 cameras.

Sources:

1. Doug Fries, interview by Richard Bennett and Marc Wheeler, October 9, 2020.