Cinematography 



Throughout the expedition that this book describes I 

 carried a Gillon camera with me, one of the older models 

 and much too heavy for my purpose ; but it had this 

 advantage, however, that it was exceedingly strong. I had 

 with it a Zeiss-Tessar 3.4-inch lens and a Ross " Xpres " 

 6-inch lens. The negative stock I had posted out to me in 

 small lots, direct from the makers, to ensure its freshness, 

 and after exposure it was repacked and posted home on 

 the first opportunity for development. I also made a practice 

 of developing short slips cut off the ends of the rolls, to see 

 if everything was going on all right, and if my exposures 

 were correct. Invariably I used the Watkins' kinematograph 

 exposure meter, with pendulum for timing exposures, and 

 found it invaluable. 



At first I experienced some difficulty in turning the handle 

 of the camera at a uniform rate of speed, but after a little 

 practice this is easy. A good method for the novice is to 

 count out loud — one hundred and one — one hundred and 

 two, and so on, as the handle is turned ; these numbers 

 counted out in the ordinary way of speaking give the desired 

 speed of two turns or sixteen pictures to the second. A new 

 hand is apt to turn the handle too fast. 



I found it of the utmost importance to keep the rather 

 complicated machinery of the camera well oiled and clean. 

 The " gate " through which the film passes to be exposed 

 is another thing that needs constant attention to keep it 

 free from grit and other foreign matter that would scratch 

 the film. After exposing each roll I used to rub this well 

 with a lightly vaselined wash-leather, and then again with 

 a second dry piece kept for the purpose. 



The price I paid for Eastmans' perforated negative stock 



259 



