Pathé-Frères KOK 28mm Cine Camera
28mm Pathé-Frères KOK Cine Camera
The Pathe-Feres K.O.K. 28mm camera was introduced in 1912. It is equipped with a fixed focus Zeiss anastigmat lens, a built-in lens cap, a sunshade, iris diaphragm, spirit level, view finder, film length indicator, perforator for marking end of each subject, and contains two 400’ film magazines. Spools of 100, 200 and 300ft length are supplied. The camera measures 12 inches long, 6 inches wide, and 10 inches high, with a weight of 12 pounds. The advertised price of £21 included a sturdy tripod, an essential accessory for this rather heavy, bulky hand-cranked cine camera. At the time, the reversal process had not been introduced, so negative (advertised as non-inflammable) 28mm film stock was offered at 2d per foot - a 120 metre (394 foot) spool was 66/- (£3.30). The exposed spool of film was returned to Pathéscope for processing and production of a positive projection print - again at a cost of 2d per foot.
“No elaborate directions are needed. There is even an automatic indicator showing just the right speed at which to turn the crank.”
The K.O.K. 28mm cine camera was similar to the Pathé 35mm camera, designed to be hand-cranked on a tripod, like most other movie cameras of that period. On the side was a visual indicator which showed when the correct turning speed was achieved. The camera body was made of leather covered wood with a hinged front panel for access to the lens and a rear cover which opened upwards for full access to the entire film compartment. The supply and take-up spools were in enclosed metal drums to permit daylight loading. The main mechanism was mounted on a cast aluminium-alloy centre plate which divided the film compartment from the front mechanism section. Velvet covered pads held the film in engagement with the chain-driven sprockets, which unlike the projector, were symmetrical with three teeth per frame on each edge. The 28mm negative film had perforations at 5mm pitch on each edge, whilst as already mentioned, the print stock had three perforations on one side and one on the other per frame. (Incorrect threading didn't apply with the camera). It is thought that the 28mm negative camera film was in fact nitrate stock, but only the positive print on safety stock was returned to the user.
The side-by-side film loading arrangement required a partly twisted lower loop and a velvet covered guide started the film in this loop as it left the gate. Intermittent motion was provided by a claw pull-down with a single claw on either side of the film. A double cam oscillated the claw frame on its vertical guides, extending the claws on pull-down stroke and withdrawing them on the return stroke.
In the front section of the camera the driving shaft was geared to the claw and shutter mechanism and to the chain drive for the sprockets. A supplementary gear train operated both the footage counter and the centrifugal actuator of the speed indicator. A punch for marking the film was operated by a knob on the side of the front section. On top of the camera the viewfinder comprised a front diverging element with cross-lines and a rear peep sight. Near the front finder lens was a red bubble level.
The camera lens, a 45mm f4.5 anastigmat in a helical mount, carried no focussing scale. Set at its hyperfocal distance for normal use, it could be critically focussed if a screen was applied to the film gate from the film compartment.
The Pathe Kok 28mm camera was available from 1912 at the advertised price of £21 including a sturdy tripod, an essential accessory for this rather heavy, bulky hand-turned cine camera. At the time, the reversal process had not been introduced, so negative (advertised as non-inflammable) 28mm film stock was offered at 2d per foot - a 120 metre (394 foot) spool was 66/- (£3.30). The exposed spool of film was returned to Pathéscope for processing and production of a positive projection print - again at a cost of 2d per foot.
