In light of my recent fascination with Eclair’s 1960’s-vintage ads, here’s a little love for our good friends at Arriflex. While not as stylish or clever as the French offerings, Arri is the only camera manufacturer I’m aware of to start their sales pitch with a Latin phrase. Its meaning? Let the buyer be informed.
Once again, I’m astonished at the amount of text clogging the left page; like Eclair, Arri wasn’t trying to entice the casual consumer. But while people were operating at a more reflective pace when this ad was published in June 1969, it still demanded much of the reader. Current attention spans being what they are, this approach would be unimaginable in 2024.
That said, the 16BL, like all of their products, was a true workhorse. Sturdy (read: heavy), reliable and reasonably easy to service, it was an immediate hit among newsreel and documentary cinematographers when introduced in 1965. I remember it being a pleasure to work with as an assistant cameraman, especially in comparison to the over-complicated Cinema Products CP-16, which was thankfully dying off by the time I hit the scene. One of my regular employers, New York cameraman Joe King, introduced me to his 16BL during the early ’80’s. It had an enormous amount of mileage on it, yet he never reported a problem. When he soon transitioned to the 16mm Aaton LTR, I was a little disappointed. It felt like a piece of history was being tossed aside.
The Arriflex 16BL was eventually superseded by the amazing 16SR, and the company is still thriving in today’s digital environment. Not so for Eclair, which went out of business in 1986. Cinema Products ceased operations in 2000. And Aaton closed its doors in February of this year. Cognoscat emptor? Sounds more like a case of caveat emptor to me!
I never owned a 16BL but it was the 16mm workhorse in the USAF Aerospace Audio Visual Service (AAVS) at Norton AFB (San Berdoo) while I was assigned there 1970-73. The Arri 16S was also in the equipment room. Mitchells (NC/BNC) were the 35MM camera of choice. Later at NBC News (NYC) the camera was the Auricon, followed by the CPR16 & CP16R. I found the CPR16 to be a decent tool. I believe the movement was a Mitchell but not certain of that. Thanks for the post!
Thank you for putting the spotlight on the Arriflex 16 BL. It is an awesome camera, tough and it’s gets the job done without any fluff. Just an example of great Arriflex engineering. I just purchased my second complete 16Bl with a Jensen crystal control unit for $100, getting ready to disassemble it for a body paint strip, repaint, and lubrication. These cameras will be capturing images long after we are dead and gone. Thank you Arriflex!
I loved this camera. Yes, easy to load. The blimped lens always fascinated me. The T handle was wonderful.