Archive for February, 2010
Vintage Model 50 fluid-damped camera head for cinematography is offered on Ebay. Mounted between the top of a tripod and a motion picture camera, it allows for smooth panning of the camera. This is an early model and still very useable. I am not a photographer, so I cannot guarantee it. However, I understand these can be factory refurbished and will last for many, many years. New models can sell for $15,000 or more! Here’s a little background.
Invented by Chadwell (Chad) O’Connor, founder of O’Connor Engineering, this product revolutionized motion picture photography. As O’Connor tried photographing moving trains, he became annoyed by the jerkiness of the pictures. To solve this problem he developed a silicon-filled platform that interfaced between the tripod and the camera to allow smooth panning and tilting of the camera. He had invented the fluid-damped camera head, a technology still utilized by top-of-the-line camera support makers worldwide. He won an academy award for it in 1992
Back in 1952, while filming near Glendale California, an enthusiast tapped him on the shoulder and asked to look through the view finder. The stranger seemed to know his way around cameras, so O’Connor gave him a chance to try the head out. The man was so impressed that he asked if O’Connor could make more for him. O’Connor agreed but said it would take time as he built them in his garage. The man said, “But I need it right away. Oh, by the way, my name is Walt Disney.” He then ordered 10 more. The meeting turned into a life-long friendship, a new direction in O’Connor’s life – and a new chapter in movie-making history. Compliments of Disaster Recovery Supply.
Click here for my Ebay Listing where you’ll find more pictures.
Disaster Recovery Supply has introduced a New Product into it’s website for people that have a problem keeping track of their glasses. Sunglasses conveniently keep sunglare out of a wearer’s eyes and improve a wearer’s visibility for such tasks as driving and playing sports. However, when a wearer enters a dimly lit building, or when nightfall arrives, the wearer must search for a place to put his sunglasses. It is also common for a wearer to take his sunglasses off during an activity, set them down on a convenient nearby surface, and forget about them later on. This forgetful habit leads to millions of sunglasses being lost annually and also necessitates that the absent-minded wearers continually purchase new sunglasses. This cycle of losing sunglasses and having to purchase new ones can become expensive, as many quality brands of sunglasses cost over one hundred dollars.
One solution to this problem is for the wearer to place his sunglasses into a pants or shirt pocket until they are needed again, but pocket articles such as keys, or even the coarse fabric of many pants pockets can lead to scratching of sunglass lenses. Another solution is to place a pair of keepers for retaining a pair of sunglasses upon a headwear article, such as a baseball cap, for example. A baseball/golf style hat common throughout the world with a design featuring two small straps on each side of the cap for your sunglass stems. Then a front magnetic strap which secures your glasses to your hat! It has a pre-curved bill with an adjustable Velcro back. To see a video demonstration, just click here!