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Hello group,

 

Well I was always wondering what camera model the filming crew, with Coppola himself as the director, was using in 'Apocalypse Now'. Looks a lot like a 16mm film camera with electric motor and pilot tone cable going to the tape recorder, 16mm film - judging by the width of the (400ft?) external mag and of course this was the format used by TV news crews at the time. Doesn't look like an Arriflex or an Éclair. Mitchell perhaps?

 

Screengrabs are from a YouTube film analysis video, so I guess it's O.K. to post it here. I have chosen the two frames where the camera model can be seen most clearly.

 

Never seen this model before. Any reply highly apprecdiated - simply out of curiosity.

 

Thanks in advance,

Christian

post-69773-0-67506300-1475370484_thumb.jpg

post-69773-0-53679000-1475370497_thumb.jpg

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Thanks a lot! Yes, that is definitely the camera. I had never seen a Mitchell type external mag in this position. I was also wondering about the stick operated zoom lens (Zenit Meteor Krasnogorsk style, which of course it couldn't have been). Very likely not an Angenieux, but I didn't want to get too much into detail. Just didn't know about that particular camera.

I reckoned that it was an actually fully functional 16mm film camera (not just a prop), since Coppola also made a documentary in parallel on 16mm cameras (source: my own old eyes and IMDb), so these cameras were on location.

 

Thanks so much for the fast response. Much appreciated!

 

Christian

Edited by Christian Schonberger
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David: Thanks. The Éclair NPR makes a lot of sense for a documentary back in the 1970s. The camera model doesn't appear in the IMDb technical specifiations section. I already provided this kind of information to IMDb for older, lesser know films, backed up by the director's DVD comment track and photos of the camera operator on set - it had been accepted. A lot to be done for older movies (espeially considering how much detail is provided for films made in the last 20 years or so).

 

Dom: Thank you for the information. Will definitely look into this zoom lens.

 

Christian

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  • 1 year later...

 

Yep, it's mine now. The very one.

Awesome! Congrats! How did you come across and get this treasure? IMHO this is still a fantastic film camera to this day. I hope it is in fine working condition and you can go out and shoot some great images (unless you prefer keeping it untouched). Anyway: congrats again!

Edited by Christian Schonberger
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Awesome! Congrats! How did you come across and get this treasure? IMHO this is still a fantastic film camera to this day. I hope it is in fine working condition and you can go out and shoot some great images (unless you prefer keeping it untouched). Anyway: congrats again!

 

Thanks! I do feel happiness in owning it. :-) And funny that you should call it a treasure, because the best way to describe how I got it would be a treasure hunt.

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It's funny how owning something can cause happiness. I get a glow whenever I see my Arri sitting on the shelf at home. Will I ever film with it? Sure hope so. If I do, first step is to get it down to Bruce McNaughton to get the Panavision mount changed to PL. Just got to sell an accordion first - have been trying to sell the thing for ages. Slightly obscure musical instruments must be the most difficult thing on earth to sell. I keep waiting for some Russian immigrant here to buy it as it's a Russian type.

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