andrewbuchanan

No I currently keep the camera in a rolling tool box with cut foam. It would cost much more to ship than to go buy a new one. You can buy one at lowes or home depot for about $30. I'll throw in case on new Pelican pick-and-pluck foam that will fit the case if someone here wins the auction.

Steve - PM sent.

Not sure if I am supposed to pimp an ebay auction in the classifieds section, so I apologize in advance if not. I have a couple of items o ebay that might appeal to someone here, so if you are interested please visit. http://cgi.ebay.com/Eclair-NPR-Super-16-ca...1QQcmdZViewItem and http://cgi.ebay.com/Zeiss-Illumina-t1-3-Su...1QQcmdZViewItem These have been well kept and serviced (as you can read in the description). I put a feeler up for the sale in the fall and no one here seemed intersted so I have ebayed them. Let me know if youu have questions.

Steve, Howdy. I currently have a nice S16 NPR package and a Zeiss/Illumina package up on ebay right now. It is well within your price range and I could supply or make allowances for the tripod and any other gear you need. I put a feeler out for sale in the fall and no one seemed interested in this forum, so I am ebaying them. The auctions are here. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...p;rd=1&rd=1 and here http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...p;rd=1&rd=1 Hit me up at andrew.buchanan@gmail.com if you have any interest - or if anyone else does. Or email me and I'll give you my phone numbaz.

Howdy Ted - You are correct, but definitely test this before you go too far into the process. The Nikons I use on my Eclair from time to time are there as far as color and contrast goes, and they are very, very sharp, but they aren't cine lenses. They were never built with a focus puller in mind, and they breath like hell. I've gotten some really pretty picures out of mine (particluarly the 85mm f1.4), but when I saw some focus pulling happen and the result the breathing was serious. Also, the labels on the barrels are tiny and they rotate the wrong way, this can cause some hiccups with even the most experienced AC. They are bad for Narrative, and Music Video (IMHO), but might be okay for doc work or an interview secenario. You should look into the guys on this forum who use the Speed Panchros and see some of their reels. They are soft wide open, but are hellaciously good lenses. Edward Lachman's work with them in the Limey was incredible.

I second that, Les did my NPR and the work is second to none (except maybe tied Bernie from above). He's a bit slow and hard to get in touch with, but definitely worth it.

I need to get a 400' mag serviced. I think it has a problem with take-up. Does anyone has any experience with servicing these mags? Any shops you would recommend? I'd prefer something in the Boston NYC area. Thanks!

Thanks for the info everyone. We had the NC heat and humidity for sure - and no AC, so this could have been a factor. Film was brought up to temp but between the tent, sweating forearms of the loader, and the general "underwater" feeling of the humidity could have gotten damp. The odd thing is we were able to get an ACL, load it and things ran fine. It had the HD 75fps motor on it - which, judging from the speed capability has my Beale III out-gunned in the torque department. It definitely seemed like a torque problem in the gate loop of the magazine. You could load, drop the speed to abut 12 fps, and watch the problem happen at the gear roller just over the gate. As I said, I know the camera very well, and I'm positive my loops were fine. I definitely don't want this to ever happen again. What is the solution? I'm within the recommended service limits (probably 8000' into a 12,000' service interval). Should I get the camera tuned? Get my motor sorted? Or should I look for a higher torque motor. Perhaps one of Clive's highly sought after NPR motors? Or should I just stay the hell away from 7222 in this camera?

Okay, here is the situation - This week I rented a friend one of my cameras. This particular camera is a very clean well kept S16 NPR. It was fully rebuilt about 2 - 3 years ago by Les Bosher and converted to S16 and PL mount etc. Since that time, I have run probably 25 400' loads through it. Never a hiccup. It is very well taken care of (read: I get it serviced) as are the mags. This weekend, we loaded the camera up with 7222. Everytime we put a mag on the camera, it would run for 10 or 12 seconds at 24fps, then drop a frame on the gate loop. Then another. Then WHAMO, lock up tighter that Dick Cheney's a**. <p> It did this exact same thing with each mag. We tested 4 mags. We tried several - okay every concievable - thing to prevent the problem, but no matter how we adjusted the loops, cleaned the mags, or adjusted the motor coupling it would jam-up. I though I was having a motor problem, but I decided to try running some Vision 7217 stock I had to see if it had the same problem. It ran right through, over and over and over. The NPR was back to its purring, sexy self. Then I put the 7222 back on and click, click, WHAMO. <p> I have no choice but to think that my camera hates 7222. I have used this camera often for over 5 years and consider myself very much of an expert on its use. I could feel the 7222 was much thicker and stiffer, could this be the problem? Anyway, this was really embarrassing and had my friend not been resourceful in getting another camera - I would have totally screwed his shoot. I feel really bad. I am here to ask, in the parlance of our time - WTF? Has anyone heard of this? Am I crazy? Should I have known this?

