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Crystal Synced Super8


Heersbeer

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Maybe this will cheer you up after the bad K40 news.

 

For the last three months I have been working on a crystal sync unit for super8 and 16mm camera's. I'm happy to say I've developed a working prototype. Within a few months I will be selling this unit together with a camera modification service.

 

The unit will also feature a digital framecounter.

 

The price will be around ?300($350).

 

I will keep you informed on this forum.

 

Marko

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Maybe this will cheer you up after the bad K40 news.

 

For the last three months I have been working on a crystal sync unit for super8 and 16mm camera's. I'm happy to say I've developed a working prototype. Within a few months I will be selling this unit together with a camera modification service.

 

The unit will also feature a digital framecounter.

 

The price will be around €300($350).

 

I will keep you informed on this forum.

 

Marko

Make sure to inform the filmshooting forum also. I'm sure they will be happy about this good news.

 

One of the first questions they will ask: Which cameras?

 

 

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The camera I synced is a Nizo 116. I did this because it's a very basic camera but has a flash contact which I need for feedback.

 

I'm also working on a Nizo professional for the moment, I plan to modify all Nizo's and later I will work on Canon(1014 and 814).

 

It would be nice if I could do the beaulieu's too but they don't have a flash contact which makes it harder. There is a way to get a pulse from a beaulieu, I just have to find out how and how I can make that worthy of production.

 

Anyway, there is a lot coming up, I have also done some tests to make a monitor for super8 camera's(universal).

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Guest Ian Marks

At current exchange rates that 300 pounds will work out to considerably more than 350 dollars - by my calculations $562.05.

 

I'm glad the crystal option is available for some cameras, but it's still far too expensive for me.

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Got to be $350. With over $500, they will go with TFG.

 

Nikon, Canon, Leicina Specials are a must since those are popular cameras too.

 

Interesting subject but, at present, most of the discussion is the obsolescense of K40. I do not want they will bury your topic if you bring it up now.

 

 

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I'm also interested. I have a Nizo 6080 I need to crystal sync in one month. It's got a flash contact, so can you finalize by then? And can you download some pictures of yout 116 with the modification? This has been asked already, but is it an internal modification also? Will it run on the camera battery? Will it take a while for the film to get to speed, and if so, how long?

 

Chris

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At current exchange rates that 300 pounds will work out to considerably more than 350 dollars - by my calculations $562.05.

 

I'm glad the crystal option is available for some cameras, but it's still far too expensive for me.

 

Methinks he wrote ? as in Euros rather than £ as in pounds Sterling, so it might effectively be closer to $350. Fair price if you ask me!

 

BTW, IIRC my Beaulieu 6008 DOES have a PC flash contact, so that quartz might work too?

 

Regards,

 

Alex

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  • 2 weeks later...

As I said in my prologue, it will be available within two months. I plan to specialize on Nizo and Canon first but once I have the technology it won't be hard to do other camera's as well.

 

The price will be around 300 euros and not pounds.

 

The unit will be an external device because most camera's simply don't have enough space.

 

It will work on an 9v battery and the power cost to the camera will be the same

 

It will take some time for the camera to stabilize speed. Right now that time is only two seconds but I'm trying to make it less.

 

The device is nearly finished but it needs a couple of finishing touches. I would be able to bring it out now but I really want it to be completely stable since I don't want complaints from costumers and I want to build up a good reputation.

 

As soon as it is available, you all will be the first to know.

 

Regards,

 

Marko van Gemerden

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  • 2 years later...

The device is nearly finished but it needs a couple of finishing touches. I would be able to bring it out now but I really want it to be completely stable since I don't want complaints from costumers and I want to build up a good reputation.

 

As soon as it is available, you all will be the first to know.

 

Regards,

 

Marko van Gemerden

 

What ever happened to this unit did anybody ever see one ?

 

Regards

 

Don

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The device is nearly finished but it needs a couple of finishing touches. I would be able to bring it out now but I really want it to be completely stable since I don't want complaints from costumers and I want to build up a good reputation.

 

As soon as it is available, you all will be the first to know.

 

Regards,

 

Marko van Gemerden

What ever happened to this unit did anybody ever see one ?

 

Regards

 

Don

 

 

 

Yes, I would like to know as well. Did anyone ever buy one?

 

 

chris

 

 

Boston, MA

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... a flash contact which I need for feedback. ...

A flash contact gives only one feedback pulse per frame. This is not sufficient for a perfectly stable running speed.

 

The crystal motors and control units we used to make generally had anywhere from 9 to 60 pulses per frame feedback to the control circuit.

 

Too low a sampling rate gives "hunting" with under and over correction of speed errors which are integrated (delayed once removed you might say) from the actual velocity, so the phase shifts back and forth causing exposure changes, with any momentary change in friction.

 

Too high a sampling rate, on the other hand, gives overcontrol and excessive gain of the feedback signal, so the speed cannot be stabilized with any practical lead-lag network and continually oscillates up and down.

 

You cannot just arbitrarily pick a sample rate.

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A flash contact gives only one feedback pulse per frame. This is not sufficient for a perfectly stable running speed.

 

The crystal motors and control units we used to make generally had anywhere from 9 to 60 pulses per frame feedback to the control circuit.

 

Yes I was wondering how he thought that would work. I am only familiar with the CP16 which uses 600HZ @ 24 FPS from their optical tacho with 600HZ divided down fom the ref oscillator.

I believe Bolex on their external sync box for the 16EL uses 1000HZ @25 FPS from pulse generator and feeding back into camera from comparator 100 HZ

 

 

Regards

 

Don

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am about to shoot a documentary using my NIZO PRO and

a HANDY H4 digital recorder. I have not made any sync tests yet

but I am sure that within 2min 30secs of film (24fps) (50 feet catridge)

when you actually sync it up lets say in a AVID (or a FINAL CRASH PRO)

there is no problem at all. If any sync is lost you can easely

fix it using PRO TOOLS or even in the AVID with DEA plug-ins

like time compression-expansion. All you need is a good old slate

Scene/shot/take both visual and audio and Bob's your uncle !

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