Worrall Geared Head For-Sale

[Ryan Patrick OHara]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=230412512507

 

This is my Ebay auction for a great condition Worrall Geared Head. Please click on the link and check it out. There is a pretty cool video that shows it in use, although I'm not the best operator :)

 

Thanks!

 

-Ryan

[David Rakoczy]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=230412512507

 

This is my Ebay auction for a great condition Worrall Geared Head. Please click on the link and check it out. There is a pretty cool video that shows it in use, although I'm not the best operator :)

 

Thanks!

 

-Ryan

 

 

That doesn't look like any Worrall Head I have ever seen (esp. the Gear Selector). It looks more like a Mini Mitchell. Does it really say Worrall on it? Is it a Proto-type? Here is what my Worrall looks like.

 

 

[Tom Jensen]

It's definitely a Worrall Head with a bent pan shaft. Either that or the wheel is bent.

[David Rakoczy]

It's definitely a Worrall Head with a bent pan shaft. Either that or the wheel is bent.

 

It must be the first generation... The original.

[Ryan Patrick OHara]

Yes it's an original Worrall. I think more people have seen those then the mini's, which is what you have.

 

As for the pan wheel, yes, the geared head pan handle shaft is ever-so-slightly off, but it does not effect the heads movement, and as you can see, the pan wheel moves about quite smoothly. Thank you for reminding me though, as I had left it off the description and although it does not effect the movement, it should very much be noted. I would invite anyone interested in buying the head in the greater LA area to come and test it out.

Edited December 15, 2009 by Ryan Patrick OHara

[David Rakoczy]

Cool to see an earlier generation. Thanks for sharing. As far as the Mini Wirrall goes, I have no idea where the 'mini' comes from. There is nothing mini about it. It is very heavy and handles all 35mm Cameras. Go figure! Maybe it was a marketing scheme to sell it as a 'lighter' model.... Which it is not..... And thankfully so!

 

Sent from my iPhone.

[Ryan Patrick OHara]

Cool to see an earlier generation. Thanks for sharing. As far as the Mini Wirrall goes, I have no idea where the 'mini' comes from. There is nothing mini about it. It is very heavy and handles all 35mm Cameras. Go figure! Maybe it was a marketing scheme to sell it as a 'lighter' model.... Which it is not..... And thankfully so!

 

Sent from my iPhone.

 

Your Mini may seem big, but it's 39lbs compared to the 67lbs Original. The Mini is also not gear driven, but is unique in the fact it is the only geared head I know that is chain driven. Crazy huh?

 

If you are interested in learning more about geared heads check this out:

http://www.ryanpatrickohara.com/Download/GearedHeads.pdf

 

There are a few typos I still need to correct, but overall it's quite accurate.

http://www.ryanpatrickohara.com/Download/GearedHeads.pdf

[Tom Jensen]

Yes it's an original Worrall. I think more people have seen those then the mini's, which is what you have.

 

As for the pan wheel, yes, the geared head pan handle shaft is ever-so-slightly off, but it does not effect the heads movement, and as you can see, the pan wheel moves about quite smoothly. Thank you for reminding me though, as I had left it off the description and although it does not effect the movement, it should very much be noted. I would invite anyone interested in buying the head in the greater LA area to come and test it out.

 

It's a non issue. It looked pretty smooth. I've seen much worse. Kids, this is why you take the wheels off when you move a geared head. It doesn't take much to bend a shaft.

[John Sprung]

As far as the Mini Wirrall goes, I have no idea where the 'mini' comes from. There is nothing mini about it. It is very heavy and handles all 35mm Cameras.

 

Back in the BNCR and PSR days, there were bigger ones. I have one, but it's been on loan to my gaffer from the old days for many years now.

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Ryan Patrick OHara]

Back in the BNCR and PSR days, there were bigger ones. I have one, but it's been on loan to my gaffer from the old days for many years now.

 

 

 

-- J.S.

I hope it isn't one of these monsters!

 

 

 

PS: To correct myself earlier. I called the Worrall Mini a chain driven head... It's high tension cable... not a chain.

[Chris Keth]

I hope it isn't one of these monsters!

 

 

 

PS: To correct myself earlier. I called the Worrall Mini a chain driven head... It's high tension cable... not a chain.

 

I believe arriheads are chain driven.

[David Rakoczy]

Either way... it takes a gear to turn the chain.

 

btw... the Mini Worrall is Gear driven on the Pan and Cable driven on the Tilt.

[Ryan Patrick OHara]

Either way... it takes a gear to turn the chain.

 

btw... the Mini Worrall is Gear driven on the Pan and Cable driven on the Tilt.

 

Are you sure about that?

 

Can your Mini Worrall turn continously in 360*s? I have read in Worrall literature that the mini's cable drive only permits 370 degrees of rotation… 185

degrees in either direction of a ‘neutral’ point. I figured they meant it was because of the cable drive. I can't remember where I read this, but it made it into my report on the heads.

