Mark A. Rapp

Ok - so SDI is uncompressed. And you CAN NOT run uncompressed out of the XH-A1, correct? I'm shooting locked down shots, dolly and jibbed, but not too fast. I do want the latitude to shoot steadicam shots in the woods in daylight - these shots will be chase scenes, but I'm not averse to cutting my way through them. I take it quick pans and such are not going to come out well with the XH-A1?

you could also go the 5dmII route for the 35mm dof look.

Huh? :blink:

Wow! Chris, Saul, thank you for the information. I'm seriously considering the XH-A1, more so than before your post. Umm... what are "SDI" and "Gen-lock?" How are they benefits, and how bad is the handicap of not having them? Forgive me: I'm quite the layman in this arena.

Hello! I would like to solicit a few opinions as to what is the best camera out there for about three thousand dollars. I used the XH-A1 for a short a couple of years ago, and I liked it a lot. I have the Letus for that camera (is it a 72mm ring mount? I can't remember...) so I'd like any new camera I get to be compatible.

I'm also wondering: what is the difference between the XH-A1 and the XH-G1? And please: I'm not a cinematographer, I'm a director who has just made the transition to digital, so use layman's terms for me... Thanks guys! B)

Opinions?

I'm finally getting into a new camera and I'm putting up my Arri for auction on eBay. It's a great camera; I shot a feature and a few shorts with it -- LOTS OF EXTRAS!

Here's the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...s%3DI%26otn%3D2

I bought it, I bought it! Hee, hee... $54.00. The gentleman was good enough to send me some pics of the elements -- all clean! I'll let you know what I think of it when I receive it.

Stephen, Martin and Tim: thank you for your input and advice. It was very much appreciated. With all the professionals, semi-pros and learned ameteurs, this forum is just an excellent tool for guys like me slogging through all the stuff I should have learned twenty years ago... :D

Hi folks! I wanted to know if anyone on the board here can tell me if this lens:

ARRI MOUNT MOTION PICTURE LENS 9MM COOKE f2

will fit an Arri 16 BL.

Here?s the auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/USED-ARRI-MOUNT-MOTION...1QQcmdZViewItem

Puh-Lease let me know before end of auction Sunday! And thank you for any info!

Just wondering what is the best method for storing film, how long, what temps, etc. Is it okay to actually put it in the freezer?

John, when you say expose the film at 320, you mean set the light meter at 320 and expose the film as if the ASA is 320. Correct?

Question: When taking multiple light readings on set, when averaging the readings, should one average the number readings as a regular average?

Example: 2.8 + 5.6 = 8.4

8.4/2 = 4.2

So the setting is 4.2?

Or is there another formula for this type of averaging?

Not sure, but is this what you're thinking of? I ran across this tonight.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ARRI-LAPTOP-CAMERA-CON...1QQcmdZViewItem

"...all the 16BL cameras require double-perf 16mm film."

Not so. Just b-wind if single perf.

John, when you say expose the film at 320, you mean set the light meter at 320 and expose the film as if the ASA is 320. Correct?

I plan on shooting with an Arri 16BL -- interiors and exteriors. So I think I've limited my choice of filmstocks down to something in a 250T. The reason being, I have daylight filters, so I should be fine when I need to shoot the few exteriors, and I didn't want the nighttime interiors (lit with candles, oil lamps, and probably Chinese lanterns) to grain out too much. Am I on the right track here? Any recommendations for which filmstocks to go with for camera tests? Fire away!

Thank you for the input, folks. All very much appreciated. I think I'll run a few tests for sync when I test the film stock. Thanks again!

I have an Arri 16BL with which I intend to shoot a short this summer. My question to anyone in the know is this: is the 24fps gear in the camera adequate for shooting sync sound? I know: I should have an electronic sync mechanism. Will the camera running at 24fps with the 24fps gear be adequate for takes over more than a few seconds?

I like gingerbread...

Thanks again for all of your input. Most helpful!

Duh! Thanks again, Tim! My camera is in Pittsburgh and right now I'm in Wichita, so I can't get a gander at it for a few. So how bad is the Zeiss without the T*? Still good enough to shoot a short that will be bumped to DVD?

Wow, you guys got back to me quick! Much appreciated. Thanks to both of you for the lesson! So where is the red T* located on the lens?

Hello,

I am writing a low/no-budget screenplay which I will also be filming (err, video-ing) mostly for practice. Overall, the picture is to be very dark, smoky, and creepy. However, I am now to a scene which involves a laboratory that I'm visualizing as very bright and white with very few shadows, etc. Are there any tricks to preserve the creepy atmosphere in such an environment? What comes to mind is to keep the camera tight on faces, lit from below to give the "ghost story over a campfire" effect, and to rely heavily on the background sound effects, but I am really not sure how to project this visually. I welcome any tips or references to other films I can watch that might be inspiring. Thanks!

James, watch some Stanley Kubrick films. He always seems to be able to draw a creepy atmosphere from a bright, sterile setting.

Okay, new question. I have an Arri 16BL that I'll be shooting with next fall. It has a stock Zeiss 10-100mm.

What's the difference between shooting with a 50mm prime lens, and setting the zoom lens to 50mm? Is the difference that prime lenses just tend to be better quality lenses?

Do I need prime lenses at all?

And if so, which primes should I have in my lens "arsenal?"

I know - a bunch of questions from a cinemeatography neophyte...

So I'm good with a standard lens as long as it doesn't protrude in to the mount cavity any further than my stock Zeiss zoom. Thanks, all. Much appreciated!

P.S. I covet your BL Super 16... :D

New question for anyone in the know:

Will the lens mount on the Arri 16BL (the bayonet mount) take Arri "standard" lenses as well as bayonet lenses?

I read something online that led me to believe so. The excerpt is this: "...The Bayonet mount is backwards compatible, for mounting ARRI Standard mount lenses..." This leads one to believe that the bayonet mount is engineered to accept lenses built for an Arri "standard" mount. Or am I way off here?

You should have a running-lock function on the camera that allows you to press the button once to start the camera and once to stop the camera. You shouldn't have to keep the button depressed constantly.

I have a BL as well, and the operation as described above is correct. However, I had the same problem. The camera worked fine when I bought it, then would operate only as long as the button remained manually depressed. It turned out to be a break in the mechanism in the handgrip (obviously), and I had it repaired at Visual Products in Ohio. At the time I lived in Pittsburgh, PA and drove it out myself. Great bunch of guys. Can't remember what it cost, though. I also brought the camera back out there to have it tuned up for my feature shoot. I'm going to bring it back for a check-up next year before my next shoot. Here's their contact info:

Visual Products Inc.

790 Shiloh Ave.

Wellington, Oh. 44090

U.S.A.

Phone: 440.647.4999

sales@visualproducts.com

I have an Arri 16BL with a bayonet lens mount. My question is: is there a difference between a "bayonet" mount, a "B" mount, and a "standard" mount?

Thanks.

I had the same problem with my 16BL shooting my first film. My DP and I realized that the thing was geared for 24fps, though, so we just took off the synch module and shot without. The camera shot at a normal 24fps without fail and the footage synched up fine in post.