Bell and Howell 2709 Model D 35mm cine camera
- Made:
- 1912-1958 in United States
- maker:
- Bell & Howell
Bell and Howell 2709 Model D 35mm cine camera, serial No. 1199, 1912-1958. With lens turret bearing three lenses, a standard film magazine and bi-pack film magazine.
The Bell and Howell 2709 was the first all-metal, commercially available 35mm motion picture camera, first produced in 1912. The body was machined from cast aluminum and incorporated register pins for superior image stability. It was also the first camera with a four lens turret and featured a rack over viewing system that enabled precise framing and critical focusing.
The 2709 soon dominated the market long held by the Pathé Studio (quickly relegated to second camera work), and by 1919, nearly 100 percent of the camera equipment used to make movies in Hollywood was manufactured by Bell & Howell. Because of its relatively high price tag at the time, Bell & Howell's 2709 became the camera that studios purchased, rather than individuals (although Charlie Chaplin owned one).