Mitchell BNC, BNCR
Serial number 208 (originally manufactured by Mitchell in 1956 as a BNC. It underwent a spinning mirror Reflex conversion in 1968 by Ed Volkerstof at Camera Service Center in New York. The camera was purchased by owyheesound from Martin Hill in December 2005. Then in 2005 an old CSC beam splitter was placed in the camera door and a small single chip USB camera was placed inside the camera blimp for a video tap. The camera blimp door was not cut for this conversion. The USB camera has been replaced in the sprin of 2008 with a very small infrared/color NTSC camera)
First test footage shot with the camera in December 2005
View a short film shot with this BNCR and an Arri-2B
Behind the scenes video of this camera in use
Youtube video of this camera
This 35mm Mitchell is a blimped studio camera that has had a spinning mirror reflex view finder added to it. The relatively small camera body already has a very quiet movement that is hushed to near complete silence by being placed in an additional aluminum blimp housing. The reflex viewing is large and bright compared to other cameras of this vintage like Arriflexs. The Reflex conversion on this camera was made by CSC of NewYork some time in the late 1960s. This particular camera is equiped with a Cinema Products crystal syncronous motor that a range of speeds from 12 to 38fps. The follow focus is smooth and light to the touch compared to other types of blimped follow focus, and the swing away matte box / sun shade is easy to use and quick to access. Normally BNCR cameras have a large BNCR mount but this camera has an R35 mount which was the mount for the Mitchell R35 high speed camera. However, a nice clean set of primes (Super Baltar 25mm, Super Baltar 50mm, and Kowa 100mm) are used with this camera for most pratical shooting. The camera is pictured above on a Worrall geared head and a McAlister hydaulic dolly.
A new set of Kowa Cine Prominar lenses are now being used with this camera, thanks to owyheesound partner Roman Alexander. The focal length of these lenses are 15mm, 20mm, 25mm, 32mm, 50mm, 75mm, 100mm.
BELOW 1.) port side of the camera blimp 2.) viewfinder eyepiece and footage counter 3.) camera blimp door open revealing the camera port side 4.) alternate view of viewfinder 5.) videotap port on cameradoor
BELOW 1.) R-35 Lens Mount Port and follow focus gear 2.) alternate view of (1.) showing follow focus knob bottom right 3.) Prime lenses with follow focus gears 4.) reflex mirror shutter half closed, ground glass barely visible to the right of shutter 5.) front of prime lenses 6.) R-35 mount on prime lenses |
BELOW 1.) Top of camera showing magazine mount and magazine blimp mount. Leather cord is the take up belt for the magazine. 2.) interior of magazine blimp with access in open position. 3.) 1000 foot magazine 4.) light trap on bottom of magazine. This mag was once a Panavision Magazine. 5.) Magazine Blimp take up pully access port 6.) Take-up compartment open showing courderoy lined interior. |
BELOW 1.) Rail mount on front of camera 2.) Sun Sade assembly 3.) Polarizing filter tray out, ND filter tray exposed with ring pulled (up) 4.) another view of 3 |
BELOW 1.) Out-side of F&B/CECO crystal sync motor 2.) Camera side of motor 3.) Motor side of camera 4.) interior of motor blimp. |
BELOW 1.) Camera movement 2.) Close-up view of camera movement |
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Pictured above is the BNCR with the original parallel viewfinder. The image in the viewfinder is actual and needed no photographic enhancement as it is a bright viewfinder.
