Arriflex 35

Arriflex 35 is a historic family of 35 mm motion-picture cameras developed by the German manufacturer Arnold & Richter Cine Technik, commonly known as ARRI. The original camera was introduced in 1937 and is generally described as the first reflex 35 mm production camera. Its importance came from combining a relatively compact handheld form with a through-the-lens viewing system, allowing an operator to see an image corresponding closely to the frame being recorded while the camera was running. The camera's defining mechanism was a rotating, twin-bladed mirror shutter, often called a butterfly shutter. Designed by ARRI chief engineer Erich Kästner, the mirror system had been invented in 1931 and was positioned at an angle to the lens axis. During the exposure cycle, the mirror alternated between reflecting the lens image toward the viewfinder and allowing light to reach the film. This arrangement substantially reduced the parallax and framing problems associated with earlier motion-picture cameras that used separate optical viewing paths. The viewfinder could flicker while the camera operated, but the operator received a direct and useful representation of the recorded composition. The first Arriflex 35 was conceived as a newsreel and handheld camera. It used a three-lens rotating turret with Arri standard mounts and accepted 200-foot and 400-foot film magazines. A downward-facing direct-current motor also served as a handgrip, reinforcing the camera's portability. Later third-party motor arrangements placed the motor beside the body, producing a lower and more compact configuration that was easier to mount on conventional supports and to enclose in a sound blimp. The camera acquired particular historical importance during and after the Second World War. Small 200-foot configurations were used by German military film units for battlefield documentation, weapons-effect analysis, training material, and propaganda production. Captured examples were brought to the United States by the U.S. Army during the 1940s and influenced American camera development, including the nearly similar Cineflex PH 330. Arriflex cameras were also used to record material associated with the Nuremberg Trials. The first American feature film reported to have used a captured Arriflex 35 was Dark Passage, directed by Delmer Daves. ARRI developed the platform through several generations. The Arriflex 35 II appeared in 1946, followed by the IIA in 1953, the IIB in 1958, and the IIC in 1963. These revisions improved the film gate, shutter, viewing system, lens arrangements, and operating flexibility. The IIC became especially influential because its larger ground glass and movable viewfinder supported more demanding production work, including anamorphic photography with a de-squeezed viewing image. It became a standard tool for many cinematographers and was adapted for Panavision-compatible work, including use on Star Wars: A New Hope. The Arriflex 35 III, introduced in 1979, added a registration pin, crystal-controlled motor options, a brighter orientable viewfinder, and a wider range of shutter settings. The IIIC variant followed in 1982 with a single PL mount, a crystal-sync handgrip motor, and forward-and-reverse running capability. Although later models were less widely adopted than the IIC, the overall family remained valuable for specialized work, including handheld, Steadicam, motor-only-sync, effects, and unusual camera-movement sequences. Individual Arriflex 35 cameras continued to appear in productions decades after their introduction, including reported use of the IIC in the 2010s. The Arriflex 35 is no longer a contemporary mainstream camera platform in the digital era, but it remains an important milestone in cinematography. Its reflex viewing architecture, compact mechanical design, lens flexibility, and robust serviceability helped establish ARRI as a leading motion-picture camera manufacturer and influenced the operating conventions of later film cameras.

The Arriflex 35 originated at Arnold & Richter Cine Technik, the German camera manufacturer known as ARRI. Its central technical idea was a reflex viewing system based on a rotating twin-bladed mirror shutter. Erich Kästner, ARRI's chief engineer, designed the mirror arrangement, which had been invented in 1931 and was later incorporated into a production camera. By reflecting the lens image into the viewfinder during part of the shutter cycle and exposing the film during the remainder, the system gave the operator a view closely matching the recorded frame. This eliminated the substantial parallax associated with many earlier camera designs, although the rotating mirror caused visible flicker in the viewfinder during operation. ARRI introduced the original Arriflex 35 at the Leipzig Trade Fair in 1937. It was intended as a handheld newsreel camera and used a three-position turret carrying Arri standard lens mounts. The camera accepted 200-foot and 400-foot magazines. Its direct-current motor was mounted below the body and also functioned as a handgrip, a configuration that supported mobile filming but could require specialized support equipment. Later flat-base motor systems, including units associated with Cine 60, placed the motor vertically beside the camera body. These arrangements lowered the camera profile and made tripod mounting and sound blimping easier. The camera's wartime history contributed to its reputation. Arriflex 35 cameras with smaller 200-foot loads were used by German military film units for battlefield intelligence, weapons-effect assessment, training films, and propaganda productions. Captured cameras were taken to the United States by the U.S. Army in the 1940s. There they served as technical references and helped inspire the almost identical Cineflex PH 330. Arriflex cameras were also used in connection with filming at the Nuremberg Trials. Dark Passage, directed by Delmer Daves, is identified as the first American feature film to use a captured Arriflex 35. The first major revision, the Arriflex 35 II, appeared in 1946. It retained the three-lens turret and supported 400-foot magazines while using a revised pull-down mechanism. ARRI began importing the model into the United States in 1947, expanding the camera's presence in American production. The IIA followed in 1953 with a stronger steel film gate and a 180-degree shutter made possible by an improved cardioid cam movement. The IIB, released in 1958, reduced the shutter angle to 165 degrees and improved the viewfinder. ARRI introduced the Arriflex 35 IIC in 1963. Its larger ground glass and movable viewfinder made it more useful for demanding compositions, while its viewing arrangements supported anamorphic work and allowed operators to see a de-squeezed image. Early cameras used three standard mounts; later examples could be supplied with bayonet mounts, and many older bodies were subsequently converted to single hard fronts with PL mounts. The IIC became one of the most important versions in the family. Stanley Kubrick used one on A Clockwork Orange, and a Pan Arri adaptation with a Panavision-compatible mount was used on Star Wars: A New Hope. Individual IIC cameras remained in service for decades, including reported use on Savages in 2012. The Arriflex 35 III arrived in 1979 as a successor to the IIC. It incorporated a registration pin for improved film steadiness, a crystal-controlled motor for more stable frame rates, and a brighter orientable viewfinder. Its shutter could be adjusted from 15 to 135 degrees in 15-degree increments, with additional settings available using a special key. Magazine options included designs compatible with earlier IIC equipment, as well as larger and lighter configurations for the III family. The Arriflex 35 IIIC followed in 1982. It dispensed with the turret in favor of a single PL mount and paired this with a crystal-sync handgrip motor capable of forward and reverse running across a stated 5-to-50-frame-per-second range. It was less commercially successful than the IIC, but examples were used on productions including GoldenEye, The Fifth Element, and Jarhead. Across its life, the Arriflex 35 platform remained useful for scenes that did not require synchronous sound, sometimes described as motor-only-sync work. Its relatively compact body and broad accessory ecosystem also made it suitable for Steadicam and other unusual camera movements. Although digital cinematography displaced most 35 mm production cameras, surviving Arriflex 35 bodies continued to be used for specialist work and remained historically significant as a foundation of modern professional cinema-camera design.

