American Cinematographer - December 1950 - 8

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NEW 1950 EDITION!
Added supplements contain data on
magnetic sound recording, latensification process for films; use of transluc¬
ent photo backgrounds; color processes
for motion pictures; infra red photog¬
raphy; television photography - plus
hundreds of ready reference tables es¬
sential for every day photographic use.
Here is the only handbook that provides in
convenient form the basic facts concerning
cinematographic methods, materials and
equipment. Its 310 pages, beautifully
leatherette bound, contain 219 charts, plus
numerous illustrations and graphic descrip¬
tions.
In no other book will the cameraman find
charted in concise form such data as:
* LENS STOP CALCULATOR-shows 1/4,
V2, 3/4, and 1 stop opening or closing
from any given f/ value.
* CAMERA SETUPS - gives distance from
lens to subject for normal size figures
for lenses of various focal length.
* LENS ANGLES - Horizontal and vertical
angles by degrees as obtained by lenses
of various sizes.
* CLOSEUP DIAPHRAGM CALCULATOR-
Shows changes in effective aperture for
the measured light value when shooting
small subjects at close range.
* LIGHTING EQUIPMENT -all kinds anal¬
yzed and described.
* DEPTH OF FOCUS - for most all lenses.
* EXPOSURE METER COMPENSATOR-
shows how to get correct meter reading
of key light to obtain equal negative
density values for all lens stops.
THESE ARE ONLY A FEW of the 219 charts
contained in this valuable book.
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412

AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER

PHOTOG

UPHY

★★★★★★★★★★★■*:★★★★★★★★★★★

DURING THE YEAR, natural daylight
varies 50 percent in its color, due to
variation in the altitude of the sun.
Effect of the sun's altitude on daylight
has been studied by R. H. Bingham and
Dr. Herman Hoerlin, research scien¬
tists at Ansco Laboratories, Binghamton,
N. Y., to determine the effects of the
changing color of daylight on the indi¬
vidual layers of color film. Results
showed a very close relationship be¬
tween the color of light and the angle
of the sun above the horizon, and that
sunny daylight varies 50 percent in its
blue content relative to red content, due
to altitude variation. The color change
was found to be equivalent to a tem¬
perature variation from 53°° K t0
6500 K.
*

emulsion or support side. Velvet mois¬
tened with carbon tetrachloride will
hold the film at a constant charge when
rubbed on the emulsion side; but when
it is rubbed on the support side, the film
is almost completely discharged and thus
less likely to attract dust particles.
*
A COLOR FILM exposed at 3,000 frames

per second was recently demonstrated
in England by the British ThomsonHouston Company. This high speed ex¬
posure-unusual for color film emul¬
sions-was made possible by the develop¬
ment of a new form of mercury cadmium
quartz lamp which can be overloaded
to give for a few seconds a greater light
intensity than anything achieved hereto¬
fore.

A NEW TECHNIQUE for photographing

A DESK-TYPE FILM EDITING and main¬

the heart, which makes it possible for
the first time to see heart action slowed
down 153 times, has been developed by
the Institute of Medical Research of
Los Angeles. The new technique is con¬
sidered a major contribution to the study
of rhythm and contraction of the heart
and accomplished with a high speed mo¬
tion camera. As many as 20 lamps are
used to furnish illumination of 1,200,000
foot candles. The heart is photographed
on 16mm. color film at a speed of 3,000
frames per second.

tenance machine has been developed in
England that affords both sound and
vision check of films, similar to the
American Moviola. Tradenamed the
"Electrowinda," the film reels lie flat
on the table. The projected picture is
7 inches wide by 5 inches deep. Appara¬
tus is geared to run the film through in
either direction and is controlled by
variable-speed, knee-operated controls.
Speed range is from "dead slow" up to
750 feet per minute. Amplifier and
speaker units are mounted on the back
of the desk and flanked by useful desk
space. A jack is provided for use of ear¬
phones.

In a separate process, impulses of the
heart action are recorded on a cathode
ray oscilloscope and photographed. Re¬
sulting film is projected simultaneously
with the heart film so that the viewer
may see and study the living, pulsating
heart and its impulses.
*

attracted to motion
picture film when it becomes charged
with static electricity, have long been
the enemy of the motion picture camera¬
man, film laboratory technician and pro¬
jectionist. Now new apparatus and tech¬
niques developed by Eastman Kodak
Company measure accurately the elec¬
trostatic charge, enabling researchers to
study properties of various materials
used in film rollers and to what extent
these tend to electrify film. Ultimate
result will be to so design motion pic¬
ture equipment that static will be elimi¬
nated entirely.
DUST

PARTICLES,

Laboratory studies show that dry vel¬
vet, for example, does not appreciably
change the charge of Eastman Plus-X
negative film when rubbed on either the
DECEMBER, 1950

*

A COMPLETELY MOBILE underwater mo¬

tion picture camera, independent of air
supply and electric cables, has been de¬
veloped by the U. S. Navy. Camera is
so designed that it can be completely
operated from the outside, with external
controls for the lens diaphragm, focus
and start-stop switch. It has detach¬
able wings and a vertical rudder which
aid in transporting and stabilizing the
camera underwater. The wings act as
a planing surface so that the diverphotographer can sight on his target
through the viewTnder, kick his flippered
feet and guide himself by tilting and
banking the camera similar to a plane
in the air. Weight of camera is about
107 pounds out of the water and can
be adjusted to have either positive, nega¬
tive or neutral boyancy under water.
It is believed there are important appli¬
cations of the camera also in the fields
of industrial and television films.
American Cinematographer - December 1950

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