Pocket Movie Camera
Pocket Movie Camera
Smaller and quieter than any other 8mm movie camera.
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010 A silent-running, shirt-pocket sound movie camera developed by Steve Hines at the Kodak Research Laboratories in 1976. The design goal was to develop a pocketable movie camera to encourage filmmaking.
020 The 5-oz. Pocket Movie Camera beside the 3-lb. Kodak Ektasound 130
The smallest 8mm movie cameras available in 1976:
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| Kodak pocket sound movie camera | 040 Kodak Ektasound 130 | Agfa Microflex Sensor | Fujica P1 | Bolsey 8 | |
| Film format | frame size of Super 8 | Super 8 sound | Super 8 | Single 8 |
Standard 8 |
| Run time- min. | 3-1/3 | 3-1/3 | 3-1/3 | 3-1/3 | 2 |
| Frame rate | 15 fps | 18 fps | 18 fps | 18 fps |
16 fps |
| Shutter angle | 360° | 230° | 180° | 160° | ≈ 150° |
| Duty cycle | 100% | 63% | 50% | 44% | ≈ 42% |
| Weight, grams | 142 | 1250 | 500 | 530 | 400 |
| Volume, cu. in. | 10 | 180 | 31.5 | 31.5 | 11.1 |
| Camera operating noise | as quiet as a tape cassette player | usual chatter of intermittent film pull down | usual chatter of intermittent film pull down | usual chatter of intermittent film pull down | usual chatter of intermittent film pull down |
| Microphone | built in | external | — | — | — |
The pocket movie camera does not use the typical intermittent film pulldown or blanking shutter between frames. An internal lens cap is opened for each shot, however during shooting the camera is always exposing frames. A faceted mirror causes the image to continuously chase moving film, giving the equivalent of a 360° shutter. The sound-recording head is at the film gate, so there is no time gap between the picture and sound if edited.
| 80 The pocket movie camera uses 8mm wide, unperforated mag-striped film, similar in flexibility to audio tape. Instead of perforations to position the frame in the gate, the camera exposes an optical fiducial mark beside each frame, used by the Kodak VP-1 video film player for playback on a television. |  |
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Proof-of-concept test projector:
090 Before developing the pocket movie camera, a Super 8 non-intermittent projector was built using a faceted mirror. Viewers watched movies without the noise of an intermittent film pull down from the camera soundtrack or from the projector. |
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When the projector was operating, and when the camera was taking pictures, there was no blanking shutter to darken the picture.
100 The size is kept to a minimum by attaching the film cartridge and battery to the outside of the camera to complete the form. The quiet-running film transport made it possible for the microphone to be built in.
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| 110 The camera with film cartridge removed, showing capstan drive, film take-up drive, taking lens, shutter release, viewfinder opening and focus, film gate, and sound recording head. | 120 The battery, shutter release, flywheel, taking lens, faceted mirror, motor, speed regulator, fiber-optic viewfinder, microphone, and sound amplifier on folded flex circuit. | 130 The fiber-optic viewfinder, was twisted 180° to create an erect image for the eyepiece, and was shifted to clear parts in the camera to place the eyepiece on the center of the camera. |
Pocket Movie Camera Specifications:
- Size: fits in a shirt pocket
- Weight: 5 oz. (142 grams).
- Sound: Built-in microphone, automatic gain control.
- Taking Lens: 10mm FL, ƒ3.5.
- Film load: 3-1/3 min.
- Frame rate: 15 fps.
- Film type: un-perforated, 8mm mag-striped, capstan driven.
- The film being unperforated, reduces cost.
- Shutter angle: 360°.
- Exposure: automatic.
- Viewfinder: fiber-optic image bundle.
- Eyepiece: focusable.
- Film type and ASA: keyed to camera by film cartridge.
- Operating noise level: similar to a cassette recorder.
The pocket movie camera may not seem that small; however, to put this in context, this camera was developed in 1976 when:
- TV news was shot on 16mm B/W film.
- 5 years before the IBM PC.
- 6 years before music CD’s.
- 8 years before the first 8mm camcorder.
- 19 years before GPS navigation in cars.
- 31 years before the iPhone.
Comments:
“I was very impressed by the ingenuity that went into this device… So many clever ideas in such a small package! My hat is off to you.” Andy Baird, Oct. 3, 2019
In a meeting of the Kodak president and V.P.’s, I showed the camera to President Walt Fallon who turned to Les Quigley, VP of manufacturing and said, “I’m going to hang a picture of this over your desk”. Nov. 1976.
Why it was not put on the market:
During the camera’s development, competing video cameras were coming on the market. As a further hurdle, the pocket movie camera required a new film format. Interest in video had become too strong to create a new film format.
Once Kodak business confidential, this technology by agreement between Eastman Kodak and HinesLab is available for license from HinesLab. For any questions, please contact Steve Hines at: