1973 16mm news camera with a fixed 12.5-75mm zoom (T2.5 / f1.8) — built for shooting where no lens change happens.
The Scoopic 16M was launched in April 1973 and was intended for news and documentary work: the camera and lens are a single unit, and the zoom cannot be removed. What seems like a limitation today was its purpose — those working alone, without a second hand for lens changes, need an optic that covers the entire range.
The Optic
12.5 to 75 mm, a 6:1 zoom, with 16 elements in 12 groups. Canon lists the aperture twice in its own datasheet: t/2.5 (f/1.8). Both values are correct and describe the same aperture — f/1.8 is the geometric aperture number, T2.5 is the measured transmission value. The difference of a full stop is due to 24 glass-air surfaces with 1973 coatings. Anyone using the camera today operates at T2.5 and exposes at T2.5; the f/1.8 values are only on paper.
What It Can Do
Frame rates of 16, 24, 32, 48, and 64 frames per second, plus single frame, 170-degree sector, image gate dimensions of 10.26 x 7.49 mm. The magazine holds 100 feet — about two and a half minutes at 24 fps. The M in the name stands for Macro: the optic focuses down to 80 millimeters in front of the lens, which was new for a 16mm camera in 1973. ISO sensitivity settings from 20 to 640 in third stops, aperture from t/2.5 to t/22, filter thread size 72 mm, weight 3.3 kilograms.
Why It's Making a Comeback
The Scoopic is booked today for exactly what it was built for: shoots with small crews where speed takes precedence over flexibility. The fixed zoom eliminates a decision that would otherwise be made anew with every setup. The price is known: no choice of character, no open aperture beyond T2.5, and a lens that, in backlight, looks visibly older than the negative behind it.
Related terms
Quiz
1. Was beschreibt „Canon Scoopic 16M" am besten?
2. Zu welchem Department gehört „Canon Scoopic 16M"?