Mekel 300 Instant Analysis Camera

marketed in 1985 (1)

manufactured since 1985 until 198?

production: ?

Polavision Phototape Cassettes (2)

lens: C-Mount type interchangeable lenses

viewfinder: single-lens reflex with adjustable eyepiece

viewfinder information: correct exposure signal (green LED), not enough light signal (red LED), too much light signal (yellow LED)

exposure: auto exposure control; TTL Exposure Metering

film speed: auto for 711 and  718 Polavision phototapes cassettes (3)

CCA filter: not built-in 85A filter

filming speed: variable speed, 4 to 300 fps (4)

shutter opening angle: rottary shutter, 90º angle exposure equivalent (5)

film transport: intermittent pin-resgistered film transport (6)

handle: detachable pistol grip for handheld use

film counter: film % used indicator (LED display on the back of the camera)

power source: 28 V DC (+/-4 V) (7) \ 1 x 9 V alkaline battery for film % used meter

weight: 2700 g

dimensions: 120 x 200 x 230 mm

tripod socket: 1/4" + 3/8"

chassis: vinyl covered, sheet aluminium panels

made in Usa by Mekel Engineering (8)

• Second high-speed Super 8 movie camera.
• (1) Journal of Automatic Chemistry, Volume 7, Number January-March, 1985, pages 50-56.

• (2) Polaroid Polavision is a instant film system. The film is same as Super 8 film, but with a diferent cartridge. Polavision phototape cassette have the following characteristics in common: film width: 8 mm; film length: 38.5 feet; frame size: 4.2 x 5.7 mm; frames per cassette: 2800; packaged in sealed cassette; Polavision phototape cassette requires Polaroid Polavision Player for development and viewing: you could watch your film 90 seconds after shooting. Development process automatically occurs when phototape cassette is inserted into Polaroid Polavision Player the first time.

• (3) Automatic exposure control for Polaroid Polavision phototapes cassettes, type 617 (reversal panchromatic film, 125 ASA) and 618 (reversal color film, 25 ASA). ''When a cassette is inserted, a keying device automatically sets the exposure control system for the speed of the dfilm being used" (text from owner's manual).

• (4) Approximately 10 sec at 300 frames per second; 2 min 35 sec at 18 fps.

• (5) "The rotary shutter has two fixed 45º angle apertures located 180º apart. It rotates at 1/2 the frame rate, so each aperture provides the equivalent exposure of a shutter with a single 90º angle aperture. As the shutter is open 1/4 of the time that each frame is in the film gate, exposure time (or shutter speed) equals the reciprocal of 4 x frame rate. Example: 1/1200 second at 300 frames per second" (text from owner's manual).

• (6) ''The intermittent pin-registered film transport holds the film stacionary during exposure; it ensures frame-to-frame registration and sharp images. Detail is clearly visible in examination of single frames'' (owner's manual).

• (7) 7-pin plug for electric connection.

• (8) In 1972 Mekel Engineering designeed other high-speed camera for Super 8 film, the VIC SP-1, but it was distributed in Usa by Visual Instrumentation Corporation and in Europe by Weinberger Deutschland GmbH.

• Some scientific studies were filmed with the Mekel 300, the VIC SP-1 or the Kodak Analyst and the film was analyzed frame-by-frame with projectors as Lafayette Analyzer.