Are Arriflex cameras usually crystal sync?

March 5, 2004

I have been looking at the Arriflex cameras. Appartantly, they are much better for sound recording than the Bolexs. However, I am not sure if the SB or the S/GS come with crystal sync standard or if you have to add it later.

Can someone please inform?

Thanx.

Tim Carroll · March 5, 2004

The Arriflex SB is not a natively crystal sync camera. You can get a crystal sync motor for it, but you need to make sure (if you need crystal sync) that the motor that comes with one you want to buy is a crystal sync motor. From my understanding, the more common motor on that camera is a variable speed motor which is not crystal sync. Not sure about the Arriflex S/GS, but I do believe it is the same as the SB as far as motors go. I am sure Mitch and some of the other folks here would know that.

Also, an Arriflex SB is not the greatest choice for a sound sync camera, it is quite noisy.

-Tim

Mitch Gross · March 5, 2004

The original motors for the Arri S were not crystal sync. They were either veriable speed or "24fps constant speed" which means that they were around 24fps but not precisely. Clive Tobin of Tobin Cinema Systems now makes a crystal speed motor for these cameras. Other cameras that may or may not have crystal speed motors include the Arri M, Arri 16BL and the Eclair NPR.

Just because a camera runs a sync speed does not mean that it is appropriate for sync sound recording work. Some are as noisy as a lawnmower. A Bolex with crystal motor or an Arri S will be very, very loud. Some relatively inexpensive old cameras that run quietly (self-blimped) include the CP-16 or CP-GSMO, Arri SR1 or SR2, any model Aaton, Eclair NPR or ACL.

Michael Nash · March 5, 2004

Within the Arri line you'll want to look at the 16BL as the cheapest/simplest QUIET synch-sound camera. And as Mitch said, it may or may not have a crystal-synch motor. One 16BL I used had two drives that you could switch in the field; a battery powered wild motor and an AC-powered contstant speed motor that got its synch off the electric power cycle. I shot synch sound with it just fine, but every time you wanted to go battery powered you had to switch out a little gear inside the camera.

BL's also need the lens blimp to be quiet enough for sound shooting, and the lenses tend to be matched with the blimp. That limits you to the common Angeniuex 12-120 or 9.5-95 zooms, neither of which are exactly stellar in quality. There are some prime lens blimps out there, but they're harder to come by.

But in the price range of a BL you might also consider the cameras that Mitch mentioned -- the Eclair NPR and ACL, and the CP-16. If you just want a "pickup" camera that can run at crystal speed for a little less money, then you can find an Arri S with a Tobin motor. In a worst-case scenario you could try to barney the camera yourself with blankets and whatnot, but it would become cumbersome for extensive dialogue shooting (no orientable eyepiece under all that dampeneing, for one thing). At least you could shoot under HMI's and fluorescents without flicker.