Jump to content

Matthew F. Leonetti's Ultracam 35


Guest Nisar Bazmi

Recommended Posts

  • Premium Member

Everyone is entitled to their opinion... even Tyler!

 

I’m totally kidding you buddy! I really appreciate and enjoy your posts! You are incredibly knowledgeable. 
 

G

 

image.png

Edited by Gregory Irwin
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
7 hours ago, Gregory Irwin said:

Everyone is entitled to their opinion... even Tyler!

 

I’m totally kidding you buddy! I really appreciate and enjoy your posts! You are incredibly knowledgeable. 
 

G

LOL ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/2/2020 at 4:26 PM, Nisar Bazmi said:

Color reproduction or spectrum are correlated within a camera system, just like an automobile is correlated with a motor and transmission. But nice to know you worked with him sometimes. Ever seen his debut stance as a cinematographer in Child's Play 3?

I operated Steadicam on Child’s Play 3 ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/2/2020 at 9:13 PM, Tyler Purcell said:

Many people think the reason why classic movies look a certain way is due to the camera system, but the reality is, that's a very "digital" way of thinking. Motion picture cameras are just boxes that move film, they don't create the image. The lens and film are what create the image. If you put 50 film cameras next to each other, all with the same stock and same lenses, they would all look identically. 

If you were to use one of these cameras today, with modern lenses and modern stocks, it would look like modern movie. 

I don't understand what this statement is suppose to mean, it's not a video camera. 

Who said it was a budget camera? I'm unaware it was available for general consumer purchases, I believe they only made a few in order to meet the demands of a few rental houses. 

I think only Leonetti rented these cameras in Hollywood.

At one time, I think there were 17 bodies in use.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
1 hour ago, Bruce Greene said:

I think only Leonetti rented these cameras in Hollywood.

Ohh interesting, so he was trying to pull a panavision with custom cameras. My friend didn't mention that, he said they were for sale. 

He said there were only 15 made, but maybe the two that Matthew owned, weren't counted in that. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, Tyler Purcell said:

Ohh interesting, so he was trying to pull a panavision with custom cameras. My friend didn't mention that, he said they were for sale. 

He said there were only 15 made, but maybe the two that Matthew owned, weren't counted in that. 

I think a couple of the bodies were destroyed in accidents...

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
Guest Nisar Bazmi

Does this image look like a good colored palette from a camera used back in '91?

8837_15_large.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Nisar Bazmi

From a tripod excerpt:

A full featured 35MM production camera very similar in design to the Panaflex Gold.

Extreamly quiet, double pin registration, spinning mirror reflex, crystal controled, 360 degree orientable viewfinder, heated eyepiece, built in follow focus, built in de-anamorphoser, 4  500' and  4 1000' Mags, studio or hand held configuration,  extention eye piece, 5X6 3 stage swing away matte box,  video tap, and features:

 5 Ultranon Speed Prime lenses

These lenses developed specifically for the Ultracam 35 feature Ziess Super Speed optics with a Mitchell BNCR Hardfront Mount or Cook 25 - 250 Zoom Lenses

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

I know this thread is a few years old now but thought I would chime in.  I was never a huge film camera guru but we owned an UltraCam and a set of their UltraNon primes.  I've never used Panavision so I can't compare to those--we just had the UltraCam35 plus a few Arri 16mm and 35mm packages for local films and commercials.  The UltraNon lenses were just Zeiss glass with an extra ring on the mount so the UltraCam would accept PL lenses but the UltraNon lenses would not fit other PL mount cameras.  The late Martin Hill bought the full camera inventory and spare parts from Leonetti rentals (or perhaps there was another middleman in the process) and had them all at his place in NC.  He had quite a collection of cameras (and guns) including rare cameras like a Mitchell that was used on "Gone with the Wind".  We bought a full UltraCam package from Martin (who was a truly fascinating guy!)  We had the pick of the litter and ended up with a SN that was supposedly most used by Leonetti and most reliable from the 15 or so that were made.  I seem to recall it was perhaps one of the middle serial numbers in the run.  Again, I don't have years of experience to compare, but it seemed to work well and we never had jamming issues.  It was fun to have this a piece of Hollywood history and put it to work for a few years.  We sold the package as 35mm projects were just starting to decline a bit in favor of video. 

I ended up on this thread today because I found a complete rotating mirror assembly for our UltraCam in a little metal box (so ours never had a lens hit the mirror!).  I hate to just chunk it in a dumpster so if anyone ends up with an UltraCam and wants an extra mirror, contact me and I'll happily send it on.  (ACS Sound and Lighting, West Columbia, SC).  

I know I have some pics around of our camera and a few from Martin.  I remember one that showed two UltraCams set up side-by-side--I seem to recall being told this was the set of Commando (I could be wrong?).  I'll add pics to the thread sometime when I find them.

Dave. S.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
  • Premium Member

I'm preparing to sell a full set of Ultranons I have owned for a long time.

Everyone says the 18mm is super 35 but I have an 18mm Ultranon that covers full frame up to 6k and all the rest cover Full Frame at 8k  as tested on an 8k Monstro VV.

8kVV35mmUltranon.thumb.jpg.d60411c2c3c6f6f858a7fbca63241614.jpg

Ultranon35mm.thumb.jpg.8383da5f8c7e4de51b6e09de625fc399.jpg

 

Here is a shot of the 35mm at FF 8k.

These are all extremely fast and I love how they look.

I have seen a few sets for sale lately asking between $47,900 and 60k.

It is interesting reading the history of this glass and knowing there are very few sets still circulating.

Does anyone have any suggestions on where the best place would be to post these lenses for sale?

Thank you kindly,

-Jamie Trent

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
19 minutes ago, David Mullen ASC said:

I thought the UltraCam lenses were originally Canon K35s... anyway, I'm sure someone would be interested today in vintage glass that covers FF35!

The Ultranon lenses are mainly Contax Zeiss lenses 

Cooke Speed Panchro 18mm f1.7 / T2
Canon FD / K35 24mm f1,4
"Possibly" Konica Hexanon 28mm f1.7 (could be Contax Hollywood 28mm)
Contax 35mm f1.4
Contax 50mm f1.4
Contax 85mm f1.4
Contax 135mm f2

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Premium Member

Yes these are beautiful lenses. As soon as I get some more images showing how these look on the inside, I will post them.

I will also show photos of each lens including the 18mm on an 8k camera.
I know on the Monstro VV Vista Vision, the sensor is larger than full frame.

The 18mm was still clean for 6k but on the standard 8k sensor I recall the 18mm shows a clean 8k image with the work I had done to the 18mm lens. It makes a big difference to make the 18mm into covering full frame on 8k.
This is now the only set of Leonetti Ultranons I know of, that covers full frame for all 7 lenses 18, 24, 28, 35, 50, 85 and 135.

I wish I knew more about these lenses !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...