8mm Forum: World's Smallest Movie Camera

This is topic World's Smallest Movie Camera in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on August 13, 2014, 12:39 AM:

I will be making and shooting, and then of course hopefully projecting some 3mm film at this years AMIA conference. As a teaser I shot a very brief video of the camera running on a 9 volt battery in my office today..I actually have 2 cameras...I will probably do a longer video after the presentation since I don't want to give away too much before the conference.

3mm Movie Camera running on 9 volt battery

Posted by Pasquale DAlessio (Member # 2052) on August 13, 2014, 05:42 AM:

That's awesome Dino! Where did you find them?

Posted by Charles Peich (Member # 3791) on August 13, 2014, 09:49 AM:

Eric Berndt's 3 mm motion picture camera?

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on August 13, 2014, 10:18 AM:

And I thought that the Pathe 4.75mm widescreen duplex film was the smallest ever.

Posted by Guy Taylor, Jr. (Member # 786) on August 13, 2014, 12:10 PM:

It seems I read somewhere that a special 4mm camera was made especially for NASA years ago during the Mercury and Apollo Flights. Can't remember where I saw this; maybe someone else could elaborate.

Posted by Janice Glesser (Member # 2758) on August 13, 2014, 12:21 PM:

It's sooooo cute [Smile]

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on August 13, 2014, 12:29 PM:

Galveston, we have a solution!

quote:
One hundred years of cinema has yielded almost one hundred film gauges from 3mm to 75mm. The smallest of 3mm was developed in 1960 by Eric Berndt for NASA to be used in space flights. It had a centre frameline perforation. The largest was employed by Lumière in 1900 for large screen presentations at the Paris Exposition.

More Than One Hundred Years of Film Sizes

One and the same as the camera Dino has.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on August 13, 2014, 12:58 PM:

Wonderful Dino!

I wonder what the image will look like?

Are there any you tube videos out there of footage from one of these cameras?

Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on August 14, 2014, 01:15 AM:

Charles and Steve you are correct. It is Eric Berndt's 3mm equipment. I have all of it. 2 cameras, film slitter, film perforator, optical printer, projector, developing equipment and reels and reels of different sizes, and a small little rewind set up and some of Eric's original shot film...I am doing a whole panel on the background and history of the equipment and then will put up some videos...

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on August 14, 2014, 08:42 AM:

I look forward to seeing that!

Dino, was this system ever used by NASA?

Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on August 14, 2014, 02:42 PM:

No they didn't go for it, so it all went back into a box and Eric moved on....

Posted by Charles Peich (Member # 3791) on August 15, 2014, 08:32 AM:

Dino,

Wow, that is amazing! I had heard of this effort years ago. I'm looking forward to your 'paper' on Eric Berndt's project.

I have 2 questions, how did you end up with all the equipment? And, what size film did he start with to cut down and perf for his 3mm camera?

BTW, I like your picture holding the 3mm Berndt camera next to the 65mm Panavision. (from Indiana University Libraries)

Charlie

Posted by Charles Peich (Member # 3791) on August 15, 2014, 09:18 AM:

Dino,

Wow, that is amazing! I had heard of this effort years ago. I'm looking forward to your 'paper' on Eric Berndt's project.

I have 2 questions, how did you end up with all the equipment? And, what size film did he start with to cut down and perf for his 3mm camera?

BTW, I like your picture holding the 3mm Berndt camera next to the 65mm Panavision. (from Indiana University Libraries)

Charlie

Posted by Guy Taylor, Jr. (Member # 786) on August 15, 2014, 01:02 PM:

Dino, your collection is truly amazing.

Posted by Bryan Chernick (Member # 1998) on August 18, 2014, 10:59 PM:

What does it have for a lens?

Posted by Claus Harding (Member # 702) on August 19, 2014, 11:09 AM:

Dino,

Beautiful work as always; I'd love to see that in action.

Claus.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on August 19, 2014, 11:48 AM:

I agree with Guy. A truly amazing collection!

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on August 19, 2014, 09:57 PM:

I watched "Movietone Cinema Reel" (Derann, 200 Ft.) tonight. They paid a visit to a collector of vintage motion picture equipment.

He had a wooden box camera of pre-WWI vintage. The film came in from the supply reel, passed over the top of a driven sprocket, formed an upper loop, passed through the gate, formed a lower loop, passed the underside of the same driven sprocket and then went to the take-up reel.

I saw this and immediately thought "Eric Berndt 3mm!!"

Makes sense: I guess in both cases simplicity was the main idea.

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