Anyone ever heard of this camera?

Jason Glucksman · December 6, 2006

I can't find any info on this cam on the web, maybe someone here has heard of this thing... the website is very limited with providing us information beyond that its good for slamming into things. Any info guys and gals?

http://www.alangordon.com/s_filmcam35_slamcam.html

Allen Achterberg · December 6, 2006

What kind of info are you looking for? I mean, alan gordon gave me enough information on it to know what I would use it for. I believe they manufacture this camera. "It utilized the basic elements of the Bell & Howell Eyemo (mechanism plate, shutter and shutter assembly)."

Looks like a 35mm Bolex to me, with the option of getting good optics (PL mount) , and cheap (Nikon) optics depending on how risky your shot is. It's pictured with a Nikon F mount lens on it. It takes 100' Daylight 35mm loads (okay speed......rolls out almost isntantly) not ideal for long takes.

what else did you want to know?

All the Best

Nathan Milford · December 6, 2006

It's just a motorized, reflexed Eyemo with a Nikon mount (or PL or whatever..)

Zachary Vex · December 8, 2006

with a very nice paint job.

Paul Bruening · December 8, 2006

This brings up an interesting question: Does anyone have any idea just how many Eyemos have been lost in crash-cam-set-ups-gone-bad. I wonder how much it would cost to manufacture a cam just for this purpose. It wouldn't need any gimmicks. It just has to run film steadily past a lens and be cheap. You could probably make the whole thing out of plastic to keep costs down. Spring load would be useful as well.

Robert Hughes · December 8, 2006

I've got an Eyemo that must have been used as a crash cam in a former life, as its "spider" only has one arm rather than its original 3, and it was bent when I first received it. I had to use a little body English on the spider arm to get the lens mount to seat properly. Now it works just fine and with its old Eyemax and Baltar lenses it shoots wonderfully retro looking footage.

Stephen Williams · December 8, 2006

This brings up an interesting question: Does anyone have any idea just how many Eyemos have been lost in crash-cam-set-ups-gone-bad. I wonder how much it would cost to manufacture a cam just for this purpose. It wouldn't need any gimmicks. It just has to run film steadily past a lens and be cheap. You could probably make the whole thing out of plastic to keep costs down. Spring load would be useful as well.

Hi Paul,

Not that many! Stanley K managed to drop a Newman Sinclair out of a window 6 times on Clockwork Orange, it still was working at the end. Its the nodern expensive stuff that's more delicate!

Stephem

Brad Grimmett · December 8, 2006

This brings up an interesting question: Does anyone have any idea just how many Eyemos have been lost in crash-cam-set-ups-gone-bad. I wonder how much it would cost to manufacture a cam just for this purpose.

We trashed three on one movie last year. One crashed with a chopper-cam when the chopper-cam crashed, one crashed with a motocycle when the motorcycle crashed (this was planned), and one crashed when it was mounted to a truck that was flipped end-over-end (this was also planned). It was fun watching dailies and seeing the camera smash into a million pieces during the end-over-end stunt. The only usable footage from these was from the motorcycle crash since the mag wasn't trashed. Oh, we also had one run over by a car on this movie, but the only damage was to the power cable and connector.

I believe the A Cam is basically designed as a crash cam, but it's not 35mm, it's S16mm.

Here are a couple pics from that truck flip stunt. The camera was mounted on the back left of the truck. Unfortunately, you can't see it in these pictures.