Converting to super 16mm.

[Ezra Bassin-Hill]

Does anyone know a tech who does this service for arri 16s as well as swapping to PL Mount?

[Kevin Neal]

Duall Camera in NJ.

http://www.duallcamera.com/services/index.shtml

[Aaron Martin @ OH]

I'm sorry to say that Du-All no longer does this conversion.I go the bad news when I sent them an inquiry in February about converting my own 16s. 

Have you considered using slower stocks and cropping the image? There are several threads on this forum detailing how to do this effectively.

[Ezra Bassin-Hill]

Yeah I spoke with them. I’m guessing that means you havent found anyone to do the conversion? Maybe we can team together and convince someone it’s worthwhile.

[Aaron Martin @ OH]

I haven't found anyone, and I really haven't been looking. I'm going the slow stock/cropping route for when I need a 16x9 image.

[Ezra Bassin-Hill]

What about converting to PL mount?

[Aaron Martin @ OH]

Once I got the word from Du-All I stopped looking for a tech or rental house that will do that kind of work on a 16s. I decided to use my camera as-is, turret, soft Schneiders and all. 

[Philip Forrest]

Perhaps try Bernie at Super16inc in upstate NY. When I spoke to them a month or so ago, they said they were backlogged with work and weren't accepting any new jobs but to check back in May, FYI.

Phil Forrest

[Ezra Bassin-Hill]

That’s who i was hoping to find! His number doesn’t seem to be connected anymore though.

[Ben Ericson]

"Dr. Bolex" does them. I had Arthur convert one for me in May of last year. No idea what his availability is. He was also nice enough to spend a half over going over details and talking shop. 

https://www.drbolex.com

I sold it to a friend of mine and he shot B cam on this. All the shots with the Century 5.7mm.

https://vimeo.com/468406581

[Ben Ericson]

8 hours ago, Aaron Martin @ OH said:

I decided to use my camera as-is, turret, soft Schneiders and all. 

You need those Kern RX lenses! I do agree cropping R16 with a higher quality scan can look really really nice. 

[Ezra Bassin-Hill]

Biggest issue for me is non reflex viewing, non variable 180° shutter, and no ability to shoot 22fps

 

dr bolex converted an arri 16s?

Edited April 29, 2021 by Ezra Bassin-Hill

[Dom Jaeger]

I don’t know what Du-All were doing with their Arri 16St conversion, or how much they charged, but no-one is going to do a decent job of converting that camera to S16 for less than several thousand dollars. Bruce from Aranda Film here in Melbourne used to offer this conversion - it needed a new mirror (shifted forward), new viewfinder optics, a new front, lots of body machining and a modified gate that isn’t actually suited to S16 because the left support rail can’t be machined back, meaning the expanded image area is in contact with the rail. He used to charge about US$3500 fifteen years ago. Back when S16 was an industry standard and cameras cost tens of thousands of dollars that was a pretty good deal for the amount of work involved. Nowadays it’s a waste of money, even if you found someone with the skills and tools to do it.

Anyone with a machine shop or a file can open out the gate on a camera and call it Super 16. But a shoddy conversion will turn a decent camera into a doorstop. 

If you really need a S16 camera, my advice would be to save up and buy an Aaton or an SR3, otherwise use the Arri 16St as it was designed and just crop for 16:9.

[Dom Jaeger]

18 hours ago, Ben Ericson said:

"Dr. Bolex" does them. I had Arthur convert one for me in May of last year. No idea what his availability is. He was also nice enough to spend a half over going over details and talking shop. 

https://www.drbolex.com

I sold it to a friend of mine and he shot B cam on this. All the shots with the Century 5.7mm.

https://vimeo.com/468406581

Do you mean this camera, with the off-centre vignette and light leak?

[Ben Ericson]

19 hours ago, Dom Jaeger said:

Do you mean this camera, with the off-centre vignette and light leak?

I mistakenly posted that thinking this was about modding a Bolex. I was mistaken.

That type of light leak is from loading a S16 Bolex camera in bright daylight. Check the edges on any standard 16mm clip or Super 16mm clip, it always has that same amount of burn. 

Not sure about the vignetting, as I don't own the Kern 16 - 100. I do know that the vignetting is never even on the wider Century lenses.

The weird notch at the edge of the gate sucks.