Where is the Viewfinder?

Dennis Kisilyov · December 30, 2006

I could not help but look at the lack of viewfinder, is this a typical amount for this camera ($700 USD)?

Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=220066589651

v.s. the Photosonics Action Master 5000 (which is $15,000)

Luke Prendergast · December 30, 2006

On many high-speed and gun cameras originally made for military use you use a borescope that fits in place of the magazine to view the image at the gate. There is no viewfinder because these cameras are not designed for use by an operator but for remote mounting.

Mark Dunn · December 30, 2006

Instrumentation cameras aren't very handy at all; no finder, battery pack (if any) heavier than a car's, heavily built. This one has a rotating prism, not an intermittent movement, so the resolution is a good deal lower than conventional 16mm. Since most high-speed cine has now gone to video, and VNF is no longer made, there are plenty of these about. It probably cost upwards of £10,000 new in the 80s.

Scott Cohen · December 30, 2006

I could not help but look at the lack of viewfinder, is this a typical amount for this camera ($700 USD)?

Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=220066589651

v.s. the Photosonics Action Master 5000 (which is $15,000)

Dennis,

Get a REDLAKE Locam II. It takes 100, 200 and 400foot 16mm daylight spools and it has a pin registered movement! Speeds are 2 to 500fps.

It is a c-mount camera so you can use an Angenieux or Pan Cinor with a dogleg viewfinder.

Some crazy person has one on ebay for over $1500.00 but I have seen working units go for as little as $200-300.

SC

Mark Dunn · January 1, 2007

Locams do produce much sharper images but can't really be described as handy. You'd need to make sure you got the proper leads with it. Some models have a reflex prism for line-up: it drops out of the light path when the camera starts IIRC. This one http://cgi.ebay.com/REDLAKE-Locam-II-16mm-...8QQcmdZViewItem is a bit pricey- no leads or battery.

That ebay one has been listed a few times recently. The Locam 3 is a better bet. Oh, and they're a serious pain to load, with double-perf film only,IIRC, on daylight spools.

Patrick Cooper · January 1, 2007

Owning a high speed camera would be great - I love the look of graceful slow motion - but due to the stress imposed on the camera mechanisms from running film at such high speeds, they need to be serviced which can be quite expensive.