Bell and Howell 70 DR 16mm cine camera: Neil Davis, Australian War Correspondent

Bell and Howell 70 DR 16 mm vertical format camera with a steel body finished in a gray crackle paint.

The front of the camera features a rotating circular lens turret plate with three screw mounted recording lenses (an Angenieux f=10 1:1.8, Retrofocus R21 lens; a Taylor, Taylor & Hobson Ltd (England) Cooke Ivotal Anastigmat 1 inch f= 1.4 lens; and a Dallmeyer 2 inch, f /1.lens), keyed to a smaller circular three lens viewfinder plate. Each main lens is tinted blue.

The right hand side of the camera features a large intregral winding key for the clockwork motor; and above this, a wheel for setting the exposures per second rate (seven speeds from 8 fps to 64 fps); and a circular film counter dial, marked 0 to 90 feet. This side also carries the exposure button. The body serial number 'AB95861' is impressed onto this side.

The left hand side carries the tubular sight for the viewfinder. An adjustable circular plate at the back of the viewfinder allows the user to choose between ranges from 3 feet to 4,5,7,10, and 50 feet to infinity. Two large chrome plated circular clamps can be turned to release the film door and give access to the two film spindles and the film gate. There is one empty film spool on the lower spindle. The interior of the door is marked with the mechanism serial number '70281'.

The camera has a brown leather hand strap on its lower side; the body flattens on the base, allowing for the fitting of a tripod.

Bell and Howell 70 DR 16mm cine camera used by Australian war correspondent and photographer Neil Davis who was killed in Bangkok in 1985. This camera was manufactured from the early 1950s until at least the mid 1970s and operated from strong spring motor. Neil Davis was using this model of camera when he was working for the ABC in 1961, but this example is unlikley to be the same one.