Bell & Howell 200EE ad in LIFE magazinne
Toronto. If you were to believe the marketeers who wrote this ad found on page 24 of the October 8, 1956 issue of LIFE magazine, the 200EE camera is so simple a child could take perfect movies. Yeah! Right!
This 16mm camera is very technical and elaborate as the instruction book suggests. The camera speed (in FPS – frames per second) and film speed must be set; the lens focussed; a decision made to use the normal lens or two different add on lens elements to make medium wide angle or telephoto shots; and most importantly whether to use the auto aperture adjustment mechanism (based on an electric eye/motor/battery and red flag) or use a manual setting. And oh yes, do you want a movie or just a single frame?
The electric eye automation is the fresh idea that the marketeers are promoting, but the heavy, 16mm camera is far from the simple tool envisioned. Unless you are a talented photographer trained in the nuances of the art, this camera may as well be a brick!
