Automax 35mm

[Patrick Neary]

Hi All-

 

Has anyone here ever been able to modify an automax sequence camera to do anything other than time-lapse? Does the design of the Geneva movement exclude running at 24fps for some reason? (steadiness?)

 

The camera as configured does run at "cine-speed" 16fps (I guess their definition of cine-speed is rooted in the early 1900's...) but I am wondering if retrofitting some other type of motor, or altering the existing one, might make it crash-cammable.

[Kevin Marck]

Hello...anyone out there that has the pin out info for the time lapse Automax camera ...please let me know ...I believe the "a" pin is positive and the "b" pin is negative and the center pin is for the intervalometer...voltage is 24-28 dc

and model number is G-1 4 perf and the connector is 7 pin...looking for what is correct to move the take up motor on the mag...or any good info at all...there is no response to my emails at the website...cheers

[John Sprung]

Geneva movements routinely run at 24, most theatrical projectors are geneva, so are moviolas. That being said, it's hard to say if this particular design has hard enough material and low enough mass to go that fast for very long. For a one-shot crash, it'll probably work. You'd want to give it new lubricant, a projector engineer would have some. (BTW, expect it to make a helluva noise, like a projector.)

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Kevin Marck]

Geneva movements routinely run at 24, most theatrical projectors are geneva, so are moviolas. That being said, it's hard to say if this particular design has hard enough material and low enough mass to go that fast for very long. For a one-shot crash, it'll probably work. You'd want to give it new lubricant, a projector engineer would have some. (BTW, expect it to make a helluva noise, like a projector.)

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

 

Hi John

Do you know the pin out info on the Automax?

[John Sprung]

No, sorry, I've never even seen one.

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Joe Stevens]

I have some pin info:

 

A = +24 Vdc (camera power)

B = pulse exposure (+24 Vdc 50-80 milliseconds)

F = Frame Counter (switch closure each frame closes to ground)

G = -24 Vdc (ground)

 

Don't know if this helps or if the question has long been answered, but came across this question while I'm trying to research the Automax 35mm G-1 camera and thought I'd post it.

 

Also, I have a complete Automax 35mm G-1 camera along with various equipment and cases that my company would like to sell. We used it perhaps 9-10 years ago to time lapse photograph one of our wind farms under construction and it's sat largely in storage for at least the last 5 years. Are there any specific cinematography websites that specialize in selling this type of equipment? Otherwise, I'll probably just try eBay (I see where a similar camera just sold in early June 2011 there).

 

Thanks for any insights anyone can offer. Seems like a very nice camera and must be something that someone would be able to put to good use.

 

-Joe