Repair of Canon Scoopic vs Bolex EL

[Doug Palmer]

1 hour ago, Simon Wyss said:

Beaulieu claw leaves film in +4 position, i. e. perforation hole # 4 counted from the optical axis. Paillard-Bolex +3 consistent with DIN 69. Beaulieu exposure time according to 144 degrees of a disc shutter. Mirror shutter reflex finder really not bad.

Noisy. Lightweight. Small base. Compact and handy. https://www.filmvorfuehrer.de/topic/12697-über-die-dritte-große-europäische-16-mm-film-kamera/

The electric models are not very noisy when well maintained, and are very compact, certainly when using prime lenses.  Small base can have a sturdy flat base added. The image stability is usually good.  On two cameras I had, there was a very small focusing discrepancy, ie the sharp viewfinder-image did not tally with the image on the film. I don't know if this is a common fault or not.  Whatever camera you eventually decide on, suggest a good service. All are antiques !

[Jon O'Brien]

I think the solution is a Canon Scoopic. It's wise to pay to have the owner film a test reel for you, and check for stability, focus and the dreaded flicker that some models have.

It's good to know about the Beaulieu.

[Doug Palmer]

That's a great solution, but how can you be sure the owner will do the test  properly. Only the flicker might show, if any.  I would think only some sort of guarantee ?

[Jon O'Brien]

I agree, a money back guarantee too.

Regarding the flicker that appears in footage shot on some Scoopics, I'd say Dom's suggestion that it may be something to do with the camera hunting for the right speed/exposure is probably the source of it. At a very rough guess I'd say it's about 10 frames per second flicker (the image darkens or lightens a tiny amount that many times a second). I don't see how it could be a pressure plate problem as the focus stays crisp and there's no motion blur and the film stays at the same focal distance.

A clue is that I read recently a post by Will Montgomery here at cinematography.com where he states that he gets excellent results with his Scoopic when he uses the camera's auto exposure to set the exposure, and then he manually locks the exposure and films the shot.

[Jon O'Brien]

Then again, if it's a problem of the speed not being constant, and rapidly cycling through faster and slower speed, this will affect the exposure time regardless of what the aperture does. So, this alone might be the problem, as Dom said. In that case I wonder if a crystal-controlled Scoopic would do away with any concerns with flicker.

[Doug Palmer]

On 10/31/2021 at 10:31 PM, Jon O'Brien said:

Then again, if it's a problem of the speed not being constant, and rapidly cycling through faster and slower speed, this will affect the exposure time regardless of what the aperture does. So, this alone might be the problem, as Dom said. In that case I wonder if a crystal-controlled Scoopic would do away with any concerns with flicker.

 

 It does sound strange this issue. If it's a speed fluctuation, you would presumably see the erratic behaviour of a length of film-leader through gate. Although I've no personal experience with the Scoopic, I am attracted to its body design, with the low centre of gravity and its short zoom lens.

[Jon O'Brien]

It's interesting how it's difficult to figure out what causes it. A rare problem by the sound of it. You would also think you would hear a pulsing in the sound/pitch of the motor and the sound of the film itself during running. All the famous 16mm cameras have such a distinctive and different look -- the Beaulieu, Bolex, Canon, Arri, etc ... dare I use that much overused word "iconic," whereas Super 8 cameras often look similar. The Scoopic is a very practical design I agree. Perfect for handheld shooting.