LTR 24/25 toggle

[grant mcphee]

Hello,

 

I know this was covered in a question last year but there did not seem to be a resolution to it.

 

I'm about to shoot something on an old LTR 54.

 

I can't seem to find this switch. It does not seem to be under the ASA setting and I'm not sure exactly where the motor retaining ring is. Is it possible for it to be somewhere else, it does not seem to be obvious? And also, what position should it be in - is shooting a tv screen guaranteed to let me know if it is at 24 or 25fps?

 

If I can't find this toggle and film at the wrong speed, what can I expect flicker wise?

 

We don't need sync sound and are not using HMIs. We are in a 50hz country and will be filming naked practical lights.

 

Any help is much appreciated.

 

thanks

 

 

PS does anyone have any examples of scenes/shots of naked practical lights hanging from a ceiling. I'm looking for very contrasty shots, a bit like the Jon Fauer interviews DVD cover.

[Robert Houllahan]

I can't seem to find this switch. It does not seem to be under the ASA setting and I'm not sure exactly where the motor retaining ring is. Is it possible for it to be somewhere else, it does not seem to be obvious? And also, what position should it be in - is shooting a tv screen guaranteed to let me know if it is at 24 or 25fps?

 

 

If you look at the back of the camera with the magazine off you should see it at the bottom right next to the speed dial. On mine it is a small toggle which is protected by a tube it sits in and there is a dot on the speed ring rotary switch which indicates sync speed (either 24 or 25 fps) the other speeds are 6 to 54 fps. It may be that the camera was built without this selector and if so I would assume it is set to 24fps when the speed ring switch is set to the dot.

 

-Rob-

[grant mcphee]

If you look at the back of the camera with the magazine off you should see it at the bottom right next to the speed dial. On mine it is a small toggle which is protected by a tube it sits in and there is a dot on the speed ring rotary switch which indicates sync speed (either 24 or 25 fps) the other speeds are 6 to 54 fps. It may be that the camera was built without this selector and if so I would assume it is set to 24fps when the speed ring switch is set to the dot.

 

-Rob-

 

 

Thanks Robert,

 

I've checked and there seems to be nothing. Except on the speed dial, after the 32 fps there is a blank selection which seems to run at synch speed. Not sure which one would be 25 fps - both seem to have rolls bars when looking on a 50hz tv.

 

thanks.

[Jean-Louis Seguin]

If you look where the motor is, around the motor is a ring, which is more a cover plate than anything else, which is held in place by 4 hex-slotted screws. Once the ring is removed, also lift up a foam cushion type ring underneath. You should now see the markings 24, 25, a screw and an empty screw hole. Simply switch the screw from one hole to the other to go from 24 to 25 or vice-versa. I think the very first LTRs were set up like this.

 

Cheers,

Jean-Louis

[grant mcphee]

Thanks Jean-Louis. Much appreciated. What a fiddly switch, especially as it was used as a doco camera where crews would be moving between 50hz/60hz countries. I suppose that's why they made them easier to access on later cameras.

[Saul Rodgar]

On mine it is at the back of the motor base, right next to the internal light meter' speed knob.

 

By the way, anyone has experienced seemingly random film slippage on LTR's?

 

When I thread up a load and snap on the mag, sometimes the film gets mangled (tore up a sprocket hole yesterday) and the film sounds loud and angry as it goes through while the sync light is red.

 

Obviously the film is not being grabbed by the pull down claw properly, but it seems completely random. The loop size is as I have always used it: I can stick two fingers between the film pulling taut and the pressure plate, one finger's worth being too little and three being too much. However, the film bends out too much at the throat when I push it in I am ready to go and , so it leads me to believe that when I snap on the mag it catches properly sometimes and sometimes it doesn't -so it slips making a racket as I test run the camera if it is off.

 

If I sap off the mag and slide the film up and down at the mag throat and snap it on (without modifying the loop size) it eventually goes away. Seems rather hit or miss to me, but I am certain it has to do with the film bending out too much at the throat.

 

Best thing to do would be to send the camera and mags in for a much needed tune up . . .