Ray Noori

Thanks Alex. They both seem like excellent options. Although I must confess my ignorance as to what superspeed refers to, I've never heard of the term before. They are both out of my price range at the moment, but I try to raise the funds by selling my Criterion DVD collection as well as my Bolex and its lenses. We'll see.

Sorry for the late reply guys, I've been away for a few days. Tim, Alex, thank you so much for your advice. I'm looking at a few options, including the one I listed and the one that Matt was talking about. I'll post here when I make my final decision.

Gents, And so my search for a suitable sync 16mm camera continues. Having looked at Eclair NPR and ACLs, I have now been offered the opportunity to buy an Aaton LTR7 Super 16mm camera for $3000. The good news is that unlike many eBay auctions, this is a seller near where I live and I can go and see the camera for myself. The following is what he has given me in terms of details of what is included: - Aaton LTR 7 Super 16mm Film Camera Body s/n C220 - Camera Sync Speeds Switch FPS 24,25 - Camer Off Speed Sync FPS 3,6,12,16,18,20,24,28,32,40 - 2 Aaton Super 16 Magazines with film covers - 2 Aaton On Board Batteries - 1 Cine 60 16.8V - 8.4V Battery Belt - 1 Right Hand Power Grip With on/off Switch - 1 Set of Rods - 1 Gate cover - 1 Power Cable - 1 Aaton Charger - 1 G G M 1:85 -1:79 - TV Safe - 1 Black Pelican Shipping Case - 1 Case for Batteries & Charger The problem is, I know next to nothing about Aaton LTR 7s. There is very little information on the web comparing to a camera like Eclair NPR, so I have lots of questions: 1. What lens mount is on this camera? Are adaptors for it readily available? 2. I recall reading on the board arvhices somewhere that Aaton LTR was to be avoided because parts are impossible to find. Is that true? 3. Has this camera been converted to Super-16mm or are Aaton LTRs Super-16 modified off the assembly line? Other than that any other piece of information that might help would be greatly appreciated, any links to useful articles on the net, anything at all! Thanks, Ray

Thanks for the response Tim. It's time for me to admit something rather embaressing. And that is my lack of full understanding of what crystal sync is. From what I understand crystal sync motors were developed so the footage recording and the camera recording could be in perfect sync without the two devices being connected with a cable and that has the inherent plus that you can now have several crystal sync cameras running on one scene and one crystal sync audio recorder. Now. Is that level of precision really absolutely needed in sync-sound filmmaking? For example, running the NPR camera that I linked to above with the constant speed motor that is not crystal sync, along with an audio field recorder, will I not be able to sync the audio with the footage without it looking bad? Assuming that the answer is "No, you'll have to have a crystal sync motor", then what about the audio recorder? Will I have to find a crystal sync audio recorder or are digital audio recorders reliable enough? One last Crystal Sync question: A while back someone on these forums, Matt Phillips I believe, was talking about the fact that even with a crystal sync motor and a digital field audio recorder you'll be in trouble if you telecine your film to NTSC. Is that true? If so, is there a way around it? Thanks again.

Hello, Some of you may have seen my other posts on the Bolex and Arri forums. I've been doing some research, trying to find an ideal replacement for my Bolex H16 Rex-4. I'm hoping for something that would be quiet enough for sync sound, not spring-loaded, and possibly to convert to Super-16. After weeks of research I think I've found my answer in Elair NPR. So I have three questions: 1) Am I wrong in making that choice based on the criteria I listed? Is there something I should beware of about Eclair NPR that I don't know about? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone has sample footage shot with an NPR I'd love to see it. 2) I'm looking at a few online stores and a couple of eBay auctions. The following caught my eye: http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...A:IT&ih=007 Other than the crystal motor not being in working order, does everything else seem fine? How much would it cost to get a new crystal sync motor for NPR or repair one? Also, I'm not sure what the constant speed motor is and how well it functions. Does anyone know? Other than that everything else seems find to me, and the lens is a standard Angenieux zoom. $1500 seems like a reasonable price, no? 3) Another factor in choosing an NPR was that I could use my C-mount lenses from Bolex Rex-4 on it. Am I correct in that assumption? Thank you in advance for your time and advice.