 

I consulted the Professional Cameraman's Handbook which describes both the lateral pan movement and tilt movement as both engaging cables. (4th edition, pg 89)... but as you said, gears engage the cables. :P

Edited December 15, 2009 by Ryan Patrick OHara

[David Rakoczy]

Are you sure about that?

 

Can your Mini Worrall turn continously in 360*s? I have read in Worrall literature that the mini's cable drive only permits 370 degrees of rotation… 185

degrees in either direction of a ‘neutral’ point. I figured they meant it was because of the cable drive. I can't remember where I read this, but it made it into my report on the heads.

 

I consulted the Professional Cameraman's Handbook which describes both the lateral pan movement and tilt movement as both engaging cables. (4th edition, pg 89)... but as you said, gears engage the cables. :P

 

 

The Mini Worrall can Pan 360 degrees 24/7 365 days a year.

[Ryan Patrick OHara]

The Mini Worrall can Pan 360 degrees 24/7 365 days a year.

 

That's cool. I think then I have discovered (for myself) a new level/model of Mini-Worrall. The book I referred to last post says "Mini Worrall Super Geared Head".... which I thought was the same thing as a Mini-Worrall. But that book (Super version) didn't mention the pan limits... But, in the American Cinematographer Magazine June 1984 on page 33, Cinema Products took out a full page ad to advertise the Worrall Mini (nowhere does it say 'super') and I quote from one of the paragraphs "In pan mode, the unique cable drive permits 370* rotation -- 85* to either side of a neutral reference point, which can be easily established in any position by means of a slip ring with a quick disengage lever. This combination also permits true whip pan action with no traverse limitations."

 

So I'll go back to my collection of geared head information and make a new category for Mini-Worrall Super Geared Head, which is what you must have, and the first Mini-Worrall Geared Head.

 

I'll now have to cross reference more data, as I think I may have grouped Super and Non-super mini worrall facts together not realizing they were different models. Sorry 'bout that man.

[David Rakoczy]

Ryan, thanks for taking the time to organize and present all this Geared Head info... talk about finding a niche! You are the keeper of the Wheels!

[Chris Keth]

The Mini Worrall can Pan 360 degrees 24/7 365 days a year.

 

And when you leave it alone in a room, it does. :blink:

[David Rakoczy]

:o

[John Brawley]

That's cool. I think then I have discovered (for myself) a new level/model of Mini-Worrall.

My mini worral has cable drive on both the pan and tilt. I think your info is wrong.

 

Cinema Products (aka CP) bought the worral inventory and then remade the worral geared head thus inventing the "CP mini Worral". A lighter head designed for the then newer and lighter cameras like the Arri BL's. The manual also has the very short lived CP EC 35. Bonus points if you know what that is....

 

The panavision is belt driven The Arris' are chain driven.

 

jb

 

Bugger it. The EC 35 was one of the first Cine/Video cameras ever built. in 1982. yep that revolution arguably started way back then. Video manufactures have been claiming they are as good as 35mm since then ! Love the last quote below.

 

"The interest in "Electronic Cinema" around 1982 spurred development of two video cameras that promised to put "film-less" moviemaking into the hands of filmmakers. Ikegami offered the EC-35 camera, which claimed to be the first "electronic cinematography camera that matches 35 millimeter quality." Aimed primarily at cinematographers working in television, Ikegami claimed a contrast ratio of 100:1 as compared to only 20:1 for other video cameras and a fully automated setup box, which aligned the camera in seconds and eliminated the need for a video engineer. The EC-35 did resemble a movie camera—from the focal plane forward with its prime lenses, follow-focus, matte box and other film-style accessories supplied by Cinema Products. CBS produced Kudzu, a half-hour, single camera comedy pilot with the EC-35. Kudzu's producer-director had high praise for the "phenomenal camera" claimed that "video production is here. Shows are going to be shot that way, and that's all there is to it."

 

Im planning a shootout with an Eos 5Mk2.

 

look here

[John Sprung]

I hope it isn't one of these monsters!

 

That's exactly what it looks like.

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Ryan Patrick OHara]

My mini worral has cable drive on both the pan and tilt. I think your info is wrong.

 

Nah. I wasn't thinking the 'new' type of mini-worrall wasn't both tilt and pan cable driven. I think they all are. The function that made the different models which I think the newer is called 'Super'... is the ability to turn continous 360* pans. From what I can gather, the first generation of Mini Worralls could only turn a limited amount from a predeturmined neutral point, whereas the 'Super Worrall Mini's' might turn like other geared heads which is 0*-infinite rotations.

 

I've gathered all of this from the fact the member on these boards who has a Mini Worrall says it turns continuous, and from the Professional Cameraman's Manual Edition 4 which doesn't mention the Mini Worrall Pan restriction and calls it 'Super Worrall Mini', and again from the advert from 1984 for the MiniWorrall which describes the pan limitation but never says 'Super' in it's name.

