Arriflex S - Still Useable

[james donovan]

Hi, I know someone that is selling an Arri S - full kit, only problem is that it's been stored safely for 10 years and not been used. Is it a fair bet to say that it wont work/ developed a fault/ something to avoid?

 

Would a service be in order, or is it a no go?

 

Thanks I appreciate your help!

[Tim Carroll]

Hi, I know someone that is selling an Arri S - full kit, only problem is that it's been stored safely for 10 years and not been used. Is it a fair bet to say that it wont work/ developed a fault/ something to avoid?

 

Would a service be in order, or is it a no go?

 

Thanks I appreciate your help!

 

I would recommend a CLA (clean, lube and adjust) for an Arri S that has been in storage for ten years. The cameras were build incredibly well, and as a friend of mine says, "You could hammer nails with that camera..." But after ten years, the lubricants are probably very dried up and since most of the gears in the camera are made of a fibre composite, you do not want them to run anywhere close to dry.

 

Make sure whoever does the service on the camera only uses the original ARRI lubricants, as they are the only lubricants that were made to work with the fibre gears and the inter-mating surfaces. I have rebuild a number of Arri 16S cameras where someone used lithium grease, or some other type of grease, and the fibre gears, especially the ones that interface with metal gears (like the gear on the mirror shutter), have had severe wear and needed to be replaced. And they aren't cheep.

 

Once serviced, the Arriflex 16S is a great little MOS camera and can create fantastic images. To see examples of this, visit:

 

Arriflex 16S camera performance at www.Arri16S.com

 

-Tim

[David Leugers]

I am the proud owner of an Arri M and it is an incredible camera. I enjoy using this

camera more than any camera I have ever owned. So much so, that I think about

selling off some of my other equipment so that I can buy an Arri S to compliment it.

[james donovan]

I would recommend a CLA (clean, lube and adjust) for an Arri S that has been in storage for ten years. The cameras were build incredibly well, and as a friend of mine says, "You could hammer nails with that camera..." But after ten years, the lubricants are probably very dried up and since most of the gears in the camera are made of a fibre composite, you do not want them to run anywhere close to dry.

 

Make sure whoever does the service on the camera only uses the original ARRI lubricants, as they are the only lubricants that were made to work with the fibre gears and the inter-mating surfaces. I have rebuild a number of Arri 16S cameras where someone used lithium grease, or some other type of grease, and the fibre gears, especially the ones that interface with metal gears (like the gear on the mirror shutter), have had severe wear and needed to be replaced. And they aren't cheep.

 

Once serviced, the Arriflex 16S is a great little MOS camera and can create fantastic images. To see examples of this, visit:

 

Arriflex 16S camera performance at www.Arri16S.com

 

-Tim

 

Hi Tim, now I think I spoken to you before about an arri camera - great site by the way. If I sent it out to you by post do you think the movement in transit would hurt the camera? If I packed the camera incredibly well then I dont think that would be a problem.

 

Now this might defeat your whole business but are there any reputable people who know of arri repair in the UK? If you get many cameras to repair coming in from across the pond then I suppose it is not an issue, thanks

 

I am the proud owner of an Arri M and it is an incredible camera. I enjoy using this

camera more than any camera I have ever owned. So much so, that I think about

selling off some of my other equipment so that I can buy an Arri S to compliment it.

 

How often do you service it?

[Tim Carroll]

Hi Tim, now I think I spoken to you before about an arri camera - great site by the way. If I sent it out to you by post do you think the movement in transit would hurt the camera? If I packed the camera incredibly well then I dont think that would be a problem.

 

Now this might defeat your whole business but are there any reputable people who know of arri repair in the UK? If you get many cameras to repair coming in from across the pond then I suppose it is not an issue, thanks

 

Pack the camera with bubble wrap very well. Start with removing the lenses and the camera motor. Then take the little bubble, bubble wrap, completely cover the camera two or three times, then move on to the big bubble, bubble wrap and wrap it two or three more times. Then take this bundle and pack it with lots of styrofoam peanuts in a very sturdy cardboard box. That should protect the camera pretty well.

 

I am not an expert on who can service Arriflex 16S cameras in the U.K. Naturally you could send it to me in the States, but since you are over on the Continent, you might want to look into sending it to your EU neighbors over in Germany, as in the ARRI factory in Germany.

 

-Tim