ARRIFLEX 300 METER 35MM FILM MAGAZINE WITH MITCHELL MOUNT

Arriflex, Germany 1950's

Arriflex 300 meter (1,000') 35mm film magazine having a Mitchell Camera mount. With the magazine's base measuring approximately 2-3/16" wide, this magazine will fit the Mitchell NC, BNC and BNCR series of motion picture cameras.

One of Arriflex's most distinguishing features, is the shape of their 35mm and 16mm camera magazines and the particular style of magazine mount having a geared film advance. This magazine, however, appears to have been purpose-built for the Mitchell motion picture camera.

Its most distinguishing feature is the manner in which the film chamber lids are held on. Each lid's center has a locking hub with a small silver button. Depressing the button allows the hub to be rotated, retracting three internal plates that unlock the chamber's lid. Placing the lid back on and reversing the direction of the hub's rotation, re-engages the locking plates to secure the lid. Easy and quick, it represented a major improvement over Bell & Howell's and Mitchell's magazines with screw-on lids that were often difficult to align. This same locking system can be seen on a magazine mounted to a blimped Arriflex camera, featured on the Premium Beat website at:

https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/arri-100-a-century-of-cameras-gear-and-filmmaking/

The Flints Auction Ltd. website has a closed auction showing the actual 300m magazine shown here, and what appears to be two 200' magazines with the same locking system:

https://www.flintsauctions.com/lot/a-large-selection-of-various-35mm-magazines/#slide4

Another feature is the take-up spool, having a simple lever-clamp to secure the film's end. And to finish it off, the interior is lined with a thin corduroy material in a vibrant blue color.

Until now, I've never encountered an Arriflex magazine with a Mitchell base. There's no doubt that others exist, but I'm guessing relatively few were made.

Locking hub in the closed position

Locking hub in the open position (indicated by the red circles)