What is an Oxberry Computer Camera?

[Geffen Avraham]

Two of these showed up at Community Thrift in San Francisco a few weeks ago, and I picked one up yesterday. American Cinematographer in 1986 says: 

Quote

Oxberry has unveiled a 35mm computer camera with 750 frame capacity for unattended downloading of computer graphic images. The Oxberry PC-35 also offers pin-registration guaranteeing high-precision image placement for multi-image (multi-projector) slide effects.

Daylight loading film magazines make it easy to process any length of film and to change film stock when desired. An optional 35mm Polaroid film magazine permits quick testing of computer and film recorder output.

Automatic skip-marking assures accurate separation of 36 exposure strips for short roll processors. Film can also be marked manually to separate specific jobs.

Roll-back multiple exposures are accomplished with forward and reverse jog controls and a digital frame counter. A separate display monitors the film remaining in the feed magazine. Both counters are resettable.

The PC-35 Computer Camera is designed for easy retrofit to Matrix PCR film recorders. No factory alignment or modification is necessary. A simple technique and mounting procedure assure accurate field alignment.

Seems like this was used in the 80s to print CGI to film!

Looking inside, I saw a 2-phase stepper motor with what appears to be a glued-on optical encoder. The magazine feed and takeup are driven by Japan Servo 5000rpm DC motors with 10:1 gear reductions.

There do not seem to be an actual computer inside - this is good! With a bit of help and experimentation, I can probably recreate the original controller, which I don't have, with a common MCU.

Anyone ever worked with one of these, or have any docs for it?

Here is the camera. Is it actually the PC-35 described in ASC mag? What kind of magazine does it take? A standard 400ft Mitchell?

Edited April 7 by Geffen Avraham

[Geffen Avraham]

[Robert Houllahan]

These are for digital to film recording usually with a older CRT based recorder.

[Geffen Avraham]

Thank you! Do you know where I might be able to find any documentation on this camera?

[Robert Houllahan]

7 hours ago, Geffen Avraham said:

Thank you! Do you know where I might be able to find any documentation on this camera?

Not likely to be able to find any but it is a very simple camera setup usually driven by an external stepper or servo motor.