Beattie
The name Beattie appears on a variety of specialized cameras, originating from the Los Angeles, California, area. Beattie products included long-roll cameras for school and portrait photographers, data-recording cameras, and other specialized devices.
Company
The history of the two brands Coleman and Beattie is a bit unclear, as camera nameplates may indicate:
- Beattie Coleman Systems
- Beattie Photographic Products, Hollywood 38, Calif.
- [Beattie] Photographic Products Inc., Anaheim, Calif
- Beattie Coleman Inc., 1000 N. Olive St., Anaheim Calif.
- Beattie Coleman Engineering Company, Inc., Santa Ana California
- Beattie Engineering Corp., 213 Bean Ave., Los Gatos Calif.
- Beattie Systems, Cleveland, Tennessee
Cameras
- Portronic
- Model A-162 with Wollensak 152mm, f6.3 Raptar
- Model 90 with Beattie-Coleman 6 3/8 inch f 4.5 Portronic Navitar[1]
- [Beattie] Coleman Datronic (TLR)
- Oscillotron
- Varitron
- Imperial 90
Beattie Imperial 90 TLR, 4×5 format image by lady_elsinore (Image rights) |
- Universal Studio Camera (Model 2000)
- Beattie F-1000
- Beattie LRX
- Beattie Gemini system 645 P
Accessories
- Beattie Coleman Transet (70mm rollfilm back fitting Graflok 4x5" format)
- Beattie Systems Converter 67 fitting Mamiya RB67
- C-55 (35mm long-roll adapter)
- D-67 S (70mm long-roll adapter)
Beattie Intenscreen
Beattie Systems are perhaps most known to amateur photographers for their series of aftermarket screens replacing the original ground glass focusing screens for a variety of cameras. These add a thin coating of optically-clear epoxy over the ground surface to increase image brightness, a technology which received US patents 4,339,188[2] (in 1982) and 4,558,922[3] (in 1985), both showing Harry L. O. Smith as the inventor. The first patent shows that the original use envisioned was for a long-roll TLR portrait camera, such as those made by Beattie. The patent includes a rather heartfelt observation:
"The procedure of focusing, composing, and making technical and artistic judgements on some 500 to 700 subjects daily imposes a strain on the eyes and visual perception of the photographer."
The Intenscreen product line continues today, now marketed by a company based in NSW, Australia[4].
Beattie Intenscreen for Hasselblad image by jcryan55 (Image rights) |