An ad from the January 1954 issue of American Cinematographer…
How can you not love the Eclair Camerette (aka, Cameflex, aka CM3)…?
Like the previous two cameras I’ve highlighted in this series, it’s sturdy, light-weight, has a three-lens turret and is easily hand-holdable. What sets this French-made device apart from its American and German cousins is its singularly amazing ability to switch between 35mm and 16mm formats. In addition to its interchangeable gates, its snap-mounting magazines were also a major innovation for their time, enabling the quickest film reloads in the industry.
Though it was never fully accepted by Hollywood, the CM3 quickly became a favorite of the French New Wave and other independent filmmakers. Shooting for such celebrated directors as Jean Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut, cinematographer Raoul Coutard is perhaps most closely associated with its use. In the years to follow, Haskell Wexler, ASC and Caleb Deschanel, ASC became fond of its odd profile and maverick connotations. Both used it to capture memorable images across a wide range of major studio releases.
I’ve never had the opportunity to use the CM3 in earnest, but I did call on it to shoot some tests a few years back. Despite it sounding like a Waring blender when rolling, there is indeed a cool factor involved. I don’t know why; it just seems to heighten the experience of exposing film. Maybe it has something it do with its European roots, but for me, that’s enough testimony for any camera that debuted in 1947!
A lot of beautiful work on “The Black Stallion” was shot on Carroll Ballard’s CM3 by Caleb Deschanel!
Don’t forget the Eclair NPR. A blimped but still noisy 16mm camera favored by documentarians in the 60’s-70’s