Canadian Army Film Unit Eyemo

[Dale Gervais]

Hi,

 

I am a Film Conservator with the Library & Archives of Canada, part-time researcher, writer, and webmaster. I am doing research regarding the Canadian Army Film Unit (CAFU) during WWII;

http://www.canadianfilm.com/cafu/cafu_welcome.htm

I have had the good fortune to have met several of the last surviving members of the Canadian Film Unit and part of my research has revolved around the 35mm Eyemo cameras that the Unit used during the war.

 

I have been scouring the net looking for Eyemo's for sale and would love to match up one of these cameras with one of my CAFU buddies.

 

I have recently submitted an article for the January issue of Canadian Society of Cinematographers that outlines my research and briefly describes the use of the Bell & Howell Eyemo during the war.

 

Should anyone have any information about the cameras, for sale, or otherwise I would love to hear from you.

 

Also, I have created a line of t-shirts commemorating the Film Unit and they can be viewed here;

http://www.canadianfilm.com/cafu/order_cafu_tee.htm

 

Thanks

Dale

webmaster@canadianfilm.com

[Robert Hughes]

Eyemos are still fairly common and turn up on eBay regularly. From what I've seen they come in three common configurations: the single lens turret 71K, the "spider" 3-lens turret 71Q, and the Army Air Force bomb sighting camera 71Z with the attached rewind crank. They all take the Eyemo 1 1/2" lens mount.

[Matt Butler]

Was there a significant difference between the operation of newsreel style Eyemo's and the A-4 Bomb Spotting cameras?

 

Were they somehow synchronised to film after the bomb bay door opened and photograph the actual bomb impacts, for later photo-intellegence analysis?

 

Did all US bombers have them fitted, or just the 'lead' aircraft?

 

Always been curious about their usage!

 

Cheers,

 

Matt Butler

cinematographer

Sydney, Australia

[Robert Hughes]

Don't know about their squadron assignments. I got the impression they were hand-held and shot wild by the bombardiers as needed. See the picture on the intervalometer.com page:

 

Eyemo (and some Filmo) Information

 

I believe the 71Z and the A-4 were the same model.

Edited January 15, 2007 by Robert Hughes