Arri II as is? or mod?

[Guest Glen Alexander]

On a bit of a whim, I bought an Arri II off Ebay, that sounded good, all original and still works from a private owner.

 

A cameraman in near Koeln, says the unit is as new as they came out of the factory as one can get. Older person has had it for years but hasn't used it for last 25. Of course needs lube and tune, but essentially "new".

 

Any ideas or guesses on value as is? or start the conversion?

[Paul Bruening]

What conversions do you have in mind? Commonly, folks will get a new lens mount. Sometimes they will get a 3 or 2-perf conversion. A bigger issue is often, making a lightweight blimp so you can go sound. Another common bit is resolving the sync issues though that can be solved without conversions. Are any of these on your mind?

[Guest Glen Alexander]

I wasn't quite sure at this point, most of them from Ebay seem used and abused if they are that old so you have to rebuild it most of the time but since this unit is pristine, I'm exploring options of what can be done. I've talked/emailed with Les in the UK about what he can do with replacing turret, milling body for a single PL or F mount.

 

Have been reading to find if the optical train is centered so you could use anamorphics. nothing yet and there doesn't seem to be an anamorphic viewfinder or ground glass. Well within econmic feasability, i.e., cost not approaching buying an Arri III Mk2.

 

It is standard

 

"Arri IIC (1967,.fixed 180 degree shutter)"

 

I actually like the turret and would like to keep it but lenses are too hard to find. Ideally I'd like a turrent that accepts Nikon, Canon, and keep one bayonet.

 

I would like to have a variable shutter and make it quiet as possible without complete changing it.

 

wiki says, "although the V/B variant is adjustable from 0° to 165°"

 

Possibility to use or modify other Arri camera shutters? or just CNC separate ones and replace before shooting?

 

Flat crystal motor are secondary concerns.

 

Since mechanically things aren't worn out.

 

Sound reduction, options?

 

1. There is plenty of sound deadening material these days that is fairly thin used in automobiles that could be used to on the inside to dampen vibrations.

 

2. Film stock back in 60's was thicker than today stock? So wouldn't it be possible to tighten up the mechanical tolerances, adjust the registration links.

 

3. Modify the pulldown pins? to kevlar or some other material?

 

 

Since Jurgen is out of business, who does the next best doors with video?

http://www.jurgen.com/arri2c-2.htm

 

I would like to sync sound as well.

Edited June 11, 2008 by Glen Alexander

[Paul Bruening]

Holy cow! I've never heard of anyone going that far with an Arri II. Kevlar pull-down sounds interesting. With that much machine shop time and cost, would an old BLII serve better? They go for pretty cheap these days with RED and other systems eating away at the old cine camera market. If things had been this way three or four years ago when I got started I would have just gone with something more in-between like the BLII instead of my Frankenmitchell.

 

Just something to consider before you start cheese-chucking.

[Tim Carroll]

"Arri IIC (1967,.fixed 180 degree shutter)"

 

I actually like the turret and would like to keep it but lenses are too hard to find. Ideally I'd like a turrent that accepts Nikon, Canon, and keep one bayonet.

 

I would like to have a variable shutter and make it quiet as possible without complete changing it.

 

wiki says, "although the V/B variant is adjustable from 0° to 165°"

 

Possibility to use or modify other Arri camera shutters? or just CNC separate ones and replace before shooting?

 

Flat crystal motor are secondary concerns.

 

Since mechanically things aren't worn out.

 

Sound reduction, options?

 

1. There is plenty of sound deadening material these days that is fairly thin used in automobiles that could be used to on the inside to dampen vibrations.

 

2. Film stock back in 60's was thicker than today stock? So wouldn't it be possible to tighten up the mechanical tolerances, adjust the registration links.

 

3. Modify the pulldown pins? to kevlar or some other material?

 

 

Since Jurgen is out of business, who does the next best doors with video?

http://www.jurgen.com/arri2c-2.htm

 

I would like to sync sound as well.

 

 

Sounds like an awful lot of money to invest in a IIC. I found a High Speed IIC last summer that was pristine, and had already had a PL mount installed, and I already had a blimp. I did invest in a Cinematography Electronics crystal flat base for it, which was costly but gives me crystal speeds from 1 to 80 fps, and I slowly put together a very nice set of Speed Panchros. Now, I'm pretty much done.

 

There is no really good way to convert a IIC to Super 35 because of optical issues with the viewfinder system and the need to re-center the lens mount. And I'm not so sure you can do anything to the movement or the single pulldown claw that is going to quiet the camera down that much.

 

If you are looking for a camera to play around with and modify for the experience of it, that's fine. But if you are looking for a camera to shoot with, you might want to let the IIC just be a IIC. It's a pretty nice camera "out of the box".

 

Just some thoughts.

-Tim

[John Sprung]

I actually like the turret and would like to keep it but lenses are too hard to find. Ideally I'd like a turrent that accepts Nikon, Canon, and keep one bayonet.

By far the best idea is to keep a mint condition IIC as a IIC. You could put it in a blimp for sync, but messing with the works to make it quiet would be a major mistake.

 

As for the turret, alas, the ports on the standard turret are too close together to convert to the larger diameter still camera mounts. To do that, you'd have to re-center the whole turret and make a bigger one. Really not practical at all -- just let it be what it is, it's a great old camera.

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Sean Morris]

Hardfront I'd say is the best option "mod" for the IIC, pick your mount PL, OCT, BNCR, Nikon etc..I love my IIC use it more than my other cams, simple , reliable and easy

 

Cheers

Sean

[chuck colburn]

And since Eyemos are getting harder to find (use to buy them by the crate for $25.00 apiece) the 2C's make nice crash cameras too.

[Stephen Williams]

And since Eyemos are getting harder to find (use to buy them by the crate for $25.00 apiece) the 2C's make nice crash cameras too.

 

Hi Chuck,

 

I hear people are using Red as a crash camera! Some producers don't realize how cheap a 35mm crash cameras are.

 

Stephem

[Guest Glen Alexander]

i'd prefer to keep as is, but finding decent anamorphics with original mount isn't that easy.