Tag Archives: film

four flasher

Posted on January 28, 2022 by Robert

Toronto.  … or more than one way to skin a cat (sorry cat fanciers). In the February 1941 issue of Popular Mechanics, a filler article suggests using two  special synchronizers for a Graphic camera to quadruple the light output over … Continue reading →

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read da fine print, dummy

Posted on January 27, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. The February, 1941 issue of Popular Mechanics came out when I was a little kid still figuring out when to use a spoon (not really). Six years later, I took a bus ride with the rest of my grade … Continue reading →

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the Graflex of movie cameras

Posted on January 25, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Professional camera men in Hollywood for the most part used Mitchell cameras. The Mitchell was to Hollywood cameramen like a Graflex camera was to newshounds – Fully professional and a sturdy work horse. In 1922, when silents were still … Continue reading →

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the jig’s up

Posted on January 24, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. My good friend, George Dunbar, spotted this 1947 ad by Kodak portraying Mr Hitler dancing an inappropriate jig in 1940 during the fall of France. George high-lighted one line in the advertisement which proclaimed, “with unique reality and objectivity”. … Continue reading →

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will that be 8 or 16?

Posted on January 18, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Bell & Howell was a respected name in Hollywood movie equipment. For home movies, they used the “Filmo” brand. In the March 1940 issue of Popular Mechanics, B&H advertised both the 8mm and the 16mm versions of their Filmo … Continue reading →

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a rose by any other name

Posted on January 14, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. One of the earliest ambitions of film makers was to expand their film’s sensitivity spectrum down to the reds. By the mid 1930s when Agfa-Ansco made this film, yellows, greens through near violet blues could be captured. Such a … Continue reading →

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catching the fire light just right

Posted on January 9, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. I remember taking photos of fireworks one summer many years ago using 35mm colour slide  film and bracketing my shots. I was surprised when the film was processed and the fireworks were captured – with some burnt out highlights … Continue reading →

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a neater meter

Posted on January 7, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. One area of photography that absolutely demanded consistency in exposure was movies. Any unexpected exposure shift between scenes or reels was obvious and annoying to theatre goers, especially those who paid hard earned money for the movie experience. Weston … Continue reading →

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how to introduce a new revolutionary product

Posted on December 31, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. Leitz, a few years earlier, taught photographers the virtues of an enlarged small negative to introduce their novel little camera with small negatives. Traditionally, much larger cameras were used. The camera size determined the size of the final print … Continue reading →

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keeping an eye out for Hirohito and Adolf

Posted on December 28, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. When I was a little kid, WW2 was still active. I remember one little toy made of wooden pieces. When the strings were pulled, Tojo (Japanese PM in WW2) and Hitler took swings at each other. While America considered … Continue reading →

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