Arriflex 35 IIC (1964)

The camera that redefined handheld cinematography—still turning heads on film sets fifty years later.

Overview

The Arriflex 35 IIC was introduced in 1964. Arri (Arnold & Richter Cine Technik) built it, and it is the definitive model of the Arriflex 35 II series. It earned that spot by showing up on set after set, decade after decade. It became a film production standard because cinematographers needed a camera that was reliable, precise and easy to move around with. It rode Steadicams, it served the New Wave, and it still gets used on modern shoots for sequences that don't need sync sound.

ARRI made the 35 IIC through the late 1970s. The line goes back to the original 1937 "Handkamera" concept, a compact, handheld news camera built for rugged use and easy loading. After World War II, with the original Munich factory rebuilt, Arri went back to refining it, and that led to the 35 II series. The IIC was the peak of that lineage. Owners report a simple mechanism and exacting build quality, with critical tolerances pinned or machined, so there is no fiddling and no guesswork. It remains Arri's best-selling film camera across all models.

You can still find 35 IICs in action today. They get used for motor-only sync, for wild, dynamic camera moves, and for jobs where digital feels too clean. Stanley Kubrick trusted one on *A Clockwork Orange*, and the Pan Arri 35 IIC, with one Panavision-compatible lens mount, was used on *Star Wars: A New Hope*. Its reflex viewing system dates to 1937, and the basic design still echoes in ARRI's digital ALEXA line.

Specifications

Manufacturer	Arri (Arnold & Richter Cine Technik)
Film format	35mm
Shutter type	Spinning reflex twin-bladed "butterfly" mirror shutter
Maximum shutter exposure opening	165 degrees
Lens mount (original configuration)	3 Standard Mounts
Lens mount (later models after 1965)	Option of Bayonet mounts
Frame rate capability (with accessory)	Up to 80 frames per second
Film magazine capacities	200 ft or 400 ft loads
Motor type	DC motor mounted downwards as a handgrip
Flange Focal Distance (FFD)	Nominally 52.00mm, but on IICs it is physically set to 51.97 - 51.98mm

Key Features

Reflex Viewing That Changed Everything

The Arriflex 35 introduced the world's first reflex mirror shutter in a motion picture camera. Engineer Erich Kästner invented it. The spinning mirror shutter lets the operator see through the taking lens in real time, with no parallax error. What you see is what you get, frame after frame. The image isn't perfect, since there is noticeable flicker in the viewfinder when the camera is running. This system became standard across professional film cameras. It started in Munich in 1937 and matured in the IIC.

Designed for Movement, Built for Stability

The 35 IIC's movement uses a cardioid cam system, a significant step up from the earlier simple eccentric claw mechanism. The design creates a dwell at the end of the pull-down stroke, which steadies the film in the gate just before exposure. That matters for sharp, steady images, especially at high speeds. The gate also has a spring-loaded side-rail that applies gentle side pressure to the film, which fights gate weave.

Flexibility in the Field

The standard configuration has a three-lens turret, so operators can switch lenses quickly. The camera originally came with three Standard Mounts. Later models (after 1965) offered the option of Bayonet mounts, which improved compatibility with high-speed primes and anamorphics. The camera can also shoot anamorphic formats while showing a desqueezed image in the viewfinder, a rare capability at the time, and one that made it a favorite for widescreen productions. The larger ground glass and movable viewfinder make framing and focusing easier in tight or awkward positions.

Power and Portability

The DC motor mounts downward and doubles as a handgrip, which balances the camera for handheld work. It runs at 24/25 fps as standard and can reach up to 80 fps with an accessory speed unit. Detailed power requirements aren't documented. One known unit dropped its motor current draw from 2 amps to 1 amp when running without film. All IIC motors use ball bearings.

Historical Context

The 35 IIC begins in 1937 with the original Arriflex 35 "Handkamera," presented at the Leipzig Spring Fair as a compact, handheld news camera built for robustness and ease of use. The German military became a major customer during WWII, and a U.S. copy, called the Cineflex, was developed for military applications. After the war, with the Munich factory rebuilt, Arri resumed production of the Handkamera as the 35 II and refined it over time. The IIC, introduced in 1964, was the end point of that evolution.

Filmmakers took to it quickly for its agility and precision. The first Hollywood film to use an Arriflex was *Dark Passage* in 1947, but the IIC is what cemented Arri's dominance. Its reflex design earned two Scientific and Technical Academy Awards, in 1966 and 1982. The IIC was used on films like *The Good, the Bad and the Ugly* (1966), *The Graduate* (1967), *Apocalypse Now* (1979), and *Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi* (1983). Some units remained in use into the 2010s, including on *Savages* in 2012.

The Arriflex 35 III, introduced in 1979, succeeded the IIC but never matched its popularity. The IIIC, released in 1982, also failed to surpass the IIC's status.

Market Value

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ARRIFLEX 35 IIC                                                 Nov 2026 │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ High      $5,700                                  Latest          $3,250 │
│ Median    $2,333                                  Trend                — │
│ Low       $638                                    Volume           ~1/mo │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ $6,000 ┤                                                                 │
│        │                           .                                     │
│        │                                                                 │
│ $3,686 ┤                                                                 │
│        │                                                                .│
│        │                                                                 │
│        │.                                                                │
│   $600 ┤.                                                                │
│        ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│    vol │█                          ▄                                    ▄│
│        └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│         2026-04                      2026-05                      2026-07│
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

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