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Mitchell bottom

Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2017 9:34 am
by lilybettina1
So why doesn't my Standard Mitchell #146 rack fully across? A cracked base.. At some time the poor thing had been dropped on it's back corner bending it upwards and thus the camera body sticks half way across. Oh well, the camera it still looks fine even if I can't critical focus. A repair job would probably fix the problem, but that can wait for another day.

Re: Mitchell bottom

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 11:39 am
by marop
Ooooh, too bad. Do you know who owned this camera? I could look up who the first buyer was if you don't already know. Does it have the special effects options, matte wheel, floating iris, etc.? Care to share any other Photos?

Mark

Re: Mitchell bottom

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:19 am
by lilybettina1
Hello Mark, first owner was RCA/RKO 1928, but it's been through a few owners since that date and converted in the UK to animation (but it still has it's iris wheel and matte panels). I've since restored the camera back to it's original 'look' , apart from the rack over.

Re: Mitchell bottom

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 8:35 am
by marop
Great looking camera! Thanks for sharing the photo. A lot of the cameras were converted. In the case of BNCs, a lot of the main part of the camera, the main housing of the movement, went overseas, I think mostly Japan, for animation. Also the Cinema Products company used a lot of the same part of the Mitchell's to make their own Blimp Camera. I read one guys comment on a this blog that he was amazed that these machines survived. I have a Bell & Howell camera that was last used in the 1990's for rotoscoping. Amazing!

Re: Mitchell bottom

Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2017 2:22 am
by lilybettina1
The cracks can be seen clearly here, around the circle at 12 o'clock ten o'clock and across at 9 o'clock on the edge. Note the serial number 146. This is an early Standard Mitchell.