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Phils Konvas 2M Mission


Phil Thompson

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Hello everyone.

 

Well, I brought an Arriflex 16BL and i really love it. But Im now wishing I'd brought a Konvas 2M. The reason? Im shooting a lot of background plates and as Daniel lee rubbed in. ITs hard to work with 16mm and digital. :-(

 

 

SO.

 

This is the mission. I have been communicating with one of the DONS of Konvas, a man who needs no introduction, the genius Olex Kalynychenko!!!

 

What I need is this.

  1. A Konvas 2M body that has been serviced.
  2. A 17 motor that has been serviced
  3. One 400ft mag, that has been serviced
  4. Olex's special battery box/charger.

 

This gets me sturdy foundations. There was an option to go for Olex's genius electronics upgrade but that adds 550 euros onto the price of a motor. I won't ever need to go at 6 frames per second and I'll always have a firm eye on how much im shooting, so thats not an issue. Of course it does so much more but to me it seems like I can skip this luxury.

 

So

 

Whats next?

 

A good lens. I've read people talking about Zoom Animorphics. I'm not sure I can be arsed with that...yet. SO, I'm thinking a decent 35mm lens and a super wide.

 

What are my options here? And what kind of money are we talking.

 

I'm looking forward to dealing with Olex. Anyone have any thoughts on my mission?

 

Thanks

 

phil

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The Konvas isn't pin registered. If you're shooting plates, you'd be better off with a Mitchell or a Bell & Howell 2709. They're big and clunky compared with the Konvas, but rock solid.

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

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Agreed with John. While I love my 2M as it's rugged as hell, I'd not want to do plates on it. It's just not what it was designed for....

Now; the Kinor 35mm camera might be worthwhile.... Though once @ that price a Mitchell shouldn't be out of the question.

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They're too expensive and too big. I can't believe for a minute the Konvas picture isn't very sturdy. Maybe I'm wrong..anyway, those Mitchells are a nightmare, for anywhere other than locked down on an animation stand. I want to take this everywhere!

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Agreed with John. While I love my 2M as it's rugged as hell, I'd not want to do plates on it. It's just not what it was designed for....

Now; the Kinor 35mm camera might be worthwhile.... Though once @ that price a Mitchell shouldn't be out of the question.

 

 

Hi Adrian,

 

Have you got any pictures of your camera I can see? I hear loading the thing is the equivalent of doing the Rubics cube blind.. is this true?

Edited by phil thompson
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Loading isn't that bad, honestly. When I first used it, it was sight unseen on a feature doco (never got finished though) and I did it once in the light and then got it down pat after the first few loads. Not as bad as they say, for the 400' mag @ least. the "200' " (really like 160~180ft) are much more of a bear!.

 

As for photos; all I have atm is what I Pulled from facebook.

post-12485-0-34934800-1311276560.jpg

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One tricky thing on the Konvas mag is that it's actually easier to thread the wrong side of the takeup sprocket. Practice with a lightstruck short end, and inch it with the door off to check that you're getting the loops right.

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

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One tricky thing on the Konvas mag is that it's actually easier to thread the wrong side of the takeup sprocket. -- J.S.

 

So I'm not the only one that did that a few times?! The jams seem mysterious at first, especially when it looks the same as when you rolled it correctly, and you can't run the camera with the door off.

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wow! how dare people say mitchell cameras are a nightmare...best transport ever made...konvas is a nightmare not a mitchell...

 

have you guys forgot about arri's? 35bl's are very very good cameras and they're pin register...there's some on ebay dirt cheap

 

for the price of a konvas with all the bullshit you stated you can get your hands on a mitchell or an arri bl

 

if you go for a mitchell look for a fries conversion 35r3 with a linx motor...mirror reflex some have a variable shutter, transport for 120fps dual pulldown pin register ...easy to find parts, easy to find 2perf conversions or 3 perf. pl, pv, nikon mount. absolute must for plate work. i can go on and on with a mitchell... i own two konvas...they good cameras but to compare to a mitchell they're a piece if poop.

 

i also have a kinor...now that's a way better camera all around...but it's no arri or mitchell or moviecam...also pin register but only one side of the film get's pulldown and register...mirror is fixed at 180. better viewfinder than the konvas...sync camera...

 

hollywood is junking all their good equipment and there's tons on ebay being sold for pennys...it will be stupid to spend money on a konvas when you can have something that used to cost 20x the price of a konvas...but now pretty much the same price...

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wow! how dare people say mitchell cameras are a nightmare...best transport ever made...konvas is a nightmare not a mitchell...

 

have you guys forgot about arri's? 35bl's are very very good cameras and they're pin register...there's some on ebay dirt cheap

 

for the price of a konvas with all the bullshit you stated you can get your hands on a mitchell or an arri bl

 

if you go for a mitchell look for a fries conversion 35r3 with a linx motor...mirror reflex some have a variable shutter, transport for 120fps dual pulldown pin register ...easy to find parts, easy to find 2perf conversions or 3 perf. pl, pv, nikon mount. absolute must for plate work. i can go on and on with a mitchell... i own two konvas...they good cameras but to compare to a mitchell they're a piece if poop.

 

i also have a kinor...now that's a way better camera all around...but it's no arri or mitchell or moviecam...also pin register but only one side of the film get's pulldown and register...mirror is fixed at 180. better viewfinder than the konvas...sync camera...

 

But please. Find me a Mitchell fully sorted for 2thousand pounds.

 

hollywood is junking all their good equipment and there's tons on ebay being sold for pennys...it will be stupid to spend money on a konvas when you can have something that used to cost 20x the price of a konvas...but now pretty much the same price...

 

I love the way people defend cameras, as if they had something to do with their legacy. When the reality is they are filming their dog on a Canon HV20 and sit on here dreaming.

 

Listen Buddy. I've had plenty of experience shooting with a mitchell and its like a washing machine. Do I want to cart around a mitchell to shoot my film? NO. The konvas produces incredibly results and I DARE you to talk about Olex's incredible motors like that. You my friend need to have a good hard think before you trash Konvas.

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I love the way people defend cameras, as if they had something to do with their legacy. When the reality is they are filming their dog on a Canon HV20 and sit on here dreaming.

 

Listen Buddy. I've had plenty of experience shooting with a mitchell and its like a washing machine. Do I want to cart around a mitchell to shoot my film? NO. The konvas produces incredibly results and I DARE you to talk about Olex's incredible motors like that. You my friend need to have a good hard think before you trash Konvas.

 

 

Sure Olex motors are good...i would trade my konvas for an old mitchell washing machine...gladly!

 

here's a mitchell fries for 2000 pounds

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/35R3-FRIES-MITCHELL-CAMERA-W-NIKON-LENS-MT-ARRI-/150630900873?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23124d2489

 

still think it's a washing machine? video assist is included on that too!!

 

i'm don't hate konvas cameras i just think there's better stuff for the same money...sorry!

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ANDREI RUBLEV. END OF CONVERSATION. GOOD NIGHT. GOD BLESS.

 

DON FILM BAR NONE. But hay, hold up, Camerotype needs a camera better than the greatest film maker ever. Because hold up, Andrei Rublev was a technical mess. I mean, look at it, gate weave, hair in gate, useless lenses. WAKE UP BUDDY. Stop blaming the equipment. If you cant make a masterpiece on a Konvas, you aint gonna make a masterpiece on a mitchell. But hay the little wickle image is a little bit steadier.

 

mmm, dont seem to recall many CGI digital set extensions that required extreme registration in Andrei Rublev. Come on man. Its about the film you make, not the camera. And the mitchell is far too heavy to be practical.

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