K3 Registration Repair?

[Mario Regus]

Hi I just got back my first roll of 16mm film shot on a Krasnogorsk K3. The film is very shaky which is indicative of registration problems. Does anyone here know of any repair houses that can address this problem. I've read these are good cameras if you can get a good one, unfortunately it seems I've gotten a bad one!

 

Thanks

[camarotype]

if you have the auto-loop formers...i suggest you remove them.

 

i have a k3 and it works perfect without the loop formers. obsviously you have to load the camera manually.

[Michael Panfeld]

Try Bernie at Super 16 Inc in NY

[Phil Rhodes]

If the footage you've already shot is important, it's probably possible to fix it.

 

P

[Dom Jaeger]

As someone else mentioned, the loop formers on K3s were poorly designed, and often don't retract properly, causing the film to rub against them and potentially cause scratching and registration issues. Which is why many people remove them. There's a website that describes the removal process I think. The size of the loop is important for steadiness, but manually forming it is quite easy.

 

The other main causes of unsteadiness in this kind of camera are too much pressure from the pressure plate, and friction in the gate (usually from dirt build-up). There are other causes, but these are the most common.

 

If you're up for it, it might be worth removing the loop formers, cleaning the gate and checking that the pressure plate has some give when it's up against the film. To find out if the camera is scratching, run 2 feet of a 3 foot length of fresh stock through, then before removing the film, with a sharpie mark on the film where the gate starts and ends. Remove the film and study both sides for scratching (you're looking for continuous or repetitive longitudinal scratches. Depending on where a scratch starts relative to your gate marks, you can tell what part of the transport is scratching.

 

If it's all good, shoot a quick test. It may not need a visit to the doctor.

[Olex Kalynychenko]

Hi I just got back my first roll of 16mm film shot on a Krasnogorsk K3. The film is very shaky which is indicative of registration problems.

 

If you will have idea about 16 mm cine camera with stable image, check iformation about Kinor-16 SX-2M with registration pin claw mechanism.

[Mario Regus]

As someone else mentioned, the loop formers on K3s were poorly designed, and often don't retract properly, causing the film to rub against them and potentially cause scratching and registration issues. Which is why many people remove them. There's a website that describes the removal process I think. The size of the loop is important for steadiness, but manually forming it is quite easy.

 

The other main causes of unsteadiness in this kind of camera are too much pressure from the pressure plate, and friction in the gate (usually from dirt build-up). There are other causes, but these are the most common.

 

If you're up for it, it might be worth removing the loop formers, cleaning the gate and checking that the pressure plate has some give when it's up against the film. To find out if the camera is scratching, run 2 feet of a 3 foot length of fresh stock through, then before removing the film, with a sharpie mark on the film where the gate starts and ends. Remove the film and study both sides for scratching (you're looking for continuous or repetitive longitudinal scratches. Depending on where a scratch starts relative to your gate marks, you can tell what part of the transport is scratching.

 

If it's all good, shoot a quick test. It may not need a visit to the doctor.

 

Thanks for the replies...On this particular K3 it appears the loop formers were removed by a previous owner. The film is scratchy as well so checking the pressure plate and gate might be a good idea. Is it possible to sand the plate down with a light sandpaper? Also how critical to film transport are the size of the loops?