I don't think you will find too many people on this forum that will recommend auctions. It's a risky way to buy such expensive equipment. If you intend to buy, I'd try DuAll Camera or Visual Products. They have period of time they will stand behind their cameras etc. If you buy something off ebay and it breaks, or worse yet arrives broken, the price to get it fixed can be substaintially more than the difference. That being said, you can get working cameras there, but when was the last service? hows the registration? is it lubricated? You can drop a lot of money on finding out that kind of thing, let alone fixing a problem. I guess it depends if you mind taking a gamble. For 35mm equipment, I go for the sure thing. If you do ebay, talk to the seller. Be sure they know the camera very well, and get all the service info you can. If they don't know the camera well, or anything about the service record, I'd move on to another auction.

I shot a doc in Cuba a couple of years ago. It's funny but many, many of the ideas and themes of this movie are still present. Though it is technically incredible, it felt dated in a way when I watched it. Then, when I traveled to Santiago de Cuba - I couldn't excape the movie. I realized that the players are different(the Americans have been replaced by other nationalities now), but life, as it exist in the begining if the film, is very much the same. There is a lot to behold in Soy Cuba about the developed world's treatment of the undeveloped world. Hope that new print makes its wa to the East Coast sometime. It has been too long since I saw Soy Cuba.

Shouldn't he be SITTING in the corner? On under the catering tent?

That Alcan motor is quite rare, and I have never used one. I wish I could be helpful, but I don't know about speed control for this motor. I did a quick google search and found that SMS Productions in Chicago has an NPR with an Alcan pictured in their rental section, and Visual Products has one in their Cameras for Sale/Super 16 section. You could call these guys, and ask about the motors that are included with their cameras. I don't know SMS, but Visual Products has always been very good to me. http://www.smsprod.com/rental/16mm2.html http://visualproducts.com

please let us know when you post, i'd love to see those diagrams. otherwise, for care between trips to the camera shop, i keep my camera dry, dust free, and avoid tempature extremes. i get the camera out and run it at least once a month - with or without film. i keep all ports and mag openings covered with the proper covers.

[quote name='Alain LeTourneau' date='May 2 2006, 10:14 AM' post='103228' I couldn't agree more...the NPR is indeed a fine camera. I own two of them. I'm curious, what's the serial number of your camera body? Alain

Hi Alain, Yes, the c-mount was recentered by Les. I like to hang a 180mm or a 300mm Nikkor in the c-Nikon F adapter when I need some really long glass. It makes a superb image that mixes well with my primes (at least no one has noticed they are not cine lenses yet). I really think the Eclair is best "owner" super 16 out there. It does everything most of the others do and so much more - and that is coming from someone who has bought and sold quite a few different super 16 packages. Sure there are a few that are better, but the cost prevents me from ever wanting to own one of them. The NPR is the perfect camera to own, because I does so much and the overhead is about 1/5 of an SR2 or an LTR 54. You can spend the savings on film and lenses. I'm selling this stuff because I just took a full time production job and I have access to cameras at work, also I have reached a point where I need to show up with a brand new camera or some sort (for the client - I'd work with the NPR all the time if I could). I usually work on an SR3 and use this as a B-camera or second unit package. This is a great package and I hate to see it sitting in my closet. It's quite a steal too - someone can get a Super 16 AND a prime lens package (of real lenses) for less than the price of an SR1 or LTR 7 from somewhere like Visual Products or Du-all (which are both great stores). Anyway, if you ever have any questions about the NPR, please feel free to ask me. I have spent a lot of time with it and feel like I know the camera very well.

