Visible crew/equipment: When Angier goes to Tesla's laboratory and walks to the gate, on the far right side of the fence a figure can be seen, apparently holding something ahead. It seems to be one of the film crew holding a boom mike upright. (00:09:59)
Factual error: When Angier and Cutter are looking for a new workshop they enter a room, with a fully glassed wall on one side. A very modern white radiator is in the room. (00:35:00)
Visible crew/equipment: In the final shot where Angier lies dead on the ground with the theatre on fire, the camera can be slightly seen reflected on the glass box with one of many Angier's doubles inside once it does a tracking shot. (02:04:52)
Continuity mistake: Hugh Jackman puts a tan vest on twice in the scene when we first meet his wife.
Revealing mistake: When one twin (presumably Alfred) is removing the other twin's fingers, "Alfred's" upper arm passes through his twin's head as "Alfred" reaches for the hammer. [Fixed on DVD.]
Continuity mistake: When the hotel clerk show Angier Tesla's machine in its box, he has his hands behind his back, and then moves them in front of his body. Yet when the camera cuts to behind the clerk, his hands are still held behind him.
Other mistake: This mistake occurs when Borden crashes Angier's act. Borden emerges from the trick door for the Transported Man trick, feigns surprise, and then "discovers" the bound and gagged double suspended above the stage. When Borden says "Ah, the Great Danton" you can see the ring and pinkie fingers on his left hand moving, even though he had already lost them by this time in the movie. We know that it has to be after the time BOTH twins lost their fingers because Olivia observed Borden's trick and says that "it is the same man" because she was fooled by both Bordens having their gloves stuffed.
Answer: As we see when Borden goes down under the stage to try to learn how the trick is performed, the tank is already in place before the machine is activated. Angier is using a large number of identical tanks, which is probably one of the deciding factors in only performing the trick a limited number of times.
Tailkinker ★