Jean-Louis Seguin

Your picture shows fogging extends across the whole width of the film including the sprocket hole area which shows it is not caused by the lens but is happening either inside the camera chamber or the mag. But it does happen precisely at every frame so it is when the film is moving intermittently. This can only be in the area of gate or the top and bottom loops. I suspect light is exiting the lens and entering the inside cavity of the camera's lens mount and somehow finding it's way to where the claw mechanism contacts the film. Since the claw is highly shiny chrome plated, it would deflect light to the area just below the pressure plate where the film is still traveling intermittently. Can you post pictures of the camera's gate and the inside of the lens mount. I have a feeling some part is missing that is allowing light to enter. Cheers, Jean-Louis

That's probably not the original battery holder. The sound Nizos came with a holder for NiCds that had a socket that the charger would plug into. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Hi Steven, I wouldn't take a chance and I would use only what they recommend. Of course NiMH cells would be OK as they also in the 1.2V - 1.25V range. The mA rating is unimportant as the camera will only utilize the power it needs. I had a Nizo 6080 many, many years ago (before I became a camera repairman) that suddenly developed an electronic problem with the exposure meter. I never had it fixed and got rid of the camera but I always suspected that using regular 1.5V might have been the cause. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Thanks for the update about the Bolex conversion. It is still mentioned on their website however, although no prices are listed. The British website http://www.filmcamerakit.com also still lists it as available. I guess a lot of people should update their websites. Cheers, Jean-Louis

There are almost no "wide" zooms at affordable prices for the Bolex super16. The older 16-100 Vario-Switar has pretty good coverage but may still show some vignetting at certain focusing distances. A 15-150mm Angenieux has good coverage throughout the whole range but 15mm is not that wide. The conversion of the 12.5-100mm to a 14.5 - 115mm, f/2.3 is quite expensive and is basically only offered by Bolex themselves. Quality should be very good but I don't have any first hand experience with a converted lens. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Hi Daniel, It must be CP mount. Only works on CP made cameras (CP-16R and GSMO) Lens can be remounted to whatever you like. This is a 16mm lens only and will not cover super-16 adequately. In fact, it will even show vignetting in regular 16mm at wide angle and close focus. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Hi Topher, I have a complete matte box made to fit the NPR. Made by Planoptic. Takes 3x3 filters. Very heavy-duty. Asking $200 U.S.. I think I have some jpegs of it on file. Also have one spare mag left. $125 U.S.. Let me know if you're interested. Cheers, Jean-Louis

I don't know if this will really help you but the website http://www.donsbulbs.com has plenty of information about the different lamp base and socket specifications. Look for "data search" and click on "base?" Then click on the "2-pin" photo. Cheers, Jean-Louis

I noticed vignetting on the Switar 10mm with the Kern Aspheron on super-16. Too bad. Jean-Louis

Hi Daniel, Have you been able to test if the camera runs yet? That would be first step. If it is mold, that's kinda scary but you could try cleaning the outside with some Tilex or Fantastic. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Based on what I read about the making of the movie, I think a lot of the softness you noticed is the result of using available light with the fast wide lenses of the era and Kubrick's pronounced use of backlighting in many scenes. In the scene with the girl on the stage, it looks to me like actual diffusion was used. I think Kubrick also used diffusion in a number of scenes in Lolita and he used low-contrast filters in Barry Lyndon. Cheers, Jean-Louis

If you look where the motor is, around the motor is a ring, which is more a cover plate than anything else, which is held in place by 4 hex-slotted screws. Once the ring is removed, also lift up a foam cushion type ring underneath. You should now see the markings 24, 25, a screw and an empty screw hole. Simply switch the screw from one hole to the other to go from 24 to 25 or vice-versa. I think the very first LTRs were set up like this. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Of course they can be re-celled. It takes six 1.2V Ni-Cd cells. If you have the 1000mA size, the are easier to do because the contact plate is independent of the cells. The 600mA version is a bit of a pain as the + contact is the top of the first cell. It is a job probably best left to a specialist but if you feel you want to do it yourself, I can walk you through the process in another posting. Cheers, Jean-Louis

How much are asking for the FFD measure kit? Please send me a PM. Thanks. Jean-Louis

Hi Sean, Send me a picture of the lens showing what is missing. I might have it. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Hi Tim, You're right in that the majority of cameras and lenses that have passed through my hands have been pretty beat up. I don't think I've ever seen an Arri-S or Kinetals for that matter in pristine condition. A properly maintained camera and lens kit should be fine. Which is the point of my comment: older equipment badly maintained often gives you unsmooth movement in the focusing. The disadvantage of the focusing system used on the Cookes is this: when users often change the lenses on the turret, dust sticks to the exposed grease on the barrel and inside the turret cavities. If not cleaned and regreased regularly, those gritty particules end up causing scratches and burrs on the lenses and the turret which leads to unsmooth focusing. I still have a personal preference for lenses that use a real double-helical movement for the focusing. Even if the lens mount or the turret cavity is scratched up, it doesn't matter as the mount does not rotate inside the turret opening when focusing. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Hi Steve, Optically, they are fine but I hate the way focusing is accomplished. Even with well greased mounts, there is always a rough feeling in my opinion. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Hi Ron, To remove the cup, you have to undo the C-mount threaded part at the bottom of the cup. A special key made for this purpose was included with new lenses. If you don't have it, you could make yourself one out of a flat piece of tool steel. Otherwise a lens spanner wrench might be used be used or find a pair of solid long nose pliers and grind the tips to fit the notches snugly. That should do the trick. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Hi Richard, Actually you can use either. The bottom 7-pin connector is for receiving power from the Bolex power grip if you have one. It can also be used with an external pack but the pins used for power are different then. The 3-pin connector can be used with an external pack and can also accommodate a special combined power/remote on-off trigger switch connected to the battery. The remaining 7-pin socket can be used to connect to the sync pulse unit's 7-pin connector. The 5-pin connector on the sync pulse unit is for sync pulse output to a tape recorder. Cheers, Jean-Louis

That is what you would need but I've never seen one of those anywhere. It would have to be custom-made ($$$$$). You could always have the lens's mount permanently changed to a C-mount. Cheers, Jean-Louis

George reeves died in 1959. Super8 was launched in 1965. Home movies of Reeves' period would have been regular 8mm or 16mm. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Thanks Mike. I'm embarassed to say that I looked at the manual but for some reason overlooked this part! Cheers, Jean-Louis

Hi everyone, Does anyone know if an Aaton LTR can be safely run from a 13.2V battery or even a 14.4V battery? I am currently running it off a 12V NP-1 type battery and of course these are no problems. I need to get some new batteries and the 13.2V seem to be more commonly available now than the original 12V NP-1 types. I just need to make sure it is safe. Thanks! Jean-Louis

It should be OK. A 12V battery pack when fully charged can have 13.5V to 14.0V and it doesn't harm the motor. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Hi Rolando, The only place that I know of that carries these belts is Nordex (http://www.nordex.com/) It's known as a Stainless Steel Core Timing Belt. According to my notes, the one for the Frezzi has 112 teeth. I think the one for the CP-16 is a liitle longer (144 ??) The Nordex part number is FGS-D2-112 Good luck! Cheers, Jean-Louis