The distortion of the wide-angle lenses should be something you take into consideration too. When I am shooting, a lens with too much distortion can work against the narrative. For me, the 8mm and 9.5mm you are discussing might be too much of a distorted perspective for a dramatic story where I was trying to convey a sense of realism. They might work great for a surreal horror story where I wasnt too concern with real persectives, and was more into creating a feeling for the film. Different lenses have different amounts of distortion... the 9.5mm for example is very wide, but has a good deal less distortion than the 8mm even though the difference in focal length isn't huge. Don't just think of the glass in terms of what it will squeeze into a shot at a certain distance, think about how it will effect the viewer to see things from a certain perspective too. That said, the widest pro lens you will get in S16 is the Elite 6mm, with a PL mount. You can get a Century 3mm in C-mount if you look hard enough, but I do not know the quality of this lens. Good luck.

As usual, before I go elsewhere to sell my equipment, I thought I would put a posting up here to see if anyone here was interested. I'm selling my S16 package soon. The package consist of a S16 Eclair NPR in "A" or collector condition. It has a full Les Bosher S16 modification and with PL mount in the turret and custom anodized rods in Arri LW spacing. It has a flawless adjustable shutter (5 - 180 degrees) - why the NPR is the best camera to own this side of an SR3, in my opinion. It has a latest Beala III motor with 6-40fps (crystal at 24 and 25). Finder is the rare Angenieux, which is the best. 3 Mags come with the package. Everything has been maintained to the highest standards, is in perfect condition, and functions as it should. Also, I'll be selling my primes and would like to do a complete sale. They are Arvic 7mm t1.3 (this is same lens as the Elite 7mm t1.3, and one of the best super-wide lenses made for S16 cinematography) in PL, Zeiss MK1 12mm t1.3 in Arri B with PL adapter w/gear and 80mm front, Optar Illumina 16mm t1.3 in PL, Zeiss MK1 25mm t1.3 in Arri B with PL adapter w/gear and 80mm front, Optar Illumina 50mm t1.3 in PL. All lenses (except the Arvic 7mm) were cleaned and serviced this fall by Jorge at Cinematechnic (he also applied the PL adapters and cemented them in place) - so you know they are in perfect condition and the back focus is properly set. The Arvic is just back from Focus Optics where it was cleaned and the rear-focus serviced. Also included... pelican lens case Arri LX 3x3 mattebox 7 Tiffen filters 3 newish Bescor batteries Nikon-C adapter (I hang Nikkor telephotos on it) mag throat covers camera plate cover custom handgrip mount and grip (like the wooden Aaton grip, needs rewiring) morestuff that I can't remember at the moment Please PM me if you are interested. Also, please don't expect ebay prices. I've spent around $2,000 this year keeping this stuff serviced properly. Until a few months ago, I was freelance and depended on this gear to pay the bills. I'm selling because I took a full-time position and don't need it any more. This stuff got me where I needed to go professionally, and has shot plenty of broadcast material. My prices will be fair and I am open to reasonable offers. If you are in the North Carolina area, or happen to be passing down the I-95 corridor, I invite you to stop by and take a look. Thanks for any interest.

I shoot Nikons in a Nikon to C-adapter a lot with my NPR as well. I use them to cover Super-telephoto shots that my prime set will not cover. I think they look extremely good for the price. My primes are Zeiss and Optars and the longer telephoto (200mm - 400mm) Nikkors seem to hold up very well, as far as image goes. Be cautioned though, if you plan on using wide or ultra wide lenses in the adapter. It seems (from my experience) that the back focus is much more critical for the wider lenses, and it is easier to get an shot that is too soft or or completely out of focus. Definitely give any lens in an adapter a test before you shoot anything critical with it.

I have/had a set of rehoused Panchros (they are out being tested by a prospective buyer at the moment). I guess I don't have a lot of tips, except for the fact that I loved these lenses. I only used them for academy and 1:85 widescreen not Super 35. They were pleasently warm and had a nice soft very human look to them. I love the way they render warmer colors and skin in particular. They were a bit too soft for me wide open, but were fine at or after f4. I love the bokeh from these lenses and you are absolutely right about the flares - they are great. I miss them already. I wish I had gotten to use them more when I had them.

