grant mcphee

Thanks for your help guys. I've managed to get a refund on the camera now as it seems there are so many things wrong with it. It's a shame as I really liked it - they seem like great cameras for the price (well, when they work). So I'm on the look-out for a cheap CP16 or ACL. Thanks

Thanks Bernie. I tried the lens on my Bolex - everything came out fine. I tested the cp16 again out doors, incase it was a flare problem but just got the same resuly. I'd unfortunately used up all the cp16 test film so could not try that on the Bolex (though it does not look like a film problem, although it was very o.o.d.). Seems like the cp16?

oh, here is a link to the picture: http://flickr.com/photos/33094657@N08/3292699891/

Hello, I tried a (very non-scientific) test to see if I could get an image from a really dodgy CP16a I bought. I developed a few frames of a chart and a round ikea light in some d76 to see if it was worth carrying out any further (more professional) tests. There is a really odd 45 degree flare/lightleak throughout. Does anyone have any idea what it could be? The camera is 24fps and was shooting a 50hz so I thought it might have been a rollbar, but it really does not look like one. Is it a dodgy shutter? Any help appreciated. Thanks

thanks mike!

Hi, I've been trying to adjust my Pan Cinor lens (17-85)without much luck. It is the model which has the dogleg finder at a 45 degree angle, unlike the more common 90 degree version (it has an odd kind of box between the tube which comes out of the lens, and the tube which the eyepiece attaches). At the moment it is positioned so that it is on the left hand side of my bolex. It would like to rotate it so that it is just above the critical focuser, on the right hand side. I assumed it would just be a case of taking out the 3 screws which stop the ring that the viewfinder attaches to on the lens. I unscrewed these and could easily rotate the finder to any position required. The finder was in the position I wanted but the 'hole' in the lens did not move with this so the finder was no longer any use. How can I move the whole assembly to a new position? I attempted to move the thread of the c-mount (there are little notches which seem to be for moving) but it did not want to move, and I did not want to force it. Any help? Thanks

Hello, I was stupid enough to be misled into buying a non-reflex cp16 without a lens. Anyway, not getting too much into that I was wondering what peoples thought were about attaching a Pan Cinor 85 (the 17-85) dogleg zoom which I use for my non reflex bolex. I've had a couple of differing opinions, both from respected technicians. One said that the flange focal distance is different so I would have focus problems, the other said it would be fine. Any ideas? And is it a case of just removing the cp mount on the cp16 body and screwing in the c-mount Pan-Cinor like I would to my Bolex? Thanks. Also, it is a 24fps version. How easy is it to convert to 25? Is it like the Eclair where you just change the crystal?

To get it onto video for you to import into avid you would have to tell the lab what your project frame rate is (usually 24/25/29.97/30). So if you chose 24 you would not have to do anything in avid (other than tell it you are working at 24fps) to get it playing back at 24fps. Whatever you shot on your camera would be relative to 24fps. i.e. 12fps would be twice as fast so all motion would look double the speed of 'normal'. Or if you meant that you wanted what you shot at 12fps to look 'normal' you would have to get that transferred at 12fps. The Slower your frame rate, the blurrier it will look.

You can also get the manual and the 'quick guide' online. Pretty easy to get your head around and reliable. LCD controls a bit similar to the sr3. Take care when lacing mag onto camera incase you nick a perf. Make sure you have the correct loop size on mag. Older 435's sometimes will jam with 1000' mags at high speed. camera is very noisy at any speed. As it's a 435 they will probably want high speed stuff so check that you have correct shutter angle and maybe make a quick ready-reckoner for your pouch. If thre is time, get the jon fauer book. As Stephen said, go to the rental house. They will be more than happy to let you look it over and it will put your mind at ease.

'Cinematography: Theory and Practice' by Blain brown gives a good description of these processess (and NEC)

Thanks Jean-Louis. Much appreciated. What a fiddly switch, especially as it was used as a doco camera where crews would be moving between 50hz/60hz countries. I suppose that's why they made them easier to access on later cameras.

