1923 ad for the famous ICA Kinamo 35mm movie camera introduced in 1924
Toronto. In April, 1923 this ad appeared in the American Cinematographer. ICA in Germany announced its 35mm (standard film) Kinamo camera – the smallest movie camera of the time. The Kinamo was designed for both professionals and (advanced) amateurs, hence its use of a strip of 35mm film.
The camera used the famous Zeiss Tessar lens calculated at f/3.5 and 4cm focal length. The lens would be slightly long focus for a single frame camera such as the Kinamo (still 35mm cameras to come a decade later would use a double frame making a 4cm lens slightly wide-angle)
This was on the eve of the formation of Zeiss Ikon which folded in many German camera makers including ICA. Zeiss Ikon was given the task of rationalizing the mighty German camera industry which had begun to cannibalize its retail sales (too may cameras of similar design chasing too few customers).
Thanks to good friend and fellow PHSC member, George Dunbar, for sourcing and sharing this advertisement from nearly a century ago when such cameras as the Kinamo were high quality mechanical marvels.
The name of this post is a riff on the famous call of “Hi-Yo Silver” by the Lone Ranger. I used to listen to a radio broadcast with my friend at his house after school.
