P. Mutasen Elokuvakonepaja Oy is Helsinki’s major camera rental house, housed since 1999 in a former railroad locomotive factory that was built in 1898.

The “Oy” at the end of the name is not what it means in New York (“Oy, whattayah doin’?”) In Finland, Oy is short for Osakeyhtiö, sort of like “Inc” or “Ltd.”

Arthur and Peppti Mutanen

The company was founded by Finnish Cinematographer Peptti Mutanen. He, by the way, was one of the first to put a PL mount onto an Arri BL2–back in the days when they said it couldn’t be done.

Peppti’s son Arthur was working as a commercial pilot in the US until he joined the company after receiving a phone call, “How about helping out here in Helsinki?”

The interior is unmistakably Finnish Design: curved wood, clean lines, splashes of color with whimsical accents.

Most of the equipment was out–with 20 hours of daylight, this is the busy season. Nevertheless, production rarely goes longer than 10 hours a day; Hollywood apparently has not yet discovered the 3 hours of daily magic hour. The Mutanens have ARRI Alexas, Red Ones with MX sensors, Arricam ST, Arricam LT, Arriflex 535B, Arriflex 35 BL Evo, Arriflex 435, Arriflex 235,  Arriflex 35-3,  Arriflex 35 II c PL, and Arriflex 35 BL II Evolution. Also Aaton A-Minima, Arriflex 416 Plus, Arriflex 16 SR3 HS Advanced, Arriflex 16 SR3 Advanced, and Arriflex 16 SR2.

P. Mutasen is also the agent for Fujifilm and Kodak.