Tim, This is not the first I hear of schools moving to digital just so they can write-off their costs more easily, and I cannot tell you how saddened I am to hear it again. I am not strictly a traditionalist. I do believe in progress. But not at the cost of art. The truth is, I want to make The French Connection, The Conformist, or In the Heat of the Night, not The Incredible Hulk or Speed Racer. And you simply cannot do that with what you refer to as "the latest HVX-300 RED TurboMax WhizBang HD Digital Video Camera today". At least not yet. I don't mean to sound like an elitist jackass or put down The Hulk or Speed Racer, they may have their own merit, they're just not what I want to make. Bruce, Thanks for the heads up on the CP16R. I know very little about that particular camera, but I will be researching it more thoroughly along with the other candidates that I have in mind, Arriflex 16SR, Eclair NPR and ACL. I am going away to Italy tomorrow until the end of June, so I'll have to leave my decision until I get back. I shot a short recently on my Bolex Rex-4 and I was hoping to get the rushes back before leaving the country, but it doesn't seem like that's going to happen, which means I'm going to be spending my vacation thinking about whether or not I indeed have in the can what I think I have in the can. The mantra goes "Shoot film. You can trust film." Why do I find it so hard to trust film then? :unsure: Sorry about the tangent.

Gents, I am absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of very useful responses, thank you all. Ian, Thank you very much for directing me to the previous thread on the Arriflex 16BL Super 16 conversion. Some very nice and detailed discussions there. Damien, Thanks for the advice on buying cameras from eBay. It IS a minefield, but sometimes you can find some real gems. I try to keep a close eye on the going auctions even when I'm not actively looking for a camera, to get a better idea of things. Andy, Thank you for all the tips. Not only is 16BL as bit noise as you said, but as Tim helpfully pointed out to me neither one of the auctions I was looking at had the lens blimps, which pretty much makes them useless as sync sound cameras. I have indeed seen Following, several times, with and without director's commentary. Immense film. It really shows what you can do with modest equipment as long as you have a great script and dedicated people. I'm based in Waterloo, ON. I'm only an hour away from Toronto, but going back and forth to rent and return cameras could be quite cumbersome. Also, there aren't that many rental houses in Toronto that rent film cameras. Lastly, I had a fantastic experience with buying my first film camera (the Bolex Rex-4) and learning on my own time, shooting test footage, etc. I thought maybe I could do something like that again. Tim, Glad to finally make your acquaintance! Based on your helpful comments and those of others on this thread I think I'm going to give the 16BL a pass. Same with 16S, 16S/B and 16M. At this point the sync sound aspect is quite essential to me. So I'm going to try and look for some reasonably priced 16SRs or even look at Eclair ACL or NPR. One question though. Like you said, a camera like Arriflex 16SR is quite professional and will run for a while, so why are the proces falling so quickly? One of the things that I remember hearing years ago about shooting film was that film cameras will always retain their value, more or less. And I've found it to be true so far. So why the change? If it is because of a massive exodus towards digital I'm going to jab myself in the eyes.

Thanks John. I'll try to get a hold of Tim with my questions. In the meantime, the plot thickens once again! From CinemaTechnic.com: "ARRI did the same with the introduction of the Arriflex 16SR3 in 1992. Today all new 16mm cameras are Super 16 compatible. All professional grade 16mm cameras can be converted to Super 16, with the exception of the Arriflex 16BL." Does anyone know if that's explicitly true? Thanks, Ray

Thanks Bruce. I totally agree with you about the nature of buying such complex and in this case old machinery from eBay. I bought my Bolex Rex-4 on eBay and luckily I had a great experience. The guy from the first listing that I talked about below got back to me with detailed responses to a few questions that I had. He seems genuine and helpful, but then again, like you said, most people who get you stuck with poor equipment just don't know better. Two things: a) His package doesn't have a battery. How easy is it to find a 12Volt XLR battery to use with the system? B) In trying to learn more about Arriflex 16BL I came across a very informative article on CinemaTechnic.com (http://www.cinematechnic.com/resources/arri_16bl.html). The article starts with a disclaimer saying that CinemaTechnic discourage filmmakers from buying this specific Arriflex model because the parts are hard to find and very few people can maintain them. Is this true? Does anyone know of a repair house in Canada that does maintenance on Arriflex cameras? Thanks, Ray

