RCA Sound Camera

RCA Sound Camera

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The Kodak Collection at the National Media Museum, Bradford
Science Museum Group Collection

RCA Sound cinecamera. Cinecamera for 16mm film, 100 foot reels. Wollensak Velostigmat lens f/3.5-16, in three-lens turret, screw mount. Clockwork motor drive, 16-24 feet per second. Single sprocket and claw mechanism. Sound recording head, 4 volt 0.75 amp lamp lit from three dry cells. Level adjusting screw. Critical focusing device (under red rubber cap). Direct vision optical finder with frames for three lenses. Paralax compensated rear lens. Footage indicator working on feed spool. Light from lamp falls on recording slit via mirror fitted on 'microphone' diaphragm. Serial No 1341. RCA Victor Co Inc, Camden, NJ.

The RCA Victor sound camera ws produced for direct sound recording while filming. The sound track was recorded on the edge of the film by a beam of light from a small battery operated lamp, reflected from a small mirror attached to a diaphragm vibrated by speech from the camera operator. The camera operator could speak commentary which was recorded as a variable area sound track along the edge of the film.

Details

Category:
Cinematography
Collection:
Kodak Collection
Object Number:
1990-5036/3268
Materials:
steel (metal), leather, rubber (unidentified), white metal (unknown), plastic (unidentified) and glass
Measurements:
overall: 230 mm x 145 mm x 222 mm,
type:
cine camera
credit:
The Kodak Collection at the National Media Museum, Bradford