Jimmy Olsen's Camera

[golden]

does anyone know what kind of camera Jimmy Olsen was using in the first superman movie, the first one with

christopher reeve. i was watching it tonight, tried to make out the name but couldnt, didnt look like a canon or

nikon. could it have been a praktica?

[jonathans]

Apparently it's supposed to be a Nikon. The original(s) are on exhibit in the Superman museum in Metropolis. Check out

this link:

 

http://www.supermantv.net/messageboard/article1853.htm

 

Basically, the camera you see in many of the scenes was a (not overly accurate) balsa wood prop camera. It was used

because it weighed a lot less than the real thing. There's a photograph in the link above of the exhibit at the museum with

the balsa wood camera and a crushed Nikon, both from the movie.

[fred_c1]

It's a Nikon FTN Photomic. When I first saw the movie, didn't know the F had other versions/finders.

 

Jimmy upgraded to an FM in the next movie or so, no doubt because of the faster X-sync and the much lower

motorized weight.

[kelly_flanigan1]

Its a Speed Graphic in the old TV series

[golden]

thanks for the responses, i noticed in one scene that the camera looked large like a MF slr. then in other scenes it looked like the size of an AE1, IMO he should have just stuck with the speed graphic : ))

[patrick j dempsey]

With the prism, battery pack and power winder, the Nikon could certainly pass for a medium format camera... in fact, I'd wager it's a bit bigger than many medium format cameras.

[chuck_foreman1]

I can't remember if I've even seen this film, but the old TV series I remember.. again if the camera was a Speed Graphic then it fit the era. I suppose it's likely a newspaper reporter in a later era would be usung a Nikon F..

As long as it doesn'T look out ofplace... that said.. I've seen Speeds used in music videos and I guess they want

the effect.. despite being 50 years out of date.. it often fits for what the music videos want to show.. fame!!

[golden]

that one scene in the movie where the camera looked really large, yes it had a different prism on it, there was a name on the front of the camera, couldnt really make it out. i know it didnt say nikon, i guess that was the fake one

[golden]

well i looked at the images at the museum, great link by the way, after looking at the fake camera in the pictures, i guess that was the one i saw, i was sure it didnt say nikon but i guess i was wrong.

[richard_oleson]

They gave him a BALSA WOOD FTN? What a sissy! I'm ashamed to be related to the guy!

 

: ) =

[michel_hardy_vallee1]

The weird thing is that in one scene you can see Olsen screwing a lens in the body. Then in the next one, you can

clearly see that it's a Nikon F with Photomic.

 

Methinks they had a few different props.

[jim_bowers2]

<p>Here's the first camera Jimmy is seen using in Superman-The Movie. It is a screw mount, but I cannot identify it, nor the flash, for sure. Any ideas?</p>

<p>http://www.capedwonder.com/images/picture-folder/images/Donner-years/metropolis/city/Jimmy-Olsen-1978.jpg</p>

<p>Jim Bowers</p>

[andrewg_ny]

<p>OK, I know this is an old post; Thanks, Google!</p>

<p>The camera in the photo Jim linked to looks to me like a Praktica. Hard for me to say which one, but it's got a kind of squared off prism, a little round fastener on the front, below the film rewinder knob, and appears to have that somewhat unusual front-mounted shutter release. Looks similar to L2, MTL50, PLC3, etc.</p>