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Made for film students and budding cinematographers, this silent film gives instructions about the features of the Bell & Howell 70-DL motion picture camera, sometimes referred to as a "Filmo". It also shows how to load and operate the three lens, turreted, parallax viewfinder camera. The DL model of the camera was produced circa 1951-1954, so this film likely dates to that era. (Note: The Filmo name was also used to identify a whole series of 16mm and / 8mm movie equipment made by Bell & Howell, including cameras, projectors and accessories.)
The Filmo 70 was the first spring motor-driven 16mm camera, built in 1923, the same year that 16mm film stock was introduced. In 1925 the Eyemo, a hand-held 35 mm camera based on the design of the Filmo 70 was offered. It was also spring driven, but could be hand-cranked as well. The 16mm Filmo cameras, like the one shown in the film, all take 16mm film on a 100 ft (30 m) daylight spools, although some versions can also take 400 ft (120 m) external magazines. Spring wind is standard, although some Filmos have provisions for attachment of a 12 V DC or AC motor. A crystal-sync motor was developed for the Eyemo and later adapted to the Filmo. Early versions (such as the Filmo 70A and 70C) were designed for two speeds, either 8 and 16 frame/s, or 16 and 32 frame/s, with one option for a 12-16-24 frame/s 3-speed camera. Starting with the Model D in 1927, most versions could shoot a range of speeds up to 64 frames per second (the later model DL shown in the film could shoot 8-12-16-24-32-48-64 frame/s), although there was a superspeed version, the 70-B (1925), designed to run at a single speed of 128 frame/s. This produced an extreme slow-motion effect and was used for motion analysis. The Model 70-E (1935) was a turretless version of the Model D, with a shorter range of speeds (8-16-24-64 frame/s). Built tough, the B&H 70 was one of the most rugged, well designed and thoroughly dependable 16mm motion picture cameras ever built. Weighing in at six pounds without lenses, it was one solid mass of steel and magnesium with hardly a plastic part other than the speed dial and footage indicator. The camera was built to the most precise standards in the industry, and is still popular with student filmmakers. Durable and ruggedly built, it was standard equipment for U.S. military combat cameramen from World War II thru Vietnam, and used by Robert Capa, John Ford, and many others famous cinematographers.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com