Arri 16BL - Switching Lenses in the Prime Lens Blimp

[John Jaquish]

I looked around the forum, but couldn't find this addressed specifically: How is the "on-the-set" adaptability of different prime lenses when using the prime lens blimp for the 16BL (assuming of course they fit in the blimp)? Can it be easily adapted on the set for different lenses, or is the blimp modified for a specific lens and more or less a permanent modification?

[Tim O'Connor]

As I recall, it is not a fast change at all. With that camera, people seem to stick to a zoom for everything or

shoot MOS with different lenses, or get each lens its own blimp and have it already installed before getting to the set.

[John Jaquish]

As I recall, it is not a fast change at all. With that camera, people seem to stick to a zoom for everything or

shoot MOS with different lenses, or get each lens its own blimp and have it already installed before getting to the set.

 

Hmm. That's what I figured. I was planning on buying a prime blimp since I have access to a 16BL, but was hoping to be able to use it with multiple prime lenses.

[Brian Drysdale]

Not a camera I've used much with primes, but working as an assistant on a short the Zeiss MK 1 Super Speed Distagons were used with one blimp. It did involve doing some alignment of the blimp to the wings on the lenses, slower, but not impossible. It depends how fast you're working on the production, in this case it wasn't a problem because it was only minor compared to the more complex aspects of the production.

[Mark Dunn]

There's a list of lenses compatible with the prime blimp here http://www.cinematechnic.com/resources/arri_16bl.html

The blimp comes off, you change lenses, line up the wings and put the blimp back. It's not a big deal to do, as I recall. I can't see that it would hold things up.

[Mark Dunn]

There's a list of lenses compatible with the prime blimp here http://www.cinematechnic.com/resources/arri_16bl.html

The blimp comes off, you change lenses, line up the wings and put the blimp back. It's not a big deal to do, as I recall. I can't see that it would hold things up.

[Jean-Louis Seguin]

There's a list of lenses compatible with the prime blimp here http://www.cinematechnic.com/resources/arri_16bl.html

The blimp comes off, you change lenses, line up the wings and put the blimp back. It's not a big deal to do, as I recall. I can't see that it would hold things up.

 

 

From what I remember, you don't have to take off the blimp each time; it stays on the camera. Just open the front, take out the blimp glass holder and exchange the lens. There were calibrated focus scales already made up for each lens but if you don't have them you have to make up your own, that would be tedious, or just forget about the scales and only focus using the groundglass.

 

There was also an extension piece that would allow the use of slightly longer lenses like the first generation Zeiss superspeeds.

 

Cheers,

Jean-Louis

[John Jaquish]

This is good to know. I suppose I'll have to get the blimp and try it out for myself. Thanks for the information.

[John Sprung]

I suppose I'll have to get the blimp and try it out for myself.

 

If you can find one. In the old days, we pretty much just used the Zeiss 10-100 on the BL. Very few of the prime lens blimps were sold, and they've had 30+ years to get lost now....

 

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.