November, 1944, The National Mall, Washington, D.C. – Our EJZ and a small group of buddies, having completed survival and tactical training on Catalina and crossed back to the East Coast by train, continue briefing at OSS offices in the Capital.
The Photobook, page 7, as well as certain outtakes related to it, show them on the National Mall practicing with the camera equipment they will be taking to China. That post includes several photos of a certain movie camera, of which this one is the clearest:
The Photobook, page 7, as well as certain outtakes related to it, show them on the National Mall practicing with the camera equipment they will be taking to China. That post includes several photos of a certain movie camera, of which this one is the clearest:
Kind friends have identified it for us as a Cunningham Combat Camera. The Imperial War Museum has a good example.
From the IWM blurb: Made from magnesium, it was a lightweight design which made it ideal for filming live combat footage. Features included special grip handles and a rifle stock which ensured it was steady enough for hand-held use in the field. It was electric-powered and ran off small batteries, had a four-lens turret and lenses robust enough for use in tough conditions.
Y.M. Cinema Magazine published several good images of this camera, such as this one:
From their article: The camera excelled in its usability and simplification. Changing the film magazine was allowed on a push of a button, and the focusing mechanism was pretty sraightforward and simplified. Choosing the frame rate was done by a convenient switch. The options were 16, 24, and 32 frames per second.
American Cinematographer has an excellent short video up describing the Cunningham and showing how it works. They flip all the switches, push all the buttons, and let the viewer look through the viewfinder.
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