As per usual, I'm advertising gear here before ebay. I'm moving and I need $ to finance my new digs. For sale, one ARVIC S16 t1.3 prime. This is from the folks who make the ELITE series of Super 16 primes and is THE SAME LENS as the ELITE 7mm - the barrel, coating, and the glass. I own a set of Illuminas and this lens cuts perfectly with them. It also cuts with Zeiss MK1 and MK2 primes (probably MK3 too, but I have never used them) - with very similar color rendition and sharpness. Please look into the price of a new 7mm ELITE - my price is about 1/4 of a new ELITE. This lens is in great condition. It has no problems. The paint on the very front lip of the lens has some little blisters/wear - in two small patches about half the size of a dime. There is a TINY, TINY, TINY spot or two of seperation around the front element the size of a couple of hairs. This is almost not worth describing, and certainly not anything that would effect the performance, but I want any buyer to be happy with their purchase. I have had this lens for years with no change in these tiny spots. ALL glass elements and optical coatings are perfect (no "cleaning marks" or crap like that). Barrel looks great. Iris is perfectly clean and turns easily, but is not sloppy at all. Same for focus. No dust or dirt inside lens. The lens is just back from a cleaning and back focus adjustment at Focus Optics (which was just under $500). It is ready to shoot the moment you get it. I will, of course, allow time for an inspection and tests and if you are not completely satisfied with the condition of the lens or feel that I have misrepresented anything - then you can return the lens for a refund (except shipping). Please IM me with questions or if you want to see some photos... Drew

My Beala III motor runs strong at just a tick over 40fps (probably 42 or 43). Works great, gives a very steady image, and hasn't caused any problems with the camera. It came with the motor (it's a late model camera), so I assume everything is fine... maybe watch out for aftermarket motors, but mine works great.

I wouldn't shoot a music video on anything that didn't have an adjustable shutter... you can't get them on much except the newer (high dollar) cameras and the Eclair NPR. A lot of my friends who shoot laughed when I bought an NPR and put a bunch of money into it to get it punched out to S16 and a lot of custom work done... but they quit laughing when the saw a 45 degree shutting running at 40FPS in t-storm. You can shoot low speed regular 16 and get a great image too with the camera too. It also has both a reg pin and a horizontal pressure plate, it is one of the most steady 16's you will ever find.

After a conversation with a friend, I keep wondering, wouldn't B&W work well for HDV? If you were just using the 4 out of the 4:2:0 compression, wouldn't it stand up well? I'm curious how it would stack up against more professional cameras, perhaps fewer stops of usable exposure? Hope I not rehashing an old topic, but this sounds like a good use for the format to me.

Wow. This is a good thread. It covers a lot of the HDV debate, everything from people who are just repeating things they have read before in the cinematography.com forum and others, to honest considerations of professionals (like Mr. Mullen). I've been reading a lot... A LOT of people debating about the 35mm film out for HDV. Most of it has been... and I hope not to sound like a prick... but a bunch of people who have never attempted the process regurgitating other people's (who generally don't know much either) postings. The amount of misinformation about HDV that is out there is staggering. I'm not a defender, I've never shot any. I recently ran across a article about test by some decently professional people who made an HDV print. No, they weren't huge Hollywood DPs, but some decently respectable folks in North Carolina. One of them was my cinematography professor from film school. To qualify, I never liked the guy, but he knows what he is talking about. I think the article was in DV magazine. Anyway, they gave the HDV print a very satisfactory review. It wasn't focused on numerical qualities, just a viewing experience. They said it held up well against Super 16mm. I don't know the circumstances of the shoot, the lightingm, what shots they used, etc - BUT, it was nice to hear from someone who was really testing the process, and not posting some hype they read on dvxuser.com (which is good forum). Oddly, there were some concerns I'm familiar with from film. They tested prints from different labs. This made a big difference. They came to the conclusion that testing is critical. Also, they used a progressive camera (The Z1U I think) and deinterlaced in post - a mortal sin according to soooo many post I have read. Any way, I would suggest taking a look at the article before you decide to talk about how s*&^*y HDV is on film. It's not what I would use in a perfect world... but given the opportunity, I certainly wouldn't refuse a gig using it either. In fact, I think it would be a fun challange. Seriously... I'm available. January is wide open for me. My rates are great. I have some dates open...