Eclair NPR problem. Help!

[jasarsenault]

I am having problems with my eclair. It is set to run at 24 frames per second. When I turn on the swith it runs only around 12. If I turn it off and turn it back on it will then run at 24. it will only run at 24 frames if I turn it on, quickly turn it off, then quickly turn it back on. I know my batteries are fresh. Any Ideas?

 

Jason Arsenault

[cineshooter]

I'll take a crack at it:

I have an Eclair NPR (mine does not have the standard motor) but did you try a different cable for the battery...(I run my NPR off Anton Bauer and Fezzolini camera 'bricks') my camera gave me trouble a couple of times and it seemed to be some sort of power issue as well, one time the problem was traced to the cable running from my battery to my camera...

Good luck, great little camera...

 

Peace,

JD

www.cineshooter.com

[John Sprung]

Try taking the body off the motor. Put some drag on the motor with your fingers to check that it has plenty of torque. If you get good torque in both the 24 and 12 fps modes, then somehow your phase locked loop is locking at half speed. If you never get 12 fps mode with the motor alone, then it's excessive friction in the camera causing the problem. It needs more than 100% duty cycle to run at 24 fps, but when it goes beyond 100%, it overruns the turn-on point for the next cycle, which acts just like being at 50% duty cycle, since you're on for only every other cycle. It becomes stable at 12 fps because it takes a lot less torque to turn the camera mechanism at that speed. If you switch off and then on again before it stops completely, it might be that it runs up past that stable half speed point and gets to normal operation.

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[jasarsenault]

Thanks for the advice. Ill give it a shot.

 

Jason Arsenault