Mitchell 16 Professional Camera ads

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Feel free to discuss any topic related to the Mitchell Camera. Both 35 mm and 16 mm models are welcomed here. Also consider posting topics of other major motion picture cameras that you feel are important to the development of the Mitchell Camera. Feel free to upload a photo from the option on each new post.
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Cinemachinery
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 8:38 am

Mitchell 16 Professional Camera ads

Post by Cinemachinery » Sat Oct 25, 2014 7:07 pm

I found this ad in the October 1953 issue of 'Film World'.

What caught my eye was the sentence saying "for the first time in history". Did it take Mitchell this long after the war to catch up with production of the 16mm camera? Or, was the 16mm camera built only after the order came in? Is there any way to know how many Mitchell 16 Professional Cameras were built?

Admin has several catalogues and brochures for this camera in the "Frequently Used Links" - "Original Brochures" folder. The 1st sales brochure is from 1946. Is that the year the 16mm camera was introduced?

In my career, I've looked at, and touched a 16 Pro Camera only once. This camera was in a Blimp. It was in the 1980s that I saw it. The camera was on a sound stage in Chicago. It was on a permanent set that was shooting a popular TV series. I was amazed at the complexity of the blimped camera. Yet, I knew the Mitchell had a steadier movement than the Arri 16SR I was usually shooting with. The Mitchell 16 was owned by the production company, and was only used to shoot the star of the show on this set. Amazing. I was amazed that this part of the show was shot on 16mm with the very slow Kodak ECO 7252 (the key light on the talent was a M-R Baby 10er). The D.o.P. of this portion of the show was an ASC member. He was the only ASC member from and living in Chicago that I knew of.

Charlie
Attachments
53-10 Mitchell 16 Pro 01.jpg

mitchellbnc
Posts: 57
Joined: Wed May 15, 2013 10:03 am

Re: Mitchell 16 Professional Camera ads

Post by mitchellbnc » Sun Oct 26, 2014 6:22 am

Interesting observations Charlie and I enjoyed reading about you personal experiences with the 16 pro.

Regards,
Theodore

Mechtec
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2017 12:45 am
Location: Switzerland

Re: Mitchell 16 Professional Camera ads

Post by Mechtec » Sat May 19, 2018 7:35 am

https://archive.org/stream/americancine ... 4/mode/2up

Found this ad, as you can see from the November issue of the American Cinematographer magazine.
1945 ad for Mitchell 16.jpg
That was an early announcement, if not the first. When the first model was sold remains to be clarified.

Mechtec
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2017 12:45 am
Location: Switzerland

Re: Mitchell 16 Professional Camera ads

Post by Mechtec » Tue Mar 05, 2019 10:16 pm

Cinemachinery wrote:
Sat Oct 25, 2014 7:07 pm
The 1st sales brochure is from 1946. Is that the year the 16mm camera was introduced?
Hi, Charlie, I went through the American Cinematographer magazine and it appears that the first Mitchell 16 were delivered in November 1946, precisely a year after initial announcement. Mitchell had invited to a presentation at the new Glendale works October, 1946. They had prepared a little set where one could shoot with the new camera.

Bell & Howell, now seriously thronged also on the small-gauge field, answered with a license that went to Germany. The result was the Arriflex 16, presented April, 1951. It was the last bigger deal of McNabb who died January 5, 1949. I admit, it’s a theory of mine, but who explains the many Bell & Howell things that constitute the Arriflex 16?

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