Duncan Buckley

Hi need some help regarding Strand 5k lights. I have these in the garage, anybody know what bulbs would be needed? Could it be possible to run lower watt bulbs in these? Need to clean them up as quite dusty. Not sure if I can really use them practically but curious to get them up and running. If anybody could shed some light on them it would be much appreciated. Many thanks, Duncan

Right seems I'm onto a dead end here.... Still i found out that the motor is DC by taking the two leads out of it and linking it to the battery pack of my other Millikens. Happy that it works but I have no idea what speed it is running at because there is no information about these cameras!!! The manual I got from this forum is like a bible and has helped plus forum members have been amazing with help on altering the cameras but other than that its like these are a massive secret or something... quite annoying. Anybody know the speeds of a DBM 3AP?? I need to tidy up the cables and get the auto shut off mechanism to work but happy that this $30 purchase for spare parts might actually film something in the future. I plan to add some vimeo footage soon of milliken footage. Excited to film with the S16mm modification I made, passed some footage through at 400fps and no scratches so soon time to get filming. Its all fun and games with these cameras so the results will be a mix of good and plain ugly but who cares because I love it.

I have been looking online for some time now watching the 16mm market as i'm looking to buy a better camera. The rate for bolex and K3 camera seem to be the same since I bought mine 5 years ago, higher end cameras now seem to vary some a resonable prices and others way way too expensive. I suppose its where you look and the knowledge of the seller. I'm actually tempted to buy a DSLR mainly the 5D MK2 becasue even though I love film the processing and scanning is so expensive I just cant learn the craft quick enough. If I had a HD digital camera I could learn more by filming more often and seeing the results. I hope that HD scans do reduce in cost in the future because I'd love to use film more plus I'd love to get that Aaton i keep dreaming about.

Bought another Milliken for spare parts but now its arrivd I kinda love it due to its tiny size. Its a DBM 3AP and is really small compared to the later models (would post images if I wasnt at work). The motor is a different shape to the others and is missing any label indicating if its DC power or AC. The manual that was linked on the forum does talk about the DBM 3 but not the AP version so I am unsure what power supply it requires. Anybody have any information on this one? Thanks

I was thinking about converting the camera to ultra 16, will have a search around to get more information but I should think it would be possible with this camera. Anybody had a go with this at all?

Just wondering what power supply you use? I have lead acid batteries rigged up in series to create just over 28vdc, it works fine but slightly large. I had some issues with the camera chewing up film after I altered it, the claw was entering the film perf but something was catching and instead of the claw pulling the film along it just tore it open. After taking it apart and cleaning all film chips and excess gunk it finally worked. managed 400pfs with single perf film which is more than I will need :) Any other issues to look out for with this camera? Maintenance and film issues to be aware of? Cheers, Duncan

Hmmmm I just have that fear that once you move the centre of the lens you will create issues with focus but you can always scoot it back over to the original position. I love the Milliken design and they are pretty reliable machines. I have seen your vimeo footage of the pram down the stairs, what speed was that shot at? I will have to post some footage up from the camera soon, will be some vision 2 500T stock to test out some lenses. I am using a Pan cinor lens with dogleg for my camera becuase i have a DBM 4 and it doesnt have the prism on the front. I bought a boresight but its a pain having to load the prism inside, focus the camera and then load the film. I want to be able to have the film loaded aim and shoot but getting that proved to be a pain.

Still no reply from the labs but it has been a bank holiday so they're probably still half asleep like myself. I'm glad ProRes can be used on windows as it seems to be the standard format now. I'm curious why this workflow hasnt been adopted over here as standard though, is the Uk really behind on developements? Paul I have been on the cinelicious site and seen your vimeo videos, beautiful stuff just a shame you dont have facilities in the UK. I know that the option to post out to you is available and I will take that into account depending on the reply is receive here. Anybody have a prefered place to process and transfer their footage in the UK?

Hi Kristian, Thank you for the advice on the modification. I have removed the sprockets and filed them down plus the claw has had one claw removed and its runs film through at 200fps without any issues. I need to do testing on it to make sure the film isnt being damaged but so far so good. I'm not sure i will convert it to S16mm yet but the option is always there but at least the camera is future proofed for film stock. Do you have to recentre the lens mount if you convert to S16mm? The K3 doesn't need to be altered even though you modify the gate, you just limit the range the lens will cover.

Hi Chris, Wow thank you for the reply you have really provided a library of information. I work in windows im afraid but CS5 does accept dpx files, not sure about proRes as I believe that is FCP only. I have fired off the relevent questions to the labs here and I will be waiting with fingers crossed for the replies. I will be searching out fast hard-drives today with quick read/write speeds, it shouldnt be too expensive and it will be something that I will use over and over. I appreciate that film is expensive and its worth it for the best looking results possible. Do you know if there any other codec that offers the same advantages as ProRes? Regards, Duncan

Hi, I'm having a real headache trying to come up with the best option with my footage. I have been using my K3 for some time and I now feel happy enough with the results that i'd like to take it further and create some shorts but its the final output that always gets me stuck. The camera is S16mm and I would love to get the best out of it when viewed. The final piece isn't for film but HD output for TV viewing. I would also like to have the ability to grade the footage myself digitally mainly to learn the colour correction process and to have greater control. There are so many options when you transfer plus the medium you output to that i'm unsure what is best. I read the posts on 2k scans to dpx files, 1080 scans, SD and more and I appreciate that everyone is creating footage taylored to there final market. What would you recommend for myself? I want the best looking footage that I can be proud of, ability to grade digitally and output to DVD. I have been using Ilab in the UK for processing my film mainly for testing my cameras and the various lenses and stock that are available. I will be emailing them aswell as Technicolour for their advice too. Kind Regards, Duncan

