K3 Film Clip On YouTube

[Bogdan George Radulescu]

I don't think it was ever meant to be accurate, but coming out of the factory it probably didn't vary more than one or two fps.

Wow, that video on k3camera.com is awesome, I just took out the loop formers, though putting it all back together isn't as easy as taking it apart, I was done in about two hours, much easier than I though, mainly after hearing all that stuff about being complicated to dis- and reassemble, inverted screws, and blablabla... ("Save the life of my child...") One question remains though, why would you care where the 25fps setting is? It's probably so unaccurate that it doesn't matter, do you really notice a speed up of one or two fps? (This is not irony, if you do, you got great eyesight).

And Will, I think you have a good point saying that using this camera is the smallest of expenses when filming a lot. I personally don't understand why people buy a 150$ camera, and then spend hundreds of bucks in modifications, when it would be so much easier to get something like a Kinor (wink to Olex), or even an Arri 16BL or something, it's a much better investment. A K3 is useless for anything other than "down and dirty" documentary footage, B-Camera, Crash camera (like the suicide scene in Clockwork Orange), or something like that... But hey, it's just my personal opinion.

 

For the smart Mexican boy.

 

I have to admitt you are right regarding the option for Kinor or ARRI in order to improuve the image quality of your shooting on 16 mm. But from this point to accepting your arrogant point of view ( I quote you: "A K3 is useless for anything other than "down and dirty" documentary footage, B-Camera, Crash camera (like the suicide scene in Clockwork Orange), or something like that...") is a long distance. If you are pacient and careful enough, if you have a real artistic mind, full of imagination and gift for picturality, you could shot in a very good esthetic conditions on Frere Lumiere old Pathe camera. Please, look on youtube some footage shot with K3 (the Ian's movies on railways are a good example), excellent edited, and maybe you will less arrogant. I am not K3 advocate, and I know now very well its technical limits, but I think shooting with it is a useful school, a good and chepaer semi-professional starting in the filmmaking direction. It is very easy to show up as a lazy person, saying "bleah!! a K3 is a dirty thing" and then demanding with arrogance the latest technical achivements in oredr to justify your lacke of talent and of imagination.

[Ira Ratner]

Bogdan--incredibly well said.

 

For 16mm, which is just still cameras, we are basically talking about four things:

 

The quality of the lens, proper exposure, lighting, and the stock used.

 

I don't even MENTION your great example about Ian's Railroad shoot here--I'm only talking technical scene-capture, because REGARDLESS of the equipment used, that editing is real skill, and you either got or you don't. Not to mention the creativity to just shoot a stupid train and make it look INTERESTING and compelling to watch.

 

I have a long history in still work, although I haven't been into it in years. And although I'm no Ansel Adams--I've learned the basics. I have ZERO experience in cine work.

 

So I got my K3 in July, and instead of rushing out to shoot just anything for the hell of it, I've been acquiring lenses, scripting out a short documentary (5 minutes, all sound in post), and detailing every shot I expect to make and matching them up with the lens, additional lighting possibly needed, time of day, etc.

 

In other words, I'm not pulling that trigger unless I'm confident it's going to work for the short.

 

I paid $179 for my K-3in spanking new condition (shipped from the Ukraine), and including the Peleng 8mm which I paid a fortune for at $290 here in the states, I've spent about $650 total on GOOD additional primes, and a Cokin filter system with all the rings I'll ever need. Since my K-3 is an M42 mount, I spent this money GLADLY, because all of these lenses will work on a Canon Rebel (or similar) digital SLR with an adaptor ring that sells just 10 bucks. Yeah, the lenses will work manual, but who the hell cares? That's the whole fun of this stuff in the FIRST place!

 

I also play guitar, and it's the perfect analogy:

 

Guys with $2,000 guitars who sound like crap, and others playing $400 made-in-Mexico Telecasters that make your jaw drop.

 

Because in the end, it's about creativity and talent. And that's a pretty hard thing for people without either to accept.