Bruce McNaughton

Hi Our 5000 crystal speed Kinor electronics package is priced at $USD2,500. See it at http://www.kinor.arandafilm.com.au We also offer a 2 perf conversion for this popular camera for $USD5,500 and conversions and 5000 electronics for most cameras Regards Bruce

Hi Jon Sorry, I have not visited the forum for a while... Thanks for your kind words. Yes the prices are fixed. Konvas $USD1350, Kinor $2500 The Kinor site is still incomplete. I am finishing the upgrading of a nice Kinor with new electronics and new dark blue paintwork. We do repaints... I will photograph this in a few days and finish the web site with a spiffy set of images. But for now, http://www.kinor.arandafilm.com.au Regards Bruce

Hi all Some time ago I announced our new 5000 crystal speed electronics for Kinor and Konvas cameras. I have installed a number of these systems now and have a few photographs of both cameras. You may see these at two new web sites: http://www.konvas.arandafilm.com.au http://www.kinor.arandafilm.com.au Although the Kinor site is incomplete, the motor specs are the same as for Konvas. These electronics are not exclusevily for Konvas/Kinor. They are adaptable to most cameras. Cheers Bruce

I might have a motor or two available for sale soon. The CM3 motor is undrpowered... that is it loses speed with the slightest extra load, or when the battery drops a tiny bit. We are currently working on a crystal conversion for motors that will run the CM3. It is a 5000 speed system based on our Kinor/Konvas electronics. See my post "New Kinor/Konvas 5000 motor electronics " Regards Bruce

Hello to all members Many of you have emailed me and a few have posted questions about our new KINOR 5000 and KONVAS 5000 motor electronics. Although I expected these projects to be completed by the end of April we had a last minute need to revise the circuits because a couple of components were discovered to be shortly ceasing production due to 'environmental' concerns. Not wise to start a production run with shortly-to-be-obsolete parts... Our first production run will now commence on May 15. We have several firm orders. The Kinor/Konvas 5000 electronics are so named because the package is capable of 5000 INDIVIDUAL CRYSTAL CONTROLLED SPEEDS from 1.00 to 50.00 frames per second, in .01 increments. Other features of the systems are: Ramp up and down (soft start/stop) at all speeds. Motor parking in viewing position. Jog (1 fps) function. Phase shift while running. Digital speed digital display on the operator side of camera. Film use digital display on operator side of camera. Start/stop button on operator side of camera. Button selection of 24/25/30 speeds. Thumb wheel selection of all speeds. Run/standby lights. Out of synch visual warning light. Internal DIP switch for 2 perf, 3 perf footage counting. 12V outlet for video. Accessory outlet for remote start/stop and animation/time lapse remote control units. The remote control units will follow. The start/stop remote control will house a camera speed digital display and out-of-synch warning light. The animation/time lapse remote control will offer 0.3 to 99.9 second exposure times in 0.1 increments, intervals to 9 hours, bursts to 9999 frames. The Kinor system will replace the original Russian electronics and will shorten the camera body length by some 80MM. The Konvas system will provide a new, solid motor housing which will also become a wide, stable flat base. Both systems will have attractive silver nameplates/panels, photo-anodised. The digital displays will be bright and easily read in daylight. The Konvas system will be a changeover system. You send us your motor and we will rehouse it, modernize it. Costs: Kinor $USD 2500, Konvas $USD 1350 These electronics are also adaptable to other cameras, Arri 2 (A, B & C,) Cameflex etc. No photos yet. The body castings will commence May 15. Regards Bruce

Been there, done that... Bruce VistaVision, that is Been there, done that... Bruce

We could easily fit one of our mounts to this casting. We would need the casting of course. We can set the flange depth on one of our 2Cs but you would need to have this checked when you mount the system to you own camera Regards Bruce

In fact it is not just missing a pin, it is missing the entire mount. What is shown in the photograph is the aluminium casting without any parts (2) of the BNCR stainless steel mount. Sorry about that. We make these mounts on a regular basis Regards Bruce

Hi Yes he just about covered it. The Konvas is not the best choice for 2 perf conversion, any model. However the later the model, the better is the ratio between cost of camera/cost of conversion. All Konvas models cost just under $USD5,000 to convert compared with an Arri 2C at $3,500. I know which camera I would prefer... Spend the saved $1,500 and buy an Arri... The design of the Konvas does necessitate a thorough re-build, complete claw, crank, main shaft, counterweight, magazine drive, gate of course. We provide a new 2.35:1/1.78:1 ground glass for all cameras but the Konvas alone has a poor viewfinder design which darkens severely, starting at the edges, as you stop down. I guess this and other design inadequacies (you can't check for scratches easily, you can't observe if the film is running freely, difficult-to-load magazines, very ordinary motor mounting system...) is why they are cheap to buy. But if you are going into a 2 perf production and you have a Konvas, you can still use it in 4 perf as an emergency backup to 2 perf cameras and extract the 2 perf images from it. This way it gets some use. Regards Bruce

