banba ban

Hi Guys,

I am looking to create the effect of film being run on/off, light leak, flashframe etc for use in post production.

I'm planning on running 100ft of film through my S16 Bolex to create the effect.

I'll get the usual fogged frames at the top & tail of the spool, but I want the whole 100ft to have a variety of light leak/fogging issues.

I plan on intermittently removing the filter holder and shining a light through the slot.

I also plan on intermittently removing the lens to expose the film.

I will shoot with an old roll of 7245 (5 years old but kept refrigerated).

I guess I'm looking for any guidance/tips from someone who may have done this.

Many thanks.

Hi All,

 

Would like to find someone who rents a shooting kit, not just the camera... - 'viewfinder', video out to monitor, rods, mounting plate, ffocus, mattebox and others...

 

All tips mostly appreciated

 

Daniel

I have not hired equipment from this company, but they seem to have what you are looking for:

http://www.kithire.com/camera.htm

Good luck.

Thanks Banba, Your the reason I'm asking this question. I'm trying to avoid the problems you had!

 

I've considered Bolex, but I just cant justify the price. It seem there of plenty of good conversions out there that were not done a the factory.

 

Roy Baake

Have sent you a PM.

Good luck!

I have a late model SBM that I'm considering converting to super 16...However, I've heard some horror stories while reading old post.

 

I am considering either JKCamera or perhaps Jean in Canada.

 

Does anyone have any experience with these people?

 

I was very surprised that this topic has not been discussed here before...at least I didn't see anything.

 

Thanks

 

Roy B.

This has been discussed before...

My strong suggestion is the Bolex factory in Switzerland - not the cheapest or most convenient but in my experience a very good conversion.

I have had problems with conversions done in the U.S.

Flying Spot / Lightpress have lost out simply by being impossible to contact / not providing an email address on their website. I only have a mobile with me, no landline, and I'm not waiting until like 8pm at night and then using up all my PAYG minutes to call Seattle.

Light Press have a wealth of contact info:

http://lightpress.tv/contact/

Even a Skype address.

Give them a call.

Good luck!

I'm shooting a S8mm music video and will have about 2,000 feet of 500T I want scanned to 25p (PAL) HD and laid off direct to drive.

 

This seems impossible in the UK (where I'm shooting) so am planning to schlep the developed reels back to America and try one of the labs there.

 

Does anyone have any experience with / recommendations between the following labs, which to the best of my google-fu are the only ones scanning S8mm -> HD? I'd be especially interested if anyone has experience putting PAL / 25p work through.

 

(I'm being cheeky and mentioning all their published rates, as it's interesting to see the variation)

 

* Cinelicious (do they do PAL?) HD @ $275/hr

 

* Lightpress (ex FSFT) who, super-annoyingly, don't have a contact email address anywhere on their website. Anyway, they're $600/hr for HD scanning then another $250/hr for layoff to drive. 50% off for standby rate.

 

* Pro8mm HD @ $450/hr + $20 extra per hour for PAL

 

* Colorlab - $750/hr for transfer + $300/hr for uncompressed layoffs to drive

 

Let me know any experience you all have with these folks, or any other labs that do HD that I might have missed out. On price alone, Cinelicious is the clear winner - and they seem to do a lot of music videos.

Have you spoken to ilab in Soho yet?

I spoke to them a few months ago and they were planning to do S8>HD transfers...

Late last year I had some S8 transferred at Flying Spot in Seattle.

It was all shot 25fps and they transferred it at that speed for me.

The quality of the transfer was fantastic and they were pleasant to deal with and very professional.

Highly recommended.

This Sony cam also looks interesting:

http://www.sony.co.uk/biz/view/ShowProduct...ipurposeCameras

It was only released recently and I have not used it yet but could be an option...

http://www.sendeancameras.co.uk/

They do great work.

I can't offer any insight but I can say that I've been using the smaller Joker Bug units for many years and found them to be an excellent fixture. Lightweight, reliable, etc...

http://switchpod.com/users/studio006/feed.xml

http://forums.creativecow.net/forum/applecolor#4352

http://www.coloruser.net/grades

http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?fo...138&start=0

http://movielibrary.lynda.com/html/modListing.asp?vid=67

Enjoy - the software has some limitations but it's extremely powerful.

Does anyone know of someone who can service a Bolex in England?

I've always sent my Bolex gear back to Switzerland for modification/service.

Shipping is not too expensive, and you are guaranteed top quality work.

Make sure you fill out the customs details correctly though - it's a temporary export.

I have tried other technicians (not in the uk) and been disappointed with the results.

If you are using the camera for important work and need to be certain that it has been serviced properly I would recommend the factory - always been happy with their work.

I'm not sure whether I should start a new thread for this as I can't seem to find it having been discussed elsewhere, apologies if I have missed it.

