by mediaed » Wed Jun 12, 2019 1:02 pm
My understanding if this term BNC relates to the base NC camera.
The NC was the outcome of a less noisy camera designed for Westinghouse newsreel operations which became the "news(reel) camera" or NC.
When studios asked for a Mitchell design to replace the add-on blimps made in-house or available from other manufacturers like Raybee and Houeston/Fearless, the camera to modify was the less noisy NC.
Hence, in typical Mitchell company internal descriptive fashion, the result was going to obviously be named the BLIMPED News(reel)Camera.
Would it have been better or more logical to name the NC and the BNC a "new" camera or a "noiseless" camera? Sure. But that is not how the manufacturer thought. A "new" camera would possibly obsolete the Standard still in production. A "Noiseless" camera was not really noiseless would tell the wrong story. Finally, the blimp was considered an added element to an existing design.
When you look at the camera in the blimp, it is very obvious it is an NC modified to use the external controls on the blimp. As this was to be a sound camera, the motors were all sync motors that conformed to the blimp mount dimensions but could be used on the NC's as well.
So, the BNC grew from an actual newscamera design but was never meant for such usage.
My understanding if this term BNC relates to the base NC camera.
The NC was the outcome of a less noisy camera designed for Westinghouse newsreel operations which became the "news(reel) camera" or NC.
When studios asked for a Mitchell design to replace the add-on blimps made in-house or available from other manufacturers like Raybee and Houeston/Fearless, the camera to modify was the less noisy NC.
Hence, in typical Mitchell company internal descriptive fashion, the result was going to obviously be named the BLIMPED News(reel)Camera.
Would it have been better or more logical to name the NC and the BNC a "new" camera or a "noiseless" camera? Sure. But that is not how the manufacturer thought. A "new" camera would possibly obsolete the Standard still in production. A "Noiseless" camera was not really noiseless would tell the wrong story. Finally, the blimp was considered an added element to an existing design.
When you look at the camera in the blimp, it is very obvious it is an NC modified to use the external controls on the blimp. As this was to be a sound camera, the motors were all sync motors that conformed to the blimp mount dimensions but could be used on the NC's as well.
So, the BNC grew from an actual newscamera design but was never meant for such usage.