• 1982

  Arriflex 35 IIIC released

  [1]Arriflex 35en.wikipedia.org

  The IIIC adopted a single PL mount and a crystal-synchronous motor with forward and reverse operation.

• 1979

  Arriflex 35 III introduced

  [1]Arriflex 35en.wikipedia.org

  The III added crystal motor control, registration-pin film transport, a brighter orientable viewfinder, and adjustable shutter settings.

• 1963

  Arriflex 35 IIC introduced

  [1]Arriflex 35en.wikipedia.org

  The IIC added a larger ground glass and movable viewfinder and became the most influential version of the classic platform.

• 1958

  Arriflex 35 IIB released

  [1]Arriflex 35en.wikipedia.org

  The IIB reduced the shutter angle to 165 degrees and improved the viewing system.

• 1953

  Arriflex 35 IIA introduced

  [1]Arriflex 35en.wikipedia.org

  The IIA added a stronger steel film gate and a 180-degree shutter.

• 1946

  Arriflex 35 II released

  [1]Arriflex 35en.wikipedia.org

  The second-generation model revised the camera mechanism and retained the turret-based lens configuration.

• 1937

  Original Arriflex 35 introduced

  [1]Arriflex 35en.wikipedia.org

  ARRI presented the first Arriflex 35 at the Leipzig Trade Fair as a handheld newsreel camera and the first production 35 mm camera with a practical reflex viewing system.

• 1931

  Reflex mirror-shutter concept developed

  [1]Arriflex 35en.wikipedia.org

  ARRI chief engineer Erich Kästner developed the rotating mirror reflex principle that later became the defining technology of the Arriflex 35.

A professional 35 mm cinema-camera platform emphasizing reflex viewing, portability, mechanical reliability, interchangeable lenses, and suitability for handheld, effects, and specialized motion-picture work.

• 35 mm reflex motion-picture camera · 1937

  Arriflex 35

  The original 1937 camera used a three-lens rotating turret, Arri standard mounts, 200-foot and 400-foot magazines, and a downward-mounted DC motor that also served as a handgrip. It established the Arriflex family's compact reflex format and was designed for newsreel and handheld production.

• 35 mm reflex motion-picture camera · 1946

  Arriflex 35 II

  Released in 1946, the Arriflex 35 II retained the three-standard-mount turret and supported 400-foot magazines. Its revised pull-down mechanism and subsequent American distribution helped extend the platform's adoption in professional film production.

• 35 mm reflex motion-picture camera · 1953

  Arriflex 35 IIA

  The 1953 IIA strengthened the film gate with a steel construction and used a more efficient cardioid cam movement to support a 180-degree shutter. It was a mechanical refinement of the established Arriflex 35 II design.

• 35 mm reflex motion-picture camera · 1958

  Arriflex 35 IIB

  Introduced in 1958, the IIB reduced the shutter opening to 165 degrees and incorporated viewfinder improvements. The model continued the turret-based configuration while refining exposure and operating characteristics.

• 35 mm reflex motion-picture camera · 1963

  Arriflex 35 IIC

  The IIC, launched in 1963, featured a larger ground glass and movable viewfinder. It supported anamorphic photography with de-squeezed viewing and became a widely used professional camera. Later examples could use bayonet or PL-mount conversions, and specialized Pan Arri versions supported Panavision-compatible lenses.

• 35 mm reflex motion-picture camera · 1979

  Arriflex 35 III

  The Arriflex 35 III succeeded the IIC in 1979. It introduced a registration pin, crystal-controlled motor options, a brighter orientable viewfinder, and a shutter adjustable through a broad range. Its magazine system included both inherited and newly developed capacities.

• 35 mm reflex motion-picture camera · 1982

  Arriflex 35 IIIC

  The IIIC, released in 1982, replaced the turret with a single PL mount and offered a crystal-sync handgrip motor with forward and reverse running. It was less successful than the IIC but remained in specialist use on later film productions.

1. 1Arriflex 35en.wikipedia.org