I would be interested in how you managed this conversion. There are 3 sprockets that have the 2 pins and i'm unsure if these can be removed. Would it be a case of filing these down to leave the single claw? Also I saw in some of your other posts that you converted to S16mm. I have done this to my K3 with success so wondered if the same could be done with the Milliken? I dont want to recentre the lens though as that is too much work. Regards, Duncan

Hi, Locking off the camera seems the safest way then when working with this camera. The DBM 5 has a variable speed motor so you could film at 24fps if you wanted however i'm really looking forward to filming some actions in slow motion. I have loaded the camera with 2R film that was a recan from some time ago, its been tested and seems ok but once this lot is used then then I have to scout out more double perf film. Seems like this type is getting rare so I was thinking of converting the camera to accept normal 16mm film. Has anybody had experience with this?

Hi, I'm having issues with my Milliken camera and wanted to see if anybody here could help. I have the camera running and working fine but the issue lies in the boresight. I bought a boresight online but it is for the side bore and uses a prism which you put in when the camera isnt loaded. This is great except when the camera is loaded with film the boresight becomes useless. My camera has an addition viewing front plate but takes a B-113 boresight (I think, must check the manual to be certain). Does anybody have one of these they would like to part with? I also have a Pan Cinor with the dogleg except lucky me it seems to be the older type which doesnt allow for focussing while viewing. Happy days. Anybody who is interested in Milliken cameras with experience please leave a reply. These are super cameras but there is little to no info on them which is a shame. Kind Regards

Hi, That's good news as I was unsure exactly what was happening there. This lens is quite strange when focusing and I wanted to know if anybody else has the same issue. There doesnt seem to be a great deal of change in the viewfinder when focusing, I can see a small shift but you cant really tell if your focus is accurate. I set the lens to maximum zoom and focused from 2 meters to infinity and there isnt a huge degree of change. Is this supposed to happen or is the viewfinder for focusing only? Many Thanks

Hi, Just got hold of a pan cinor lens all looking great except there is a small black dot on the lens prism near the c-mount. Is this normal or is it some kind of grease?

Thanks for the reply, I checked the camera and it was actually being caught near the top where I formed the first loop but the pressure plate is definately scratching the film. I can post up an image but its difficult to see where the issue is. I heard that toothpaste is a really mild abrasive so I suppose that could be tried?

I have two K3 cameras and only really used one so decided to dig out the other and have a play. I ran some film through to test it and looks like there is a small scratch on the gate. Now I have no issues with taking the gate out, its just cleaning it to remove minor issues on the metal thats the problem. Does anyone know a good way of removing minor dents and scratches?

I have recently modified my K3 to S16mm (yesterday evening to be precise) and I will be shooting some test footage soon so I hope I can prove that it is an easy task to do. The information is out there on the web and I found the process to be quite easy so long as you face the fact that you might mess up. The camera is super cheap and is perfect to start learning about film. I would recommend going ahead with doing it yourself as it teaches you alot about the guts of the beast. Hope to post up some footage soon.

Spotty3 you said there was a company who made converters for the milliken, i really need to get hold of an adapter and power pack!! If your about could you shed any light on this please!! The plug at present is some industrial 19pin thing? Thanks

Spotty3 where do you have your camera serviced? I have a feeling you do it yourself though, if so what should i be looking to do? Its difficult to find information on these cameras!

Im interested in shutter speeds and there effect on fight scenes. When shooting regular 24fps to create this 'staccato' effect you use a small shutter? How small are we talking? When filming faster speeds say 64fps what sort of shutter should you use to produce smooth looking motion? I will test this out soon for myself but i'd like to know some information beforehand.

I wish!! No im moving towards that field though its a long process. I've only been using film for about 6 months now, gradually learning the skills as i go along. I've used video for years but film excites me more... and drains my money too! I was looking for slow motion to film martial art moves both hand forms and weapon forms. Im also a snowboarder and wanted to use it in that field too. I've always wanted to try surfing but im slap bang in the middle of the uk! I have it planned for the future though. Let us know if you have any luck with the search, Good luck!

Ahh slow motion cameras! Now this is something im having trouble with too. I've been researching Photosonic, Milliken and Locam 16mm cameras all have the ability to run 500fps. I know that the milliken cameras can be converted to S16mm and have been used by many surf/snowboard cinematographers. Check out www.alangordon.com for these. Millikens go on ebay now and again but they are usually surplus and have had a hard life. Standard 16mm requires .3000 pitch film, 2 perf stock from kodak. Photosonics produce great cameras and they are already set up for standard single perf stock. Im not sure about convertions on these cameras though. The Locam cameras are also reliable and are set for standard pitch film. You can find information on these at www.visinst.co.uk. Most use c-mount lenses and run at 28vDC, battery packs usually available with the camera. The only problem is they dont come cheap. Because they are specialist and speedy beasts you really want to make sure its 100% ok before you shoot as imagine the mess you'd make at those speeds!! It really depends how slow you want your footage. These camera are great but i'd prefer a regular film camera!! As always part of the fun is the challenge so keep researching and find a deal. Thats what im doing at the moment. Hope this helps :D Just a quick question, are you looking to film surfing stuff? I know you were looking into using the K-3 how did that turn out? Most surf filming cameras have a water housing unit so they can get in the thick of the action! Is this something your planning on?