shooting with SR1

[tanner wolfe]

i'd like to shoot with the 1.85 aspect ratio with this camera. however, there is no way to get the appropriate ground glass. the camera is the property of a producer. the closest rental house is at least a hundred miles away, so i need to do this myself. i was hoping to download a 1.85 framing chart from the internet and create the 1.85 markings in the eyepiece myself. am i on the right track?

[Chris Keth]

I really don't think you can make precise enough markings on a piece of glass the size of a 16mm frame. Call a good rental house like Clairmont and see if they have a 1.85 groundglass you can swap to.

[Tim Carroll]

I did that with an SR1 a few years ago and it worked fine. Although technically we taped it off for 16:9 not 1.85, but it is the same procedure.

 

It is similar to the procedure I describe on the web site at this link:

Taping the ground glass

 

The difference is that with the SR1, tape your 1.85 chart to the wall and focus on it, making sure the right and left side of the 1.85 image touch the outer right and left edges of the "safe" area in your frame. Look through the viewfinder and study the fibre optics screen to see where the upper and lower edge of the 1.85 frame appears. Then take the lens off, use your Hirschman's Forceps to remove the fibre optics screen, and carefully place the Scotch Magic Tape on the smooth side of the screen, aligning it as you saw through the viewfinder. Slide the screen back into place, put your lens back on and check to see if you got the tape in the right place. If so, your fine, if not, take the screen back out and adjust the tape. Might take you a few tries to get it right.

 

The nice thing about the Magic Tape is that it allows you to still see what is happening at the top and bottom of the frame in case you need a 4:3 output in the future.

 

Hope that helps, and Happy Holidays,

-Tim