A sound blimp is a
housing
Housing refers to a property containing one or more Shelter (building), shelter as a living space. Housing spaces are inhabited either by individuals or a collective group of people. Housing is also referred to as a human need and right to ...
attached to a camera which reduces sounds, such as
shutter click on
SLR cameras, and motors on motion picture cameras. It is primarily used in
film still
A film still (sometimes called a publicity still or a production still) is a photograph, taken on or off the set of a Film, movie or television program during Film production, production. These photographs are also taken in formal studio settings ...
photography, so as not to interfere with the shooting of
principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
, and also in other situations where sound is distracting: theatrical photography, surveillance, and wildlife photography.
It was invented by Irving Jacobson in the mid-1960s, and revolutionized film still photography by allowing stills to be taken during shooting, rather than after the fact.
Construction
In construction, it is a rigid box, filled with foam, with holes for the lens and viewfinder, and switches so one can focus and release the shutter from the outside of the case.
One ca
make oneusing an existing camera case and a
cable release
The Bulb setting (abbreviated B) on camera shutters is a momentary-action mode that holds shutters open for as long as a photographer depresses the shutter-release button. The Bulb setting is distinct from shutter's Time (T) setting, which is ...
;
Pelican cases by
Pelican Products are frequently mentioned.
A soft enclosure, the Camera Muzzle, is made by Sam Cranston; this is less effective than a hard enclosure, but significantly cheaper and easier to use; it is designed to be sufficient for most non-intrusive use, but not for demanding use such as film sets.
Nikon
(, ; ) is a Japanese optics and photographic equipment manufacturer. Nikon's products include cameras, camera lenses, binoculars, microscopes, ophthalmic lenses, measurement instruments, rifle scopes, spotting scopes, and equipment related to S ...
makes a
leatherette soft camera case, the CS-13 (NIK446), which suppresses sound somewhat, but is designed primarily for the film advance of film cameras, and provides little effective suppression for digital cameras. A similar solution was
Minolta
was a Japanese manufacturer of cameras, lenses, camera accessories, photocopiers, fax machines, and laser printers. Minolta Co., Ltd., which is also known simply as Minolta, was founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1928 as . It made the first integrated ...
's Insulation Case (6081-660, 43325-74196-8), primarily designed for film SLRs used at low temperatures, but also advertised to reduce camera sound.
See also
*
Film still
A film still (sometimes called a publicity still or a production still) is a photograph, taken on or off the set of a Film, movie or television program during Film production, production. These photographs are also taken in formal studio settings ...
*
Noise control
Noise control or noise mitigation is a set of strategies to reduce noise pollution or to reduce the impact of that noise, whether outdoors or indoors.
Overview
The main areas of noise mitigation or abatement are: transportation noise control, a ...
References
Further reading
* http://www.fernsehmuseum.info/fkt-fernsehhistory07.0.html
* https://web.archive.org/web/20121109135244/http://www.soundblimp.com/nikon.htm
External links
Jacobson Photographic Instruments inventors of the sound blimp
Advanced Sound BlimpSound blimp designed for Canon digital cameras.
fatboy sound blimpSound blimp designed for Canon and Nikon digital cameras.
How to make a sound blimp for your camera
Photography equipment
Film and video technology
{{film-tech-stub