Aaton Xtera vs Arri 416

Corwin Garber · January 2, 2016

I am getting ready to shoot my first feature on film, and I have decided (after watching black swan and moonrise kingdom) that 16mm is the way to go and can hold up in the theater if you treat it with respect. I love film. I am looking for opinions from the masses on which camera to go with. I plan on purchasing it given the market. Here's what I understand so far (with help from kenny suleimanagich, a member here):

416

advantages over xtera:

-integrated motor control ports

-accessories work seamlessly with camera and are widely used

Xtera

advantages over 416:

-800' mags are available

-extra parts are more available to purchase

-perhaps slightly better when shooting hand held?

Has anyone compared the video tap feed resolutions? How about how the eyepiece appears when peeking through? and major difference between the 24v powered 416 and the 12v powered xtera? Any other insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

-Corwin

Giray Izcan · January 2, 2016

You can't go wrong with either of it. They are both fantastic, state of the art cameras. As for the video tap, they are both sd resolution since the purpose is for framing nothing else really. Unlike SRs, 416 is really easy to hand-hold. Personally, I don't mind the SRs either.

Satsuki Murashige · January 2, 2016

There are integrated lens motor controls only on the 416 Plus, I believe. There is also a 416 High Speed which can go up to 150fps, just like the SR3 HS. The 416s are still being rented so I think they will be more expensive to purchase used than Xteras. Xtera on-board batteries are probably easier to find, I believe they are the same as the XTR Prod NP style batteries.

Kenny N Suleimanagich · January 2, 2016

Another plus I would add is the wide availability of 12v batteries (SLA, etc)

Adrian Sierkowski · January 3, 2016

In truth; when it comes to film cameras absent a few things like shutter angles and speeds, they are really just boxes which hold the film. I would almost advise to buy something like an SR3 or an older XTR and then use the savings to get some glass, or extra film, filters, mattebox, etc etc all the stuff you really need to make it more than, well, a very well engineered sewing machine.

Also a bit comes down to brand loyalty and familiarity-- for example, I use Arris, almost exclusively. I could of course use an Aaton (and have) and use a Panavision; but I understand Arris since that's what i grew up on and personally trust. And when it comes to me saying this is the camera we should use, I need to really know the thing.

Also I like the SRs with a flat base more than the Aatons/416s with the curves-- but that's just me.

Kenny N Suleimanagich · January 3, 2016

The 416 also shares optics with the 235. The viewfinder is big and bright although I've only experienced the viewfinder of an XTR Prod from Aaton and not a true Xtera. I don't know if they updated them or not.

Edited January 3, 2016 by Kenny N Suleimanagich

Tyler Purcell · January 3, 2016

I agree with Adrian. I'd spend less money on the body and more money on glass and support. I have an LTR 54 and it's a wonderful camera. It has a great tap, crystal sync up to 54fps and is well made. I really like its straight forward simplicity, it's just a black box, it doesn't need to be a Swiss Army knife like the 416. I've also learned that most of the recent 16 productions have used aaton. I never understood why, but now that I own and have used one on a few shoots, it's so well balanced and works great hand held. I also like the 12v battery system and super easy to load mags. Coming from the word of arri, I'm very impressed with the Aaton inside and out. You can get XTR prods for peanuts if you look around.

Corwin Garber · January 3, 2016

Thank you guys for the thoughts. I am inspired by the idea to spend more on glass and lovely add-ons... If I may: what more do you really get with a 416/xtera vs. say a XTR prod or an LTR 54?

Corwin Garber · January 3, 2016

Just found this post which pretty much answers my question:

http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?showtopic=5654&p=43845

Thanks everybody

Tyler Purcell · January 3, 2016

Thank you guys for the thoughts. I am inspired by the idea to spend more on glass and lovely add-ons... If I may: what more do you really get with a 416/xtera vs. say a XTR prod or an LTR 54?

Yea, that link is good. Really the biggest difference between the LTR and XTR is standard PL mount, built-in beam splitter with more standard video tap and magnetic drive magazines. My LTR doesn't make much noise, the XTR is even quieter. Outside of those differences, they're pretty much the same camera with minor changes over the years. Aaton pioneered and patented the tapered pull-down claw system, which is quite amazing and very different from what Arri uses. Plus, since the film runs through gears, the pull-down system is less in charge of the film movement. So even though it doesn't have a registration pin, I've found the registration to be absolutely spot on. Without the pin, the movement is a lot quieter because all it does is pull down instead of hold. Not saying the SR3 is loud, it's pretty quiet, just saying Aaton's design is better.

If you want a camera tomorrow, call up visual products. They have a refurbished XTR prod with 3 mag's and new batteries for $3k. It's a great package to get you started. You can find them for less if you look hard, but if you just want one, I'd nab that one.