Debrie Sept 35mm Cine Camera
The Kino Hand-Camera
Sometimes referred to as the “GoPro” of the 1920’s…the Debrie Sept is a French made, clock-work motor driven camera taking 18×24mm exposures on standard 35mm film. It can be used for still pictures as well as for cine sequences. It can also be transformed into a movie projector or enlarger by adding a lamp housing.
Launched three years before the first Leica, which was widely considered the original 35mm film camera. It is one of the earliest cameras with a built-in clockwork motor drive. The Sept was a popular camera due to its small size, which was also its primary limitation as it only held 16 1/2 feet of 35mm film requiring frequent film changes.
“Mechanically, SEPT is tinker-proof—nothing to get out of order and everything enclosed in staunch metal.”
Like today’s GoPro the camera excelled as an action or crash camera. Several Septs were used in the original Ben Hur film shot in 1927. They were buried in the ground for the race scenes to shoot upward as the chariots battled overhead. The Sept was also used for the chase sequence in ‘Robin Hood’ with Douglas Fairbanks in 1922. The Sept used the leftover film or “shorts” from the principal cameras used in productions.
The camera gets its name “Sept”, for its seven functions:
As a still camera
a sequential camera for taking a rapid sequence of still pictures
a cine camera
with the attachment of a suitable light source, a still projector
a cine projector
an enlarger
and finally it could be used as a film printer.
Andre Debrie Sept Instruction Manual
“SEPT weighs only 4 pounds and is of a size to fit a large overcoat pocket- 3 x 4 x 5 inches.”
The camera used 35mm film sold in 16.5 feet rolls, or about 17 seconds of filming. Debrie also created a unique daylight loading film holder that allowed the operator to carry multiple magazines pre-loaded with 35mm film, allowing for rapid film changes. The film magazines have light traps opened from the camera exterior.
“It is run automatically which puts it in the hands instead of on a cumbersome tripod.”
Its detachable clockwork motor unit, originally square cornered, drives an intermittent sprocket transport. Later models were upgraded with a larger round top motor that ran for a longer period. Both models came with a Paris made H. Roussel 50mm f3.5 Stylor Lens. The lenses are interchangeable using a focussing helical threaded mount.
1923 Andre Debrie advertising for the Sept
The Sept sold for $225 in the 1921 Catalog.
Origin story…the Autocinephot F.A.C.T.
The camera was originally designed in Italy. Starting in 1918, Giuseppe Giovanni Battista Tartara from Turin developed a 35mm motion picture camera he called the Autocinephot FACT. It was a remarkable design that shot stills or motion up to 160 frames and originally used a hand crank. Later he added a spring wound motor.
He perfected the camera with this new clock-work motor mechanism and presented it at the Milan Fair in 1920 with a new name, the “Apparecchio Foto Cine Automatico Sept”. The camera was unique and extremely compact, which caught the attention of the French company Andre Debrie who licensed the camera and the name “Sept”. Debrie refined the camera further and introduced their Sept in 1921. It was slightly larger, included French made lenses and most importantly utilized a new daylight loading cartridge to allow quick film loads.
The original FACT is extremely rare as only about 100 examples were produced. Andre Debrie on the other hand was able to mass produce his Sept.
Based on known serial numbers, it is estimated that about 9,000 Debrie Sept’s were produced. The earliest know example is serial number A 00600 and the last is W 09410. All Septs have a letter preceding the serial number, which could indicate the year produced or a production batch code. The later the most likely explanation as the known preceding letters range from A to W indicating at least 23 batches. The models with the square motor are from A thru O and the larger rounded top motor are from P thru W.
If you have a Sept with a serial number outside this range please contact me at the link in upper left of the page.
The Sept was produced from 1921 to about 1927, indicating on average over 1,000 cameras were produced each year.
Did Debrie over estimate sales and over produce the mighty Sept? Since the camera was produced in at least 23 different batches of about 500 units each…this seems unlikely unless distributors were continuously ordering more cameras than they could sell. It has been suggested that the original price of $225 was reduced drastically to help with the over supply, but I have not yet seen any advertising from the period that supports this.
1924 and 1926 Catalogs from French seller Photo-Hall listing the Debrie Sept:
Still $225 was a high price for this model when in 1924 you could aquire Debrie’s latest professional “Interview” model for $465, which was a far more capable camera and by 1927 the Sept was no longer unique in the market so price reductions were inevitable.
Fortunatley, its not hard to find a nice Debrie Sept today, and it makes an interesting addition to any collection.
Andre Debrie Sept Catalog, 1921
“An instruction booklet with every part of SEPT illustrated and explained in diagram and with every step in the use of SEPT made plain as daylight.
A half-hour study of this booklet should make an expert of one who has never handled any camera.”
Operation
The Sept motor drive has three operating modes:
C. For cinematography.
This is the primary mode, selecting C makes the Sept a motion picture camera shooting 16fps
P. For pose.
Pose mode is stills mode, exposing one image per click of the shutter.
I. For instantaneous.
This mode is also a stills mode, but it takes a rapid sequence of still images like a modern SLR with a motor drive…only slower.
Maintenance Tips
LUBRICATING
The disc driving the Maltese cross must be always kept slightly oiled.
For lubricating:
1. Turn the indicator to “Time” exposure.
2. Open the Camera and put it upon a table, as for loading.
3. Fix the button, the shutter is open and one of the segments to be lubricated, appears before the groove aside the counter-rod.
4. Let a drop of sewing machine oil fall on the segment.
5. Disengage and fix anew the button. By this operation the lubricated segment moves away, and the next segment appears.
6. Lubricate the other segment, and do the same with the two other segments.
7. Replace the indicator to the " Cinematography" position, and let the mechanism run for a few turns.
- The mechanism is thus lubricated -
8. Wipe every part of the Camera coming in touch with the film.