Hello, About a year ago I moved from digital production to film, shooting Super-8 on two Canon cameras and doing a few short films using a spring-loaded Bolex Rex-4 with a Switar zoom lens. Lately I have been thinking of making the move to a better camera that is a) quieter than the Rex-4, B) could take 400' magazines, and c) is motorized. I looked at Bolex EBM, but upon further research I found that Arri might have better options for what I'm after, so I've been looking at a few auctions for Arriflex 16BL. 1) http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...A:IT&ih=007 Does anyone know if the zoom lens that comes with this package is any good? 2) http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...A:IT&ih=005 This auctions is much more questionable. Not only is it being sold essentially AS IS (always to be avoided), but it seems to be a piece of hardware: "The hardware that holds the mattebox to the blimp is missing. It was missing when I got it, so I always gaff taped it on. They're just screws, so replacements could easily be found, I was just lazy." I'm not sure exactly what the missing piece of hardware is or how I could go about replacing it. These cameras seem to be far more complicated than the Bolex ones that I'm used to so I would appreciate any help, any tips or advice for venturing into the Arri world. Anything to look for, anything to avoid, etc. Thanks, Ray

Thanks for the heads up Jean-Louis! Craig, Thank you very much for all the tips and advice. I absolutely agree with you that before I spend a significant amount of money on a new set-up I need to research the camera well before hand and ideally use it for a few days and do test reels. As for what I need the camera for, I'm on a mission to finish 5-6 shorts before November and use them in a demo reel for applying to schools in Canada and the States. I want to shoot on 6 on film, and all but one in black and white. I have three polished scripts so far, two of which I have shot with the Rex-4 and one of which is already edited fully. What camera I use will depend on the other 3 scripts I suppose. This auction caught my eye last night. Not sure what to make of it yet: http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...A:IT&ih=005 I would love to be able to rent cameras instead of buying, but I live in Waterloo, Ontario. Only an hour from Toronto, but even in Toronto film cameras for rent seem to be hard to come by. I drool whenever I see the adds for rental houses in filmmaker magazine! Once again, thank you guys for all your support. Ray

Thanks for all the advice Craig. I had no idea you could get c-mount adapters for the EBM, but I looked for and found a few on eBay and for reasonable prices too. The person that I'm hoping would get my super 16 conversion done eventually has done similar work for a few cinematographers in Toronto and they have nothing but praise for his work. That said I'll make sure to inquire about things thoroughly before having the work done. I've done quite a few very fun short films with the Rex-4 and it's a fantastic camera for what it does. But it does have limitations and that's why I'm looking for an upgrade, except that my funds are rather limited. I was watching an Arriflex SL2 Super 16 camera on eBay that just finished at $11,600, which is out of my price range by about $8,500! What other cameras do you recommend? Sync or no sync. Thanks, Ray

Apologies Herb, that would be because of my rookie phrasing. By handcrancking I guess I meant handwinding. I am using the spring indeed.

Thanks a lot Jean-Louis. I guess that makes the choice a bit more simple, doesn't it. The loss of single-frame capability isn't too big a deal for me as I have yet to branch into animation, but the zoom lens not fitting on it is a big deal! If not c-mount, then what kind of lens does EBM take? Also, are you by any chance a friend of Justin Lovell's?

Hi! I've been shooting 16mm and Super-8 film for just over 9 months now. I have a hand-cracked Bolex Rex-4 with a Vario-Switar zoom lens on it. It's been quite good to me, but the hand-cranking is starting to be a bit of a problem. So the way I see it I have two options: 1) Motorize my Rex-4 for $250: Now I know close to nothing about how this is done or what camera qualifies for it. But it seems like this Crystal Sync Motor would do the job on a Bolex Rex-4: http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...A:IT&ih=018 Is that true? Is installing the motor something trivial enough that I can do myself without expert help? 2) Upgrade to Bolex H16 EBM Electric for $750-$1000: I don't know enough abotu the EBMs to know if this is a good and viable upgrade or not. The investment is significantly larger than getting the $250 motor. Would the performance of the EBM be more or less the same as a motorized Rex-4? Also, does the EBM take 400' mags as well? Again, I apologize if the question is too rookie or too vague but I'd really appreciate any advice. Thanks, Ray

Gents, Justin Lovell has a bit of a reputation in the Toronto filmmaking circles for being an absolute wizard. He's an immensely talented cinematographer and his telecine work is second to none, at least among the telecine houses that are available to me there is no comparison. He also happens to be a great and patient teacher, I've learned so much from him. Hopefully he'll make more appearances on this board and update the Framediscreet blog regularly, there's plenty we can all learn from this man.

Wow! Thank you so much for the incredibly detailed response Satsuki! I'll take all those steps (I'm actually taking the camera and the lens to a technician in Toronto in a few days) and let you know if the results improve. Once again, thanks for sharing the knowledge!

