JUST PURCHASED A MITCHELL NC???

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Re: JUST PURCHASED A MITCHELL NC???

by mediaed » Fri Nov 08, 2019 7:33 am

Chris,

The camera door is not an accessory. It is a basic part of the camera rackover design and one of the top reasons the Mitchell camera became the premier motion picture camera over the Bell&Howell 2709.

ED.

Re: JUST PURCHASED A MITCHELL NC???

by cwstratn » Wed Nov 06, 2019 10:24 am

Hi again Ed,

Here's one more photo of my Mitchell Standard 35mm camera. It is a close-up of the Mitchell "acorn" badge on the optical viewfinder used when the camera is racked over. It has the same number (397) as all the other numbered locations you told me about. It is strange that this number matches the other numbers because as you said, the accessories were all numbered differently. Maybe Mitchell didn't consider the optical viewfinder an accessory, but actually an integral part of the original camera. Otherwise, it must just be a coincidence. Either way, it is interesting to note that the badge on the outside (cranking) side of the camera says "Glendale Calif." and the badge on the optical viewfinder says "West Hollywood." See attached photo.

Chris
Attachments
CWH_1139 copy for e-mail of 397 ON OPTICAL VIEWFINDER.jpg

Re: JUST PURCHASED A MITCHELL NC???

by cwstratn » Wed Nov 06, 2019 9:49 am

Ed,

Just shot a close-up of the "397" on the motor door. Photo attached.
Attachments
CWH_1134 copy for e-mail of 397 on MOTOR DOOR.jpg

Re: JUST PURCHASED A MITCHELL NC???

by mediaed » Mon Nov 04, 2019 12:16 pm

Just saw you posted the badge from the motor door on sunday. That is 4 for 4. Cannot get better than that!

Here is some more information about the hi speed motor door from the 1934 catalog.

Note the prices in 1934 $$:
ADC53B3E-2520-428E-A749-8CB46B2B2334.jpeg

Re: JUST PURCHASED A MITCHELL NC???

by mediaed » Mon Nov 04, 2019 11:25 am

Chris,

Happy to help. Thanks for the registration-you will be getting the certificate soon as a High quality print PDF.

In the pictures from Seawood, there is a badge on the door on the opposite side from the film door. The side the motor is on.

Next. There are two stops on the camera. The first left to right from behind is the filming setting where the door finder is blocked by the extension at the front of the camera. The next is for looking through the door finder when it lines up with the lens. The stop is one of two holes on the underside of the camera the center button causes a pin to push up into the body to align the two positions.

When shooting, one uses the sidefinder aligned
with what you see through the lens and using the correct finder cam attached which will correct fairly well for parallax. Depending on the midel, the sidefinder may require a spring attached to the camera body to hold the finder to the cam. The cam focus is first set with the lens in either of the two extreme focus settings by dropping the front of the assembly.

If you look at the handcrank fitting, it is a square hole except for one side is slightly curved. This needs to be aligned with the shaft. There may be a spring ball bearing that secures the crank and require a push to snap in. You should not wack it with a hammer. If it is not a square hole, it is not the handcrank for a Mitchell.

Looks like I will need to see what my older Cinmatographers Manual has about camera operation or maybe this is the cue to make a new video.

ED.

Re: JUST PURCHASED A MITCHELL NC???

by cwstratn » Mon Nov 04, 2019 10:13 am

Hi Ed,

One more question about my Mitchell Standard camera: The camera came with a hand crack handle that appears to fit in either of two (2) slots on the right side of the camera as viewed from the rear. I have attempted to attach the handle to either of the slots. It fits, sort of, but does not go all the way in. It just sort of hangs there loose and wobbles. I'm not mechanically inclined, so my question is this: Should I attempt to use a little force such as tapping it with a rubber mallet or small ball hammer to see if it will seat properly, or should I just leave it alone for fear of doing serious damage?

Thanks again for your help!

Chris

Re: JUST PURCHASED A MITCHELL NC???

by cwstratn » Mon Nov 04, 2019 9:33 am

Ed,

Thanks for all the additional information!

You asked " Is the motor door badged the same also?" Is the "motor door on the motor or on the camera body? I removed the motor the other day as I saw Sam Dodge do in his video on the Mitchell Standard Camera. I don't recall seeing anything that I would describe as the "motor door." If you can explain what to look for, I'll definitely check for a badge number there.

"FYI: My rackover mechanism Is very smooth once I've pushed in the center button. It doesn't appear to want to go any further in either direction and comes to a hard stop when I turn the rackover handle in either direction, so the stop you mention must be in place on this camera. I suspect with the high number of 397 it is probably not one of the earlier models you speak of.( Thank goodness!)

I paid my $25to register the camera over the weekend. As I mentioned in a previous message, I've shot close-up photos of all three (3) matching badge numbers I've located on the camera. Should I send those to you for your registration records of this camera? If so, how should I send them?

Thanks again Ed for all the information and facts I've learned from your site!

Chris

Re: JUST PURCHASED A MITCHELL NC???

by mediaed » Sun Nov 03, 2019 4:06 pm

Chris,

Congrats! You have done it! Yours is a complete unit. Is the motor door badged the same also? A bonus.
The number behind the lens position is the number for the L base. No need to remove the camera from the base. Very few cameras have any numbers inside the L base housing which would require dismantling the unit and not worth any need or the effort.

But, for your information only, if your camera racks over properly, pushing in the rackover button and racking in the same motion past the viewing position slot will rack the body off (if there is an external stop on the motor side, it can be moved out of the way.) Early Standards did not have a stop and it was a hazard that camera operators did sometimes find the camera on the ground with the wrong move. GC specs mandated stops.
Best with the magazine off due to the added weight. The camera off the rails weights about 25 lbs.
When putting the camera back, you may need to do some trial and error to engage the rack gears so the T handle is flat in the shooting position. Otherwise you risk bending the rackover shaft when sitting the camera down off the tripod.

Best.

ED.

Re: JUST PURCHASED A MITCHELL NC???

by cwstratn » Sun Nov 03, 2019 1:53 pm

Ed,

On your advice, I just removed the lens at the 12:00 o'clock position and looked into the area behind it and indeed, it also has the number "397" engraved there, the same number that is on the "acorn plate" on the outside of the camera near the crank handle. Also, I opened the camera door exposing the film movement mechanism and sure enough on an area near the film gate are the engraved numbers "397." Now, it seems that I have one more place to look to be certain I have a "complete camera." Apparently, that's on the "L" base but I don't believe I have the strength to remove the camera body from the "L" base. (I'm 75 years old and not in the best of health) So, is there any way I can locate the number on the "L" base with it still attached to the camera body? I've shot close-up photos of both engraved numbers, if you need them for your records. Thanks again for your help!

Chris

Re: JUST PURCHASED A MITCHELL NC???

by cwstratn » Sat Nov 02, 2019 5:35 pm

Ed, I just looked at the listing I received just before I purchased the camera and Seawood Photo listed it as" Early Production Mitchell Cine Camera manufactured in 1939" so I guess they listened to some of the advice you gave them. They told me that at some point "someone" from Industrial Light and Magic stopped by with some old film that had been exposed to X-rays. I guess they loaded the camera and ran it, perhaps thinking the camera was an NC, the guy may have told Seawood Photo that it was. Just a guess on my part though. Seawood Photo also told me that the guy from ILM brought a diagram of the threading path with him which they photocopied and promised to give to me. Now, they say they've lost the photocopy! The camera is still has the film loaded in it, but I've not attempted to run it. I need time to study and understand the camera. I don't want to damage anything!

Thanks again for all the help and info.

Chris

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