 

 

On the other note, that camera looks amazing for 1983. I've never heard of it, and would like to learn more. Thanks for the links.

[Ryan Patrick OHara]

That's exactly what it looks like.

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

 

Would you happen to know what they called it to tell it apart from my 'original' sized Worrall?

 

I found another old photograph of the same large (bigger then my original) Worrall head. It had some words printed on the back, which might be something or it may be a rental house name and such. It was hard to make out but it looks like the back of the base reads, "Armistead 130" or "Armistead 180"... does that ring a bell?

Edited December 17, 2009 by Ryan Patrick OHara

[Ryan Patrick OHara]

Ugh... crap. Tried to edit the above post, actually replied to it by accident and now i'm too dumb to find how to delete this post

Edited December 17, 2009 by Ryan Patrick OHara

[John Brawley]

Nah. I wasn't thinking the 'new' type of mini-worrall wasn't both tilt and pan cable driven. I think they all are. The function that made the different models which I think the newer is called 'Super'... is the ability to turn continous 360* pans. From what I can gather, the first generation of Mini Worralls could only turn a limited amount from a predeturmined neutral point, whereas the 'Super Worrall Mini's' might turn like other geared heads which is 0*-infinite rotations.

 

I've gathered all of this from the fact the member on these boards who has a Mini Worrall says it turns continuous, and from the Professional Cameraman's Manual Edition 4 which doesn't mention the Mini Worrall Pan restriction and calls it 'Super Worrall Mini', and again from the advert from 1984 for the MiniWorrall which describes the pan limitation but never says 'Super' in it's name.

 

 

I can't say i've heard of a super mini worral. I was looking for a couple of years before i bought the one that I have. I have also replaced both the tilt and pan cables in mine and ordered the parts from visual products, asking for cables for a mini-worral.( not specifying super)

 

I also have a service manual that makes no mention of the *super* variant.

 

Maybe in the advert it's just a super Mini Worral not a Super Mini Worral ? it may have just been something they changed once they began manufacture in earnest ?

 

jb

[Ryan Patrick OHara]

I can't say i've heard of a super mini worral. I was looking for a couple of years before i bought the one that I have. I have also replaced both the tilt and pan cables in mine and ordered the parts from visual products, asking for cables for a mini-worral.( not specifying super)

 

I also have a service manual that makes no mention of the *super* variant.

 

Maybe in the advert it's just a super Mini Worral not a Super Mini Worral ? it may have just been something they changed once they began manufacture in earnest ?

 

jb

 

Hahaha, yeah. I don't know. It's this kind of uncertain ambiguous information that prompted me to try and collect and organize a written record of geared heads to begin with. Almost every make/manufacturer that isn't Panavision or Arri has a history or other models which are forgotten or unknown about. Hell, I bet most of you had no idea there was a baby Panahead. It's called the Panahead Compact (PH-C) and there are only two of them... one at Hollywood and one in Woodland Hills. Hell the people who work at WH don't even know where it is. I found it in an unmarked case on one of my lunch breaks... most of the employees had never seen it before while some of the old timers claimed they hadn't seen it in over 10 years. Cutest freakin thing ever... to bad it's missing the plate that slides in the 'less then standard' sized dovetail. Apparently everything was miniaturized on the PH-C, including the dovetail and baseplate. And since nothing else at Panavision is that 'mini' size, once the plate was lost, the PH-C became the coolest paperweight at Panavision... Hence nothing can mount to it... I appealed to some higher-up people to machine new parts for it, but I was told they wouldn't pay for it.

 

Geared heads are just a forgotten but really kickass part of cinema history.

 

So what I know about the mini Worrall:

 

1) In 1984 the advertised Mini Worrall Geared Head could not turn past 85* from a set neutral point.

2) Within the next 10 years at some point the Mini Worrall Geared Head could turn multiple 360* rotations... as you and the other poster has pointed out.

3) In 1994 the Professional Cameraman's Handbook 4th Edt. is published and refers to the Mini-Worrall Geared head formally twice, both times as the "Super Mini Worrall Geared Head"... and within the rather detailed operating instructions clearly leaves out the now seemingly nonexistent portion about pan limitations.

 

I'm not thinking that there were ever two models being sold at once, as if the buyer had a choice, but more like discovering there is a Mini-Worrall MKI and a (possibly 'Super') Mini-Worrall MKII.

 

Either way, it is certain that a MiniWorrall MKI and MKII type units exist... so in my report I might just put 'Super' in quotations for the MKII type unit. Maybe it'll stick :P

 

If you can't find the history just rewrite it, right? That's Wikipedia's philosophy.

 

 

 

Hahaha, I dunno. I'm a dork with more free time on my hands then I really need.