Bruce McNaughton

Hi We now have an Arri BL2 in 2 perf which we can rent along with several 2Cs. It is very suitable for steadicam work. Also watch Ebay in a week or two for a very special 3 PERF super 35 Cameflex that is in our workshop right now. Regards Bruce

The lens 'tube' is shorter in the door with the anamorphic system. You cannot add the anamorphic section without changing the lens tube as well. Pulling the 'long' one back and using a spacer may work but it will seriously alter the focus. Regards Bruce

I doubt that this line of thinking is correct. As far as I know the very first ARRI (AR from Arnold and RI from Richter) did not incorporate not the spinning mirror invention, for which they gained an Oscar many years later. But their second model did. This was the Arriflex 1. It was apparently developed to capture the Berlin Olympics in 1936. I think that you will find that the only similarity with the Eyemo is the 3 lens turret. But I also understand that most cameras at that time had a turret. I know for a fact that the drive train bears little resemblance. Arri cameras were brought to the United States during the war, captured from Nazi cameramen. The US (very poor copy) version was a US knockoff, so to suggest that the Arri people used a US camera as their model is I think a bit off the mark... Interesting piece of trivia is that my first employer was a newsreel cameraman during the second world war. He used an Arri (no idea where it came from to be issued by Movietone Australia as standard equipment.) He tells the story that he stood up to get a shot at some Germans who instantly surrendered to him thinking that he had a gun... Regards Bruce

Sorry. I tried to upload a 4th photo (one of the lens sets) but the system would not allow it...

Another photo

I have on my bench what I believe to be the last working 3 strip camera in the world. It is a Kinopanorama (Russian) model #6. There were only 6 made. I have recently ground the 18 pins for B & H film stock (it had pins for the Eastern European KS perforated film.) And I have replace the original enormous motor with a small 3 phase rare earth motor and our 5000 speed electronics. This camera, unlike the Cinerama models is a single box with the 3 gates side by side. The lenses all point straight out and the outside lenses are angled through prisms. Quite a nice system. This camera has interchangeable 27, 35, 50, 75MM lens sets. The outside lenses also change angle and compensate for distance as the focus is moved. Again unlike the Cinerama units these lenses are in pairs, just like an original Rolleiflex. The upper lens of each set is the shooting lens and the bottom lens is directed down on to a ground glass viewing screen where the entire 3 panels are seen via a magnifying lens and sun visor at the rear of the camera. The three strips are side by side in the magazine and are taken up by a unique clutch system. Threading of the camera is a nightmare. Getting that "C" strip into the sprockets and through the gate really demands a few extra fingers. Not something that you can do as the train is approaching and you have 30 seconds to get ready... It has a very nice well thought out feature. Each aperture has tiny V grooves at the bottom. One, two and 3 V grooves tell the editor and neg matcher which roll they are handling without any chance of error. The photo of the entire camera shows the original motor. This photo was taken before we started working on the camera.

Jesus Paul, have a valium, lie down and relax...

Hi Glen Yes I do have one of these E-mail me at bruce@arandafilm.com.au and we can work something out Regards Bruce

Hi My experience with Arri Germany (and Arri Australia) is that you will never get any reply or acknowledgment. Sorry to be so negative buy there is very little 'after sales service' attached to Arri. Arri U.K are conversely quite helpful. They seem to get the answers out of Munich on your behalf... I have no experience with Arritechno so I sadly cannot assist you either Regards Bruce

Dear Paul and Herb We have converted Mitchells to S16. If you want details, prices please contact me at bruce@arandafilm.com.au Regards Bruce

Hi No they are not compatible Bruce

Hi, a couple of additions to the discussion... The theatre at Paramount where I used to view VV prints was the GARY COOPER THEATER. It had a single Century projector, about 4 moth-eaten seats, an old standard lamp and smelled like a pre-war European train. However the screen image was steady enough. Technicolor did an optical 70MM blow up from my VV neg, no intermediates. They similarly could do a direct reduction to 1.85:1 4 perf 35. Intermediates would be just as easy. However the world turns and maybe the gear is now full of rust or cobwebs. Or perhaps there is no one there who knows how to operate it. I sure hope that the Technicolor management has changed... Regards Bruce

Hi I sent an e-mail to the address above but with no reply. I am interested in seeing a few photos of your equipment. You can send these to bruce@arandafilm.com.au Thanks

Yo Paul, I've got six VVs here. Hasn't helped my finances either... Bruce

Will, We do the Arri S super 16 conversion for $AUD3750. The Arri S has a tricky turret, set at an angle. We remove this and provide a hard front in either Arri bayonet, Arri standard or PL mount. Your choice Regards Bruce