Sounds like you are a victim of Konvas electronics. They say that all Russian camera electronics will fail, in time. Regards Bruce

My reading of this..."mirror in the viewfinder' is the small 20 x40 mm mirror betwen the ground glass and the viewfinder system, in the door. This 2mm thick front surface mirror would cost about $4 Regards Bruce

Thanks Clive Regards Bruce

I have converted 4 Kinors to 2 perf and there are 2 more to do in the next fortnight. It is not just a matter of "changing the size of the wheel" The movement is really nothing like a Mitchell. The claw mechanism has to be re-positioned this it is actually quite a tricky job. We spark a section out of the gate and insert a new 'block,' containing the 2 perf aperture. We make sure that the top and bottom rails are in contact with the film (unlike the 'hairless' gate) because if 2 perf has any drawbacks, it is the possibility of flare from highlights at the very top or bottom if frame migrating into the next image because 2 perf has no frame line to speak of. The feed in and feed out sprockets have to be slowed to half speed and we supply a new ground glass marked with 2.35:1 and 1.78:1. Regarding the Konvas conversion Adam, we have done 3 of these and indeed they are a bitch. But apart from the cost being a little out of balance with the value of the camera, they work fine in 2 perf. My favourite camera to convert is the Arri BL and next come the Mitchells. A reduction of noise was mentioned as a factor. Let me tell you that there is no appreciable difference with 2 perf. Everything runs at the same speed, except the mags, and they are usually silent anyway. The film still runs through at 24 frames per second and the only thing quieter is perhaps the lesser amount of film sliding through the gate, reducing this noise only. But with the fine grain of today's film stocks and the improvement in lens definition (since Techniscope in the 1960s) 2 perf is a very, very nice format. Sharp, giant screen pictures at half the cost... Regards Bruce

Hi Clive Thank you so much for the information. I have tried to find a substitute for the 2N307 without any luck. I don't suppose you would have a book there with equivalents...? Regards Bruce

Hi all I have here an Arri 2C constant speed motor which needs 3 replacement parts. I have contacted Arri Munich and was given the Germanic brush-off. "Do you realize that this equipment is 30 years old...?" I say 'do you realize that there are still hundreds of these cameras being used every day...' Arri tried to tell me that they no longer had a parts list nor a wiring diagram. I don't know why they are so unhelpful, after 30 years they should have given up the propriety secrecy... Anyway I digress... The parts are (1) the transistor. I need to know the type so that I can find a new one or an equivalent. (2) the two resistors that are cemented into the top of the motor. The only people who will be able to assist me with these are those who have worked on the motors and dug these out of their heat absorbing cement. I need the value of these resistors. I'll be very grateful if one of you can help Regards Bruce

Paul Got your camera. They made me pay sales tax on the freight cost for crying out loud... As Stephen said 2 perf on any Arri is fine. If you insist on using the Nikons (instead of my beuatiful BNCR set...hint, hint,) yes a mount can be added to the 2B Regards Bruce

Hi Read my lips... Never expect anything from Arri. They will not assist you with anything once they have sold you a camera. I recently asked for a 40 year old wiring diagram for a camera that they long ago stopped supporting. They refused. I shouldn't have bothered because many earlier requests have been ignored by them. As far a Arri paint goes, this is a propriety product in conjunction with 3M. If you want a re-paint you will have to use the next best thing. We re-paint some cameras that we do conversions on, while they are apart. We use polyurethane and mostly do a second 'splatter' coat, like the Arri surface. This second coat provides a long life because the 'bumps' take a while to wear down to the first, smooth coat. But never, I repeat never expect anything from Arri. Bruce

Hi http://www.arandafilm.com.au for all super 16 conversions Regards Bruce

Hi We design custom chrome deposited ground glasses for any format for any camera. It's just a matter of your clear communication of what you want regards Bruce

Hi We do this modification but as the others have mentioned, moving the lens mount begs trouble. We leave the lens mount alone. Regards Bruce

Hi What mount do you want on these lenses? I have a beautiful set of Zeiss T2.8 primes in BNCR mount, FF and iris gears Bruce

http://www.arandafilm.com.au Bruce

Mark You own a BL. Unfortunately it is in print that a BL can't be converted to super 16. Forget "ultra' and go for the real thing. We have done many super 16 conversions on BL and S cameras. That's a real new lease of life for these lovely, robust, reliable, tough, wonderful cameras. Bruce

I have a couple of 2 perf (Techniscope) Konvas gates left from a batch that we made. We could mill one out to 1.85 if you like Bruce

Yes, but from a blank piece of paper, not existing parts Bruce