Vintage, Vietnam-era camera gun

This fantastic movie camera with a rifle stock was apparently made for a Vietnam War reporter, and one can only wonder why: while it perhaps makes sense as a stabilizer, you'd think it would behoove the embededded film journalist to not look like he's packing when the Viet Cong suddenly pop up from their sub-cthonic burrows.

Either way, it is absolutely gorgeous. It's up for sale on eBAy right now for about $1,318. As the lyrical maestros over at Born Rich explain: "No doubt, the gun is a notion synonymous to death, but a movie camera in the shape of a gun is really a pleasing idea." It sure is, you guys. Nuff said!

Paillard Bolex H9 Mi Gun outfit [eBay via Born Rich]

[#1 posted by joncro , January 28, 2009 4:51 AM]

http://i.cnn.net/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i34/PeepingTom_WP_1024x768_081120051506.jpg

[#2 posted by ryuthrowsstuff , January 28, 2009 8:25 AM]

Nikon made (at some point) SLRs decked out like sniper rifles for long zoom applications. I wasn't able to find a link unfortunately, but I remember the things looking even more gun like than this.

[#3 posted by btb , January 28, 2009 10:10 AM]

I think this was for an army reporter. They'd be wearing fatigues and they'd have a sidearm, so the style of camera is sorta moot.

[#4 posted by Anonymous , January 28, 2009 12:02 PM]

There is a similar shotgun form-factor early still camera at the German Technical Museum in Berlin.

I had been planning to link to it after a recent post that mentioned a "pistol grip"-style video camera but never got around to it. :-)

I can't imagine why this form factor isn't more popular.

--Phil.

[#5 posted by Anonymous , January 28, 2009 3:19 PM]

Russian companies produced quite a few SLRs mounted on rifle-grips with specially-adapted shutter releases. They provide an excellent way of using long lenses without having to resort to a tripod, they allow you to remain mobile and still have a reasonably steady support - this is excellent in war photography and indeed they were originally designed for military use (particularly trench warfare) , although they found application in wildlife and sports photography.

http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/fs12/

I imagine the principals are much the same in this case, giving the photographer steadier, more professional footage in a situation where a tripod would be impossible. From my limited knowledge the Vietcong rarely distinguished between embedded journalists and soldiers anyway so the journalist wouldn't really be any safer without it.

[#6 posted by Anonymous , January 29, 2009 6:38 PM]

That's just a normal Bolex with some sort of custom gun stock/trigger mounted to the tripod thread. Looks cumbersome.

[#7 posted by Anonymous , January 30, 2009 10:48 AM]

Here's a more modern look at the same idea.

http://www.bushhawk.com/

[#8 posted by reflex , January 31, 2009 1:25 PM]

Born Rich found this on Retro Thing, where Bohus mentioned that he owns two of these. The "Vietnam reporter" bit in the eBay description is a complete fabrication. The true intent of these stocks was to allow "run and gun" wildlife photography with long and heavy telephoto lenses.

I suspect they were also popular for covert surveillance as well. They would have enabled decent images at long range before the invention of optical stabilizers, without the need for a cumbersome tripod.