ARRIFLEX 16M - 'M' for magazine

Dating from 1963, the ARRIFLEX 16M was a variant 16 mm model that abandoned the internal 100-foot spool of the ARRIFLEX 16ST in favor of magazine-only functionality, with 200-foot and 400-foot options, as well as an enormous 1,200-foot magazine that lasted for more than half an hour at 24 fps.

Electrical connectivity

The 16M marked the beginning of fully integrated electrical connectivity in ARRI cameras, providing three built-in ‘Tuchel’ connectors above the power input. The lower connector supplied accessory power, the center delivered Pilotone and scene marking signals for sync sound, while the upper was an axillary output.

Electrical connections of the ARRIFLEX 16M

Hinged doors

Whereas the access panels of preceding ARRIFLEX 35 and 16ST camera bodies were completely removable, the 16M featured a hinged door - a design principle that would recur in all subsequent ARRI film cameras that offered such access. The new, slimline 200 ft mag also had a hinged door.

The hinged camera and magazine doors of the ARRIFLEX 16M

For newsgathering

Like the ARRIFLEX 16ST before it, the ARRIFLEX 16M was widely used as a newsgathering camera, valued for its rock-solid construction and ease of operation. This picture shows a cameraman from America’s National Broadcasting Company (NBC) capturing newsreel images in Red Square, Moscow.

For documentaries

We don’t know the story behind this photo, which was found buried in the ARRI archive, but it’s awesome. What better way to get up-close-and-personal footage of pelicans, and what could possibly go wrong? Strong suspicion that this camera ended up at ARRI Service with some water damage.

Or for production setups

Since no ARRI camera prior to 1972 was designed to be silent running, blimps were offered for situations that required sync-sound recording. Here an ARRIFLEX 16M is shown in an extra-large blimp that accommodated the special 1,200-foot magazine, allowing long takes for industrial, scientific, live event, or TV studio productions.