Fulgencio Martinez Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 Hi, I think i read sometime ago about how to do the modification of the krasnogorsk camera. The problem is i cannot find it. Maybe someone could tell me about it. Thanks Fulgencio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Kevin Zanit Posted June 19, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted June 19, 2004 What mod? There are several including a Super 16mm gate, and a crystal sync motor. Kevin Zanit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Wendell_Greene Posted June 19, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted June 19, 2004 I've never read about a DIY modification for the K-3. There is a company called Reel Trading, who does upgrades to various models of the K-3 (although no conversions to S-16) Here's the link: http://www.concentric.net/~jdq/K-3_menu.shtml I hope that helped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Puckett Posted June 19, 2004 Share Posted June 19, 2004 Hi, I just completed a super16 mod to my K3, with great resuts. If your not intimidated by a few small screws, and a metal file, you can pull it off in about an hour or two. k3camera.com offers a super 16 gate for the camera, but for the price, I figured I could try it myself, or buy another K3 if I screwed up. They have instructions on the website for disassembling the camera body to remove the gate yourself. Once it is removed, it's just a matter of using a good flat needle file that will fit within the aperature, to remove the extra material. I had a pair of calipers to measure the size as I went but they aren't really neccesary. I don't have my ASC manual here but you could find the frame width dimension online or in number of books. I want to say its around .488" but not positive. Because of the way the gate is made, you could pretty much open it to the very edge of the film, and not cause any problems with the negative support rails. Take your time, and be clean about it. It's easy to take material out, but not so easy to put it back. Make sure to polish off any burrs, and sharp edges. Reassemble the camera, and make sure to throw away the rediculous string operated loop formers. The camera will be much easier to load now. Make sure to run a few feet of film through, and triple check for any scratching. The stock lens vignettes really bad on the right side at anything less then 25mm. The best bet is to pick up some 35mm pentax M42 prime lenses on ebay. You just have to guess at the frame width when looking through the viewfinder, since there really isn't any way to increase the size of the ground glass. As for sync mods, I wouldn't bother with it. The thing is so loud you can't record within 40 feet of it while its running. Sync won't matter when it sounds like your shooting in a blender. I've run a bit of film through it so far, and have yet to see a single scratch, and it's relatively stable considering there isn't a reg pin. If your interested in doing it, and need more info let me know. Hope this helps... Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fulgencio Martinez Posted June 19, 2004 Author Share Posted June 19, 2004 Hi, My interest is to modify the camera to run smoother. There are several companies who do this, but for what i think, it is only a small mod. I think taking off the loop former is all i need to do. I just need some advice on how should i do this. I might consider the s16 gate modification, but i agree there´s no sense about sync motor for it. Thanks Fulgencio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Anthony Gonzales Posted June 19, 2004 Share Posted June 19, 2004 How about a continous motor for the K-3? I agree that trying to shoot sync sound might be a bit of a stretch, but is there some way to mod or hook up a motor to the K-3 that can make it run longer than the 25-second wind up? John G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Puckett Posted June 22, 2004 Share Posted June 22, 2004 I'm sure removing the loop formers will help a little bit. I took mine out before I ever ran it, so I can't tell you if it did or didn't help. It's much easier to load though. That website has some pictures of how to take apart the baffle plate on the inside of the camera. Really all you do is pull out every single screw in that plate, and pull up. Some of the screws are pretty small, and few of them have some sort of tar/sealent over the screw heads, so you have to look pretty hard to make sure every screw is out. Follow the instructions on the website for marking and removing the main drive sprocket. Once the plate is off, the loop formers can be removed from the back side really easy. They are operated by this sketchy string and pully setup. Just uscrew all of that stuff from the back, and pull it out of the plate. The pictures on the website help it all make sense. I guess the biggest thing is to make sure you mark the drive gear really good so that it can be replaced in the exact same location. As far as constant speed motors go... I don't really know if that's worth it either. The 25 second run time is a pain, but for the amount of time and money it would take to figure the motor mechanics out, you could just buy an old Arri 16S. You just have to enjoy the K3 for what it is...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Barham Posted June 22, 2004 Share Posted June 22, 2004 1) "SOLD OUT -- NO MORE TCS MOTORS MADE" No more? Anywhere else to get a sync conversion for these guys? 2) I'm surprised no one has put together a K3 blimp for sale online. Something with a zipper or velcro for easy loading. 