 

I was considering modifying my 1014xls to shoot Super Duper 8 but am not ecstatic about the possibility of vignetting as over the next 12 months I will be doing a lot of shooting in low light conditions meaning that I will be shooting close to wide open a lot.

 

I have been wondering about cropping the image in post (the material won't be projected) and was wondering whether anybody had any experience of this? Would it be possible to mask the viewfinder so that the image is closer to the final 16:9 image?

I have shot a lot of footage with the 1014xls and cropped the image to 16:9 in post for broadcast without any problems. I have used neg and reversal stocks with equally good results - but it's important to have a good telecine transfer and deal with the material in post at a good quality eg 10/8 bit uncompressed.

If you look through the viewfinder, you will see on the left hand side two triangle shaped little "notches" - one near the top and the other near the bottom. They are fairly close to where the frame lines for 16:9 would be - so instead of masking the viewfinder I have just used them as a guide. To test this look at a 4:3 monitor with some 16:9 letterboxed material and you will see that they line up fairly closely.

In post you also have the option of repositioning the image to fine tune the frame.

Good luck!

I was thinking of buying a sync motor for my canon 1014 from these people:

 

http://users.aol.com/fmgp/sync8.htm

 

I was wondering if anyone has brought/used one and if they're worth it?

 

Thanks,

 

Jon

Hi Jon,

I purchased one of these units for my 1014xls. As you can see from the website you must also send them your camera for conversion to allow the unit to function.

I am really happy with the results - I have had no problems whatsoever.

As a result of the conversion there is now an additional small input socket near the back of the camera - not a big deal and the camera still looks fine.

The unit is simple to operate and has always worked perfectly for me - I've probably shot about 20 rolls of film with it. It does what it's supposed to do - makes post syncing of sound possible, and eliminates the chance of lights flickering.

My only slight criticism is that it is fairly large - I still haven't found a way to neatly attach it to the camera when working hand held, and usually just have it looped over my shoulder. When using a tripod there is a little hook on the cable which they recommend attaching to the tripod.

It would also be nice to see it switchable between 24/25fps. At the moment you must nominate which speed you want.

I have no hesitation in recommending this unit - just remember to unplug it when you're not actually filming otherwise the internal 9v battery will go flat.

Good luck!

I have used these meters for years and think they are fantastic.

I have a full set of slides - up to 500asa.

However - If you use the calculator wheel on the back of the meter you really only need the 12asa (X100) and the 125 (x10) slides...

Simply set the calculator to the asa, insert whichever slide is appropriate for the level of light you are working under (a slide is not required under low light), then take a reading in fc's. Line up the little triangle with the fc reading you measured, look along the dial and you will see the f stop...

That probably sounds a bit complex - it is easier to demonstrate than to describe, but it is very simple, quick and accurate.

I also find these meters remain in accurate calibration if they are reasonably well looked after.

Is the Bolex still really loud if it has an electric motor?

Yep - it is still fairly noisy.

Not sure what the decibel level is but I think too loud to realistically be trying to record location sync sound.

I've never gone down the route of blimp/barney/software to reduce camera noise - just recorded location sound as a guide and replaced it in the edit - fairly easy with experienced on camera talent. This has worked well for short pieces but would probably be impractical for longer form work.

I've used the Tobin TXM-24 crystal unit with an ESM motor and a RX5 camera for several years now and have always been happy with the results.

Guide audio is recorded on location and re recorded later, or if it is music video work the re record is not necessary.

The crystal unit/motor has never lost sync - it has worked well at preventing flicker from street lights/HMI's and the TXM-24 is switchable between 24/25 fps, so equally useful in 50 and 60 hz parts of the world.

Surprised to hear that it is not a popular item...

You might want to take a look at one of these:

http://www.portabrace.com/category_50_31

You put a few "pocket warmers" inside the case and it keeps the camera at a good operating temperature.

I have also put pocker warmers inside my case of batteries to help keep them warm.

Do you know what the temperature will be when you are there?

I've found that if it's only just below freezing many cameras cope ok without need for additional care.

Other equipment can suffer too if it gets really cold.

Anything that runs off 9v or AA batts will chew through them really quickly as you'd expect.

Radio mics can be prone to problems - don't really know why.

Cables freeze as does the fluid in the tripod head.

If you are travelling on a snowmobile the vibration will shake loose many of the screws on the camera and all of the other equipment - Loctite is a good solution before you leave.

I'm sure others have many more suggestions....

Good luck!

Anyone care to offer an explanation as to why backfocus tends to drift more on HD cameras than SD?

I am regularly readjusting backfocus on 750's and 900's in the field and very rarely had to do this with any SD cameras.

I don't think it's a simple explanation such as "focus is more noticeable", because the amount that the HD lenses are drifting on HD cameras is fairly substantial and would definitely be noticeable if it were on a SD camera.

Any thoughts?

