Eyemo 35mm Army Surplus

grantsmith · June 12, 2006

I've seen an old Eyemo WW2 camera on e-bay.

What are these cameras actually like?

I want to shoot a little bit for a music video. I have a few 35mm short-ends lying about so how would I go about using these on the eyemo?

Is there an adaptor available to use better lenses?

Thanks

Olex Kalynychenko · June 13, 2006

I've seen an old Eyemo WW2 camera on e-bay.

What are these cameras actually like?

I want to shoot a little bit for a music video. I have a few 35mm short-ends lying about so how would I go about using these on the eyemo?

Is there an adaptor available to use better lenses?

Thanks

I can not tell you about Eyemo camera, but, can answer about russian copy of Eyemo camera - AKS-1.

AKS-1 35 mm cine camera with mechanical spring motor, one lens mount and 100 ft daylight spools.

A some time ago, i prepare this camera for real shooting and can confirm good technical design of this camera.

My friend use AKS-1 for shooting of footages and confirm me a good qulaity of footages.

This camera can run 20..30 sec at 24 fps with full load spring.

The camera have short flange focal distance of lens mount, that's why, you can design lens adapter or lens mount for many type of photo ( Nikon, Canon, Carl Zeiss ) and cine ( Arri PL, Arri standard, BNCR ) lenses.

This camera not need battery, charger, main power.

But, i must underline, this is old camera and need detailed service and design debugging

The other low price 35 mm cine camera Konvas-1, Konvas-1M.

This is camera have reflex system, electrical motor with rheostat or electronics speed control, 200 ft or 400 ft quick set film magazines, turret for set prime or zoom lenses.

dd3stp233 · June 13, 2006

You would need to wind short-ends onto 100 foot daylight spools for use in an Eyemo unless it is one of the models that accepts mags.(of different sizes). I don't know of any adapters for other lenses but there are people out there that have done conversions to the camera to accept other types of lenses and also added things like reflex viewing and video tap. Eyemo's are wind-up clockwork type camera's and some of the models will accept an electric motor, both sync and wild are availible. I enjoy shooting with them, personally and find them to be nice little cameras. They are well made and of virtually all metal construction. The fact that so many are still around after 60 or so years and still working atests to that. As to how good any old camera would work, being that they are precision instruments, has alot to do with how well it has been maintained and cared for over the years.

Edited June 13, 2006 by dd3stp233

Robert Hughes · June 18, 2006

Eyemos are historically important and still useful cameras. Much news documentary footage of the 30's, 40's and 50's were shot on Eyemo cameras; you've seen a lot of Eyemo footage in your time, just didn't know it. It's a really small camera - you can shoot handheld without straining. With a relatively recent lubrication it runs fine. But they're all old; mine sounds like a coffee grinder when running, and it probably always did. Kodak sells 100' daylight loads, so getting film for the Eyemo is no problem.

Quality of lenses is all over the map, depending on vintage and level of abuse over the years. I've got a Baltar 25mm lens with a crack right across the front element that, amazingly enough actually takes clear, sharp pictures. The old uncoated Cookes that the early Eyemos used were pretty limited, but later lenses can look quite nice. I was told that my Eyemo 71Q was used as a 2nd unit MOS camera in the battlefield scenes of "Cold Mountain" and have no reason to believe it was not so.

Matt Butler · June 18, 2006

The Eyemo is a nifty B camera. I use one with a stepper motor, intergrated with a very small portable motion- control pan + tilt head ( a Manfrotto 400 stills geared head retro-fitted with stepper motors).

This Eyemo is hard-fronted to accept the range of Canon stills lenses.

The camera is mainly used to shoot motion(moving) time-lapse, but the registration of this particular camera and head is ok for "in-camera" multipass work at up to 25 fps.

It sure makes back packing to remote locations a little easier, and combined with a fine grained film stock,

decent optics, a good telecine grade, gives an excellent result for most broadcast delivery formats.

I'll try to attach a photo of it.

cheers,

matt butler

cinematographer

Sydney, Australia.

Matt Butler · June 19, 2006

As per previous post - here is photo of Canon hard-fronted Eyemo with 7.5mm fisheye lens.

The camera is mounted on a modified Manfrotto geared stills head to shoot motion time lapse.

A custom clip on *finder* is used to set shots.

cheers,

matt butler

Søren Kjær Jensen · September 28, 2006

Dear Matt,

Can you share any info on the retrofit step motor/gear head? -I am looking to do that myself, thanks!

Edited September 28, 2006 by Søren Kjær Jensen

Robert Houllahan · September 30, 2006

HI

I just got the fromt of my Eyemo back from the machine shop today with a nice fresh new Nikon mount on it! Bitchin' technology! I recently shot part of the feature I am working on in a Russian Submarine with my LTR54 and the Eyemo with a 25mm B+H eyemax lens, mostly hand cranked, we processed the film and it went on the Spirit at MIpost in nyc looked great with the older lens, cannot wait to use my nikkors.

Check out www.intervalometer.com he has a programmable timelapse motor and a upgraded version which will run sync speeds. I plan to get the timelapse motor from him when I have an extra kilobuck.

The Eyemo is a great camera.

-Rob-

Robert Houllahan

Filmmaker

VP Cinelab inc.

www.cinelab.com

Matt Butler · September 30, 2006

Hi Soren,

The manfrotto 400 gear head conversion seemed a good idea at the time, but I have found the tilt axisis a

little too exposed to the elements ( rain and dust etc.) I have to wrap it in plastic in those conditions.

If I was going to fabricate a simple pan and tilt head, I'd look at mounting two small CNC rotary tables with suitable adapter plates for the two axis - pan and tilt. Some of the CNC manufacturers even supply basic programmers and software to plot your shots.

A site to give you an idea of this approach and technology is www.bmumford.com They make a stand alone controller called *The Time Machine* - maybe worth a look?