3) Some clever programmer should record the K3 sound and make an NLE/DAW audio filter that specifically removes it's particular noise. A K3 "SoundSoap" basically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scot McPhie Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 3) Some clever programmer should record the K3 sound and make an NLE/DAW audio filter that specifically removes it's particular noise. A K3 "SoundSoap" basically. I tried doing this with my Beaulieu 4008ZMII - and it's not effective enough - there are certainly people better with sound than me out there but I doubt it will ever be effective enough with out changing the quality of the dialogue too much. I have started a camera repair/modifying forum at this link if it's of use to anyone Scot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Kevin Zanit Posted June 25, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted June 25, 2004 The k3 is a nice camera for the money. But I don't think I would be seen putting in additional money into the camera. My friend owns one, and he really likes it for what it is. For $200 it is hard to go wrong. Kevin Zanit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Sorrentino Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 I am going start shooting my first roll of film on Super 8mm this week, but i hope one day to progress to 16mm on a Kranogorsk K3, but there are some basic questions I would like answered. :o 1. It has been mentioned on this forum that the K3 is a noisy camera to operate, if so, is it possible to shoot with sound and not hear the camera running during a scene ? 2. Is it possible to record sound seperately on a digital device and still sync with the camera ? 3. If I wish to shoot a short movie in the coming months, how much will the film stock cost to purchase and develop ? Thankyou ! :ph34r: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Puckett Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 The K3 is far too noisy to record dialogue while the camera is running. Maybe outdoors, with a long focal length, and a really good sound person. Otherwise the only other way is to dub any audio in post. It's not impossible, but it's very time consuming, and never really looks quite right. The motor speed is not crystal controlled, so it fluctuates in speed quite a bit, so any recording device will lose sync in a matter of seconds. As for film consumption, check out the kodak website for information, and a cool "film calculator" that will help you figure out how many feet you will need for a project. There is also info for labs to proccess the film. Total costs for a project can vary based on your locations, and resources. Make lots of calls, and compare prices and services. Get a good intro to film making book, and learn the basics of film proccesing so you know what questions to ask the lab, and what they can do for you. Good Luck... Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Sorrentino Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 Thankyou very much for your help. The Kodak page was full of useful details and advice on film and film costs. The K3 seemed like a good option for me because of the low cost of the camera and M42 lenses (of which i have many for my SLR's). The noise of the camera will be a problem though, as i intended to film documentaries with a local club. Are there any other 16mm cameras which use M42 lenses which are also quiet enough to allow recording of dialogue in the vicinity ? if so... how much would it cost me to purchase such an item ? Thanx Again ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Puckett Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 It's a great little camera for how cheap it is. If you already have a bunch of M42 lenses then you're set. It's an easy camera to use when you are first learning how to use 16mm. When you get into sync sound cameras, things start to get pricey. Ebay and google are your best friends. Books like the ASC manual, or the 16mm handbook also contain information for just about all of the good motion picture cameras that are available. Learn all of the different models, and what features they have. You really need to know what your looking for if you consider buying a used camera off of ebay. Sometimes sellers can misrepresent items, either accidently, or on purpose. Sometimes this can work in your favor, and you can get a good deal. The lowest budget sync 16mm cameras you will find on ebay are probably either Arri 16BLs, or Eclair NPRs, and ACLs. They can run anywhere from $1500 to about $3000. As far as I know the K3 is the only one with an M42 mount though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Gross Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 Both the Eclair NPR and ACL cameras have c-mounts in addition to their other lens mounts. You can get various adapters to mount different lens types onto c-mount, including M42 Pentax. If you cannot readily find such an adapter, Les Bosher in the UK can manufacture one for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NCSProducts Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Comrade Filmmaker, The webpage with the K-3 info is here: Removing loop formers from the K-3 - Dom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dorian Quell Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 i just bought a k-3 also for about 150 and its in real good shape. I have yet to buy film for it or film anything yet. It is very loud heh. I was wondering, what would be the point in changing the gate? what exactly would that affect? thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Lamar King IMPOSTOR Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 Changing the gate would allow you to install a S16 gate or just one with a longer guide path for the film. The one that comes stock on the K-3 is a bit short and the top loop can easily bump into an unfinished part of the interior and cause scratching. It is easy enough to form a smaller loop that will not touch the interior of the camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest VideoCowboy Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 Does anyone know if the bayonet mount on the K-3 cameras will accept other lenses or adapters? Or, can it be replaced with the M42 mount? I bought a K-3 that was supposed to have the M42 mount, but has the bayonet mount. It actually runs much better than my first K-3, but would like to use other wider & longer lenses, if possible. Thanks, Hal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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