Thanks Robert, I've checked and there seems to be nothing. Except on the speed dial, after the 32 fps there is a blank selection which seems to run at synch speed. Not sure which one would be 25 fps - both seem to have rolls bars when looking on a 50hz tv. thanks.

Hello, I know this was covered in a question last year but there did not seem to be a resolution to it. I'm about to shoot something on an old LTR 54. I can't seem to find this switch. It does not seem to be under the ASA setting and I'm not sure exactly where the motor retaining ring is. Is it possible for it to be somewhere else, it does not seem to be obvious? And also, what position should it be in - is shooting a tv screen guaranteed to let me know if it is at 24 or 25fps? If I can't find this toggle and film at the wrong speed, what can I expect flicker wise? We don't need sync sound and are not using HMIs. We are in a 50hz country and will be filming naked practical lights. Any help is much appreciated. thanks PS does anyone have any examples of scenes/shots of naked practical lights hanging from a ceiling. I'm looking for very contrasty shots, a bit like the Jon Fauer interviews DVD cover.

thanks wolfgang. i used coffee as the developer. do a little google search - there are many household items you can use as a developer

Not sure why my link disappeared. http://www.flickr.com/photos/33094657@N08/...57610860482304/ All of my first attempts had a really strong cyan cast in the negative, making the positive really red. I don't really understand why but maybe Karl does? I think the problem, at least the problem I have had doing this with super 8 is super thin negatives. It is really difficult to get anything off it. Perhaps a bit more experimenting to get them a little thicker is probably worth trying. Probably best to experiment with 16mm reversal

e6 film, such as 7280. under expose by 2 stops. process as normal in d76 and fix. bleach for 10 mins in e6 or c41 bleach. process as normal in c41 (all steps)

did anyone else try this? Heres a few examples of stills I did. I had big problems trying to even get prints made off these as the, now negatives were so thin. would love to see other examples.

yes, there is a post here by myself. i've tried it with e6 film a few times recently. exactly the same principle as with stills.

[Are the measurements on the lens Metric or US? Were you using the same for the distance?] They would not be US. They would be Imperial/International.

[/] All camera crew including the camera operator, 1st and 2nd AC's, loader, etc. all work according to what the DP says, therefore the DP has complete control over what is being seen through the camera and therefore they get the credit. I've been on shoots that, to an extent the operator is autonomous; in that they choose lens and set up the shot with the director rather than the dop, who would just light. Or in a few cases set up the shot while the director works with actors. While the stills photographer works on their own, in a studio they are relying on the dop's lighting for their shots. A rather average shot can look fantastic due to it being lit well. Lit by the dop, not the photographer. I don't have a real question, it's just something I've always thought was a bit odd and wondered what others thought. Probably does not apply so much to American sets as the operators work in a different way there.

well yes, but my point is the still photographer gets credit on publicity stills as the photographer - i.e. the creator of that still. They are essentially carrying out a similar role to the camera operator who does not get the same level of recognition. In frame grabs from a movie it is the dp who gets the credit for the shot, not the operator.

Hello, In the UK system a camera operator can discuss a shot with the director, choose a lens, set up a shot etc while the dop will light. i.e. the operator can frame the shot on their own and the dop will get the credit. Obviously it is never is a simple as this, but in theory that is how it goes. How does this work for a stills photographer? They will be using the dp's lighting on set but do they get the credit or does the dp?

These camera do have a back focus adjustment, only it's not accessible without opening them up. Connect it to a monitor, add lots of ND and open the lens up as wide as it goes, zoom into something which is easy to judge focus on (like a focus chart), focus until sharp then zoom out. If the chart looks soft at the wide end then you will have to send your camera in for a service. I had this problem with a Z1 before. If they get a whack it can sometimes knock the back-focus out and has to be sent to an engineer.

Thanks for your help and suggestions. Sent mag back and had no problems since.

Hello, I was thinking about getting some B+W 16mm transferred using http://www.no-w-here.org.uk Has anyone had any experience using them? Thanks