ARRIFLEX 35 IIC Kamera mit BLIMP 300

  • Arnold & Richter, Munich
    1964
    SLR motion picture camera (35mm) with soundproof housing (blimp) for sound film recordings in the studio

From 1937 on, Arnold & Richter built the ARRIFLEX 35 as a handheld camera for newsreel footage.

It was the first 35mm film camera with a spinning mirror for reflex viewing. The images seen through the viewfinder were identical to those captured on film, giving camera operators control over the framing and focus of the final image.

With some improvements, the ARRIFLEX was produced well into the 1970s. These cameras, however, were unsuitable for sound cinema because of the loud noise they made when operated. To overcome this problem, a case known as a ‘blimp’ was used to cover the camera. Its handle motor had to then be replaced with a flat motor. Once the case was closed, operation was silent and a red lamp was the only indication that the camera was switched on.

This unwieldy equipment was replaced in 1972 by a new generation of 35mm cameras such as the ARRIFLEX BL 35, a production camera that could also be used to shoot hand-held sound films thanks to changes in the design of the grip system and other measures.