Hello again gents, Please forgive my novice question, especially if it has already been asked. I've tried to go through as many posts as possible to see if I can find the answer and I haven't. I work with a Bolex H16 Rex 4 with a Switar 18-86 mm Zoom lens. Having a reflex camera, I try to focus by looking through the viewfinder and adjusting the focus ring until the main subject of the frame appears to be in sharp focus. However, the results I've obtained doing this have been less than perfect. My question is: How can I achieve sharp focus without relying solely on my less-than-perfect judgement through the reflex viewfinder? I read something about "tape focus" in a very old post on the board, how is that done? Thank you in advance

Hello all, Simple question. I just purchased my first auto-exposure only Super 8mm camera, the Canon 514 XL-S, but have had little luck in finding its manual online. I have a number of cartridges, VISION 2 200T and 500T as well as Tri-X reversal and Plus-X reversal. My question is, can I trust the auto-exposure on the camera with any of these stocks? I'm pretty sure that at least the 500T would be too fast for it, but would the exposure be decent for the rest of the stocks? I would really appreciate any advice! Thanks, Ray

Thanks a lot Charles, that explains a lot! If I were to do what you suggested and use the meter as incident meter with the dome facing the lens, how far from the lens should I hold the meter? Who knew snow would complicate exposure so much! :blink:

Thank you for the responses guys. I did most of the shooting on a few miserable days here in Ontario, Canada. I would absolutely believe that the weather had a lot to do with the dull colours. I just dropped $200 on a tripod, so hopefully the amateurish handheld pans won't appear in my second reel! John, I liked the shots of leaves blowing in the wind too, I tried to get a shallow focus so the front leaves would be in focus and the ones behind would be soft, and it worked! I'm glad you brought up the dirtiness. I'm sure where I stored the film was quite clean, unless it got dirty at the lab. But the camera itself, I haven't cleaned it since I bought it. I'm not quite sure how, as I would have to do it myself. Living in Waterloo, Ontario I don't have access to professional service places that people do in LA or NY :( Any tips on how to go about cleaning? What kind of cloth to use? What kind of cleaning solution, if any? David, I'll tell you exactly how I did my exposure. I would really appreciate you telling me if I'm doing things completely wrong: - I use a Sekonic Flash Master L-358. Because most of my shots were of scenary and not a specific object I used the flat lumigrid as opposed to the lumisphere. - I would set my fps and ISO value, then hold the light-meter beside the lens and point towards the area I'm shooting and measure the f-stop. I had set the light-meter to measure in full stops. - I then set the aperture value on the switar lens. I'm not sure if you're familiar with this lens, I've included two pictures of the aperture. I'm skeptical about how accurately it works, the dial used to set the f-stop moves only discreetly between full-stops, I don't know if I can set it to half or 1/3 stops.

Hello again gents. So finally I got back my first roll of 16mm film from the lab and telecined it. I put it together and to some music and it's now on YouTube: Camera: Bolex H16 Rex 4 Lens: Switar 18-86 mm Zoom Stock: Kodak 50D First of all, I'm in love with the film look! I don't think I'll be going back to video anytime soon. I think the exposure could be improved upon in a number of shots. Also, and I'm clueless as to why this is, I think the colours are very muted. Is this normal? I don't believe it is, because I've seen other footage shot with Rex 4 that looks very vibrant. I want to learn from my mistakes before I shoot my second roll, so any feedback, comments, criticism, etc. would be really really appreciated. Finally, I wanna thank all the fantastic members of this forum who carried me through from the moment I decided to delve into film until now. You guys have decided to share your knowledge and experience and that makes you gentlemen and scholars! :)

I can cancel my gym membership and do squats with those babies on my shoulder! :P

Michael, thanks for all the information. The background of this particular model is quite fascinating. Now I'm more than curious to actually get my hands on one of these, but it will be difficult to tell the scams from the real deals. :blink:

Thanks for the heads up Glenn. I suspect that this might very well be another scam. This is the content of the e-mail I received from the guy this morning: "Like i said before the unit come from UK .If you are 100% interested to buy let me know your full shipping details and i will start the transaction today.You will recive all details about the shipping and payment from the company Regards," A third party company?! It sounds pretty shady. The guy works in the Slough, UK office of my company. His name is Andrew Maison and the e-mail address he used to get back to me is andrewmaison2000@gmail.com. If anyone is still interested you can contact him directly, but I think Glenn is right, this is too good to be true.