We are pleased to offer a special and Rare collectible camera.
This Camera will find a place in the home of a discriminating
collector of rare Cine Cameras!
RCA
Model PR-25
16mm Optical Sound On Film Camera
Motion Picture Camera
with 25mm lens
Only the items mentioned above are included in the offer.
The
RCA PR-25
is a rare and historically significant 16mm optical sound-on-film camera, first introduced in 1934. Only about 50 units were ever produced, making it a collector's item. It was marketed to amateur filmmakers, bringing synchronized sound within their reach just a few years after Hollywood adopted the technology.
History and development
A historical first: The RCA Victor Sound 16mm camera was the first commercially available 16mm sound-on-film camera for the amateur market.
End of an era: Production was halted due to World War II, bringing an early end to the camera's run.
Successor: The design was later adapted by former RCA engineers who formed the Berndt-Maurer Corporation and developed the popular Auricon camera, which became the standard for 16mm sync-sound newsgathering.
Key features
Optical sound recording: The camera captured synchronized sound directly onto the film strip using an optical system. This employed a variable area soundtrack created by a battery-operated lamp and a vibrating mirror attached to a diaphragm.
was uniquely capable of recording sound in two modes: "Newsreel Sound" and "Studio Sound," indicating different methods of optical sound recording.
Camera motor noise: The built-in motor, while eliminating the need for manual winding, could be picked up by the microphone, and recorded onto the soundtrack.
Lenses and focusing: The camera was equipped with a three-lens C-Mount turret and a critical focusing device. The specific models of C-Mount lenses included in one