Tim Our conversion price is $AUD 3,500. A lot less expensive than our/any SR conversion. The price includes the modification of 2 mags. We also do video taps, hidden in the door... Bruce

Dear members We convert Arri 16BL cameras to super 16 regularly. We manufacture a larger replacement glass mirror, set it forward of it's original position for optical alignment. Our replacement super 16 ground glass has no vignetting, the camera's optics handle the wider image perfectly. We may be the only ones doing this conversion but it produces a perfect result and gives your BL years of extra life. There are absolutely no issues, compromises or problems with this conversion Bruce

Dear Members Some of you may be interested in our latest Rotavision 5000 (5000 crystal speeds) motor. Developed from our Kinor and Konvas range by client request is our Arri 5000 motor. We have delivered a few but we just go around to taking photographs. This one was delivered to a member last week. It has all of the features of the others in the series and will fit under any model 35mm Arriflex (1, 1A, 2A, 2B, 2C.) The footage display will count 4 perf, 3 perf and 2 perf usage On our bench is a 5000 motor for a client's CM3 Cameflex (3 perf) and one for a Mitchell NC (2 perf.) We have delivered one for a GC and believe it or not we have just installed one in the last running KINOPANORAMA (USSR version of CINERAMA) 3 strip camera... I have never been able to add an image to a post but here goes... If you can't see it here please go to the link below: Regards and happy shooting Bruce Arri 5000 speed motor

Hi all People have short memories so I thought that I should confirm that we convert the wonderful BL16 to super 16 regularly. The BLis a very robust camera. Drop an ACL and your crew can go home. Same with Aaton. Very light and fragile... The BL's movement will just go on and on. Thank the Germans for over engineering with this camera. The zoom blimp, designed to keep the noise in is really a strong feature of this camera... The controls are big, smooth and natural. You can buy a good one most days of the week on Ebay for around $2000. Add the conversion cost of $2,600 and you have a very valuable, pin registered camera that will give you top quality images, a lot cheaper than renting the latest SR Regards Bruce

This question assumes that you want to frame 2.35 using the centre of the film (Techniscope format) rather than shoot with anamorphic lenses. If you were using anamorphic lenses you would have no need for frame lines because you would use the full height of the gate/ground glass. Of course you must have a 'scope' gate and a 'scope' ground glass. But if you just want to frame your shots within the academy frame (Techniscope format) you can draw the top and bottom lines using a steady hand and an 8H pencil. The height that you need is 9.40MM. The width is the same as the 1.85:1 markings Regards Bruce

Thought I'd wait until everyone had his say on the subject... Of course you can never do a gate check to check for scratches or hairs. The moment that you open the camera you ruin the (probably) middle of a perfectly good scene. And you can not change lenses (well maybe very quickly on a focal plane shutter camera) and you should cap the lens between takes. Any light sneaking around the shutter will ruin the previously exposed, or about to be exposed, run. Oh go on, do a full conversion and have none of these worries. Bruce

No we stay well away from the port under the viewfinder. Almost everything installed there is either susceptible to being knocked off or is the way of either the follow focus or the camera door. I understand that a 'swing away' system may be usable, but we have not put our energies into anything that is not friendly or highly utilitarian Regards Bruce

We place the video tap on the top of the camera, to the right hand side of the viewfinder using a half mirror set-up for maximum light to both tap and viewfinder. The video tap in this position safe, not protruding dangerously out of the side or the front of the Kinor. You will notice that the new handle on Sean's camera is quite high allowing for a video tap (next job.) The type of video camera depends a lot on the client's budget. We can supply anything from high end 3 CCD flickerless to a Sony monochrome. Regards Bruce

Hi all I have just completed my Kinor 5000 electronics web site. It has a couple of nice pictures (especially home page and last page of Sean Morris' camera, recently painted by us, sporting a new carry handle and of course our 5000 electronics package. We are currently adapting the 5000 electronics to suit Arri 2C, Cameflex. Also developing a wireless remote start and a bloop light/audio tone for Paul Bruenings camera (Mitchell GC with 5000 electronics) We can be talked into anything... http://www.kinor.arandafilm.com.au Regards Bruce

It's probably better that our clients, rather than me, respond to the performance of the electronics. We certainly place the digital readouts next to the assistant where they belong and course our 5000 crystal speeds are very useful. Ours has an accessory plug that accepts an intervalometer and a remote start/stop/speed readout unit. And we have addressed the problem of insufficient torque in the 1000 ft mags. Discounts? We offer 20% if we do two cameras together, similar to the deal on the 2/3 perf conversions Regards Bruce