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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.
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