Some of the new management software coming out from Panasonic is pretty good, and with a blu-ray burner in your computer, it finally offers a solid, and soon afordable means of backing up your footage. An area which has always left me cold with P2.

If you are shooting P2 and archiving to Blu-Ray, why not just shoot Blu-Ray to begin with?

XDCAM/tape allows you to archive your material as it is being shot.

Perhaps P2/drive storage will be as affordable/practical one day, but not at the moment...

Just playing devils advocate, but interested to know why people prefer P2 over other formats.

I find it is not necessary to change the aperture plate but of course it must be milled properly.

I find it is also unnecessary to change the pressure plate, if is realigned correctly.

Jean-Louis Seguin

Montreal, Canada

I think my aperture plate was damaged in the original conversion, which is why it needed to be replaced at the factory.

I am guessing that the pressure plate was worn and should have been replaced in the original conversion but wasn't.

Shipping to Switzerland is fairly involved and the conversion isn't cheap, but I've heard many horror stories, and experienced my own.

As I mentioned, I am totally happy with the camera now and it is producing really good quality images.

Hi banba ban,

 

You mention that you were not happy with the first conversion done at the "reputable" company.

I would be curious to find out what exactly were the problems with this particular conversion.

Or what did you find was done improperly or sloppily?

Did it prevent you from obtaining the results you were expecting?

Thanks.

 

Cheers,

Jean-Louis

The first thing I noticed was that cosmetically the camera didn't look very good anymore.

The original turret plate had been replaced and the new plate didn't look right on the camera - It was also a fixed turret ie no longer able to be rotated.

The first roll of film I shot had registration issues and some scratching - which I had previously never experienced with this camera. The markings in the viewfinder were poor quality. Bear in mind that this was an expensive conversion.

Apparently the pressure plate and gate had not been changed and they should have been. Also the S16 markings had been glued to the prism which meant that the prism had to be replaced. Some of the components on the film transport path were also supposed to be replaced and had not been.

Since the factory conversion I have had no problems. The viewfinder markings are accurate, the registration is good (for a non pin registered camera) and I get consistently good pictures from the camera.

The camera was also given a good general check up by the factory which gave me more confidence when using it.

Hope this helps.

I had an RX5 converted to S16 in the States a few years ago from a well known and supposedly reputable company.

I was not happy with the results to say the least...

I then sent the camera to Bolex in Switzerland and their conversion was excellent.

I have had no problems with the camera or conversion since and wish I had opted for the factory conversion in the first place.

Just my 2 cents...

I think the only one they still make is the SBM. They are assembling from spare parts and have run out of lens turrets so can't make the Rex-5 any more, for example. Or so I hear.

 

We will be re-introducing our TXM-22A crystal motor for Arri S and M. Is there any interest in us also making again our crystal motors and crystal controls for the Bolex cameras?

Hi Clive,

I am interested in a crystal motor for my RX5 camera, however I would find it much more practical to use if it was able to be powered from my existing EBM (PONAL) battery handgrip.

Would a 4 pin to Tuchel plug adapter cable do the trick??

Would the battery in these handgrips (1300Ah new battery) power the motor sufficiently?

If so it would avoid the need for an external battery pack and the inconvenience associated with it.

So after familiarizing myself with the Bolex H16 Rex 4, my first 16mm camera, and buying some film stock from Kodak I'm ready to embark on my first film shooting experience. Except, I'm not sure if I'm loading the film correctly! A friend of mine gave me some dummy tape to practice on. The camera manual is quite vauge, so I've had to guess for a lot of things and I wanna confirm that what I'm doing is right. Does anyone here actually own a Bolex H16? Here are some pictures of what I'm doing:

 

1) This is the general path that the film travels after I've loaded it

 

http://img106.imagevenue.com/img.php?image..._122_1058lo.jpg

 

2) This is me finishing the loop by putting the film through the second sprocket

 

http://img199.imagevenue.com/img.php?image...t_122_218lo.jpg

 

3) These things I'm really quite confused by. I need to move them in the direction of the arrows in order to get the film to go between the sprockets and them, as shown in the second picture. Yet, they don't seem to move that much and it's quite difficult to get the film to go in between without man-handling it:

 

http://img19.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=..._122_1090lo.jpg

http://img131.imagevenue.com/img.php?image...s_122_549lo.jpg

 

After I've done this and the end of the film is inserted into an empty spool, I can run the camera and the film seems to run smoothly and fine.

 

Now, even if I am doing this correctly, it seems like a very involved process to perform in complete darkness! :blink:

 

I appreciate any help or insight.

This link may be of some help.

Where can I get a new battery for the pistol grip of my EBM Electric. I've looked on Chambliss but they don't seem to offer. Thanks.

Where are you based?

If in the U.K you can purchase them here:

http://www.bolex.co.uk/

Look on the accessories page.