Charlie Peich

I found this pic of the cover with 'Oel' on it in an auction on eBay....... https://www.ebay.com/itm/166553521094?hash=item26c75d0bc6:g:DH0AAOSwABxlptJe The seller does not include the model 'A' designation for the camera in his description. Looking at this camera in the auction, it appears this camera was used in a blimp. Arri introduced their 1st blimp with the introduction of the Model IIA camera. A brief history of Arri's 35mm camera... This was written by Kling Photo, Arri's 1st importer of Arri equipment in the USA. I'm thinking that the 1st IIA's had the cover with 'Oel' printed (the model II did not have a cover over the movement). Then at some point they changed it to the English spelling 'Oil'. But, why did they change it?? You are right about the cover for the IIB. I have a Model IIA that was built in the 2nd half of 1957, it has 'Oil' on the cover....... My camera built in Germany was sold by Arri to its 1st owner in Sweden. Why would they leave an English word on the cover? I bought my camera from a private individual, so it did not go through the USA importer when I acquired it. You are right about switching the labeling on the the cover for the 11B model. A way to quickly identify the IIB??? Also, there weren't that many changes to the IIB camera. Charlie

Fabian........ The plot thickens....... ???

Is this what you have?

Mitchell Variable Diffusion Filter Holder.... Good luck! Charlie

Mike, I should have added the following info about the spring belt for the 400ft mag in my previous post. The Spring take-up Belt for 400ft mag: Bell & Howell part number: Spring Belt Part # 10089 metal spring: 14 5/8" long & 5/32" diam. overall looped hook at each end. The size of the 2 looped hooks DO NOT figure into the length of the belt! (B&H edict) The 1st generation of the 400 ft mag used a "Loading clip" to hold the light valves in the magazine open when the small plunger was pushed in (red arrow). This makes it easy to push the film through the magazine openings. A 'Shepards Hook' it was called Worked like this (clever idea)... Well, those were easily lost and you never see them on eBay. One should be included with each 400 ft mag! (I only have 2 of them) In the later years B&H came up with a smaller device to accomplish opening the valves, the 'Magazine Loading Key' This was screwed on before loading film in the dark. It opened the light valves. The arrow points to the plunger. It is screwed on the magazine mounting screw for the camera. After you loaded your film in the dark, and while in the dark, you would take this key off to close the valves so your film wouldn't be exposed while mounting the mag to the camera. Then you would put this key in a very safe place so it won't get lost. lol When the mag was mounted on the camera and the film threaded, you put the lid or door on the camera, the door would push against the lever in the back by the opening in the body, and then open the valve so the film can flow freely. Red arrow. If you want to run the camera and visually see how the film is moving, you have to remember to push that lever to open the valves so the film won't jam. A lot of juggling!! What the magazine throat looks like: Figure it out? Have you checked this system to make sure the film is flowing easily from the magazine? Charlie

Contact this guy on eBay (yes I know, eBay) I bought Eyemo take-up springs from him before. He has the lists and knows the size of the spring you need. https://www.ebay.com/itm/350166571709?hash=item51878ddabd:g:9UkAAOSw~~Rf4PY5 Fast service! Charlie

Hello John! The proper name is 'Geoff' Williamson. You might try googling again with that combination. Mr. Williamson released a Wilcam W-4 in the 1st part of 1983. I attached a short write-up about it that was published in a popular industry magazine...... Geoff Williamson made several other cameras.... Super 8 single system mag sound for news filming, 16mm single system mag sound for news filming, 2 - 35mm quiet production cameras, a 35mm 300fps camera and this 65mm camera. Charlie

Greetings Duncan! "I just know it's going to be something stupid, like with "MOS Camera"... Close.... 'DOM' is the 1st 3 letters for......... are you ready for this? .... 'DOMestic' Noun: something produced or manufactured in one's own county. Arri USA used 'DOM' exclusively to identify any Arri camera equipment that was designed and manufactured in the USA, not at the main factory in Germany. This was when Arri Germany and Arri USA were separate organisations. The most popular item was the DOM Animation/Time Lapse motor for the 16S and 16M cameras. Way back in the mid '50s, there was an interest in 'single framing' with these 16mm cameras. The cameras were not really designed for single frame operation, but Arri offered this 'lightweight' motor in April 1956... Meanwhile, back in Germany Arri factory made 'The Single Frame Gear'. This unit fit in between the camera and the drive motor. Not very popular in the U.S., in my opinion. So , Arri USA continued making and refining the DOM unit and ended with this version in the late '60s, early '70s. You still had to get a capping shutter which came from Germany. Hope that answers your question... Charlie

Oooops, forgot to add the pic of the NCE motor adaptors........

Greetings Duncan! Your mystery part for the Arri 16 ST (or M) is the 'camera adaptor' for an NCE Animation Motor Drive System for 16mm or 35mm cameras. This single frame motor drive was probably made by Gordon Enterprises. One would purchase the Control Box and motor, then add the appropriatecamera adaptor for the camera or cameras they wanted to use it on. You would still need a 'capping shutter' to use it with the Arri cameras, as those cameras were not really designed to be used for single framing. They could fog the film from light entering the lens when the film was at rest. The controller has provisions for 'synchronized shutter openings' or to use the 'capping shutter'. I've never seen this set up, not even on eBay. Back in 1983, the NCE III Controller and Motor would have set you back $1650, then you add the cost of the camera adaptor. Also, the motor was 120 volts. You would need a long extension cord or a generator to use it in the desert for time-lapse with an intervalometer. Nice looking piece of Arri equipment however! Charlie

Looks like someone made a lens support.... .https://www.ebay.com/itm/185017981152?hash=item2b13ee58e0:g:cuQAAOSwrnRhHpJU

Greetings Tim and Fran! The little wire on the power cord is indeed a grounding wire. It is used to ground the torque motor on the 200ft or 400ft magazines. Arri literature said: "As the magazine is attached to the camera, electrical contact is automatically made." Well, yes and possibly no. In the pic below, the torque motor is attached to the magazine. The torque motor is now grounded to the magazine. When the magazine is attached to the camera body, the magazine is now grounded to the camera body completing the electrical circuit for the little torque motor. The red arrow points to the contact pin on the magazine for the positive 8 or 12 volts from the camera. The exposed metal of the magazine is supposed to ground the magazine to the camera body.... However, possibly in the early days of the magazines, the electrical ground, for some reason, didn't make a complete circuit through the camera. It could be corrosion that caused resistance in the ground circuit reducing the voltage. Arri backed up this possible (sometimes unpredictable) condition by having a little ground wire that plugged into the small, silver socket (see above pic) underneath the motor and then to the neg side of the power cable. This provided a good positive ground for the torque motor. When I 1st started shooting with the 16s and mags, I always used the wire. But after a while I stopped that annoyance and just mounted the mag. I never had any problems. The little grounding wire I used finally disappeared (I do have one left .... just in case). You just forgot about this Tim! lol Charlie

Hello John! Take a look at this site for the 'Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording'. It states that the Webster Wire Recorder was made after the war. A link to the Wire recorders: https://museumofmagneticsoundrecording.org/Wire.html Cheers! Charlie

Greetings Dom! I thought you would find this Arri advert from 1959 informative..... Arriflex Corporation of America made many Arri items for the American market. They called them 'DOM' for 'Domestic'. Charlie