Aapo Lettinen

Could be well working solution if it can supply the needed amps reliably. LiPo batteries usually lack the outer protective shell and they can be really nasty if damaged so it would be good to arrange some kind of protective box for it (plastic project box or something 3d printed for example) to protect it. probably velcro should work fine for mounting but as said I would not use plain LiPo battery, better to have a protective box as they can catch fire and even explode if they are punctured or deformed too much causing internal short circuits which heat them to breaking point. They are meant to be installed inside devices where the outer casing of the device protects them, or in case of drones and RC stuff they don't have casing to reduce weight but then people just need to accept the risk that they get easily damaged with potentially catastrophic consequences. I don't have Bolex motors to test out anything as my Bolex is too old model to use motors. if making motor modifications I would need to purchase a newer Bolex model with motor mounting points to test out the designs, that is why there is minimum order amounts in place as purchasing a camera body and couple of original motors just for tests costs quite much

crystal conversions for most motors can be arranged but if it is a new design there will be minimum order quantities which makes it impractical to order only one piece and one needs to figure out what to do with the rest of them. Generally from 3 to 4 pieces minimum should be converted at a time and then those sold which the customer does not need. I usually charge from 3k upwards minimum order to cover the design costs whether it is a single piece or two or three, depends on the motor type and testing requirements how many pieces one could convert with price that but 3 or 4 should be possible depending on what kind of features are needed. If AZ Spectrum already has a solution to convert these motors, definitely ask them first because they could probably make single pieces and faster than a custom newly made solution would take

They seem to be still using the same over a decade old Pocket sensor technology... basically it is just the full frame Pocket with fixed display, no hdmi, larger sized and couple of other quirks. The price is not bad but I don't see that much value on this camera other than it might be slightly easier and more secure to rig and it may look cooler to uneducated people so one's customers might think it is "better camera" because it looks "more professional" to them 😄 actually the fanboys seem to think that this would be technologically much better than the PocketFF because it looks "cooler" when they seem to be exactly the same sensor and processing wise. I would had hoped more dynamic range (15 stops would be standard nowadays for stuff which tries to give an impression of being even remotely 'professional'), higher fps capabilities (the 60fps-ish is just very very basic. any camera in the price range can do that and one generally would need 100fps in 4k on shoots where this kind of camera would be useful) and a display which could be flipped over and secured so that it is not exposed to damages when one actually rigs this thing to something or tries to handheld operate it (no one could operate the camera using a display fixed on the side of the camera and it will absolutely get damaged in use and when transporting it). A separate viewfinder or monitor is a must for the onboard display being completely useless for shooting. could be handy for playback of course which is probably how they intended it being used

Still couple of days left to order. No one has asked about these so far so looks like it is safe to discontinue it after all? I checked out some things and it does not seem to be practical to make user installable kits like this anymore. Could make a technician installed more advanced kit later but that would be much much more expensive so very uncertain would it work at all. Again, still couple of days left to order if you need the 1-speed system for the CP16 camera. this will likely be the last user installable kit available for this camera model and if there would be any kind of later model made at some point it would need to be camera tech installed for being too complicated for anyone to install by themselves

COLLECTING ORDERS FOR THE SECOND GENERATION VERSION of the Aaton speed controller I am working on. You have seen the first model (the 50-speed crystal controller for Aaton) I made which had the 2-digit Led display and three buttons and which was "as affordable as possible" -- This is the more advanced and more expensive version I was talking about earlier. The basic features: - variable speed knob about 5fps - 50fps for comfortable manual speed ramps with a large knob - quick switch between variable mode and programmable crystal speed mode, likely with a single switch which can be used even in the middle of a take - programmable crystal speed mode: * small OLED display and couple of buttons to select settings * crystal speed selectable from 1fps to 80fps in 3 decimal (0.001fps) accuracy * tcxo (temperature compensated crystal oscillator) for really accurate crystal sync even on very long takes * footage counter for take length and total amount * additional features depending on how much budget and time I have available after the mandatory stuff is programmed first - open collector output for controlling external devices, could be used to start a sound recorder etc. automatically by the user - some kind of small summer and light included which make it possible to have a "bleep mark" on picture and sound easily in situations where one cannot use clapperboard for some reason. I will likely make the marker system separate from the controller so that one could mount it on the mattebox etc. location (likely a small light+summer which is connected with a short cable to the main controller) - I will likely arrange newly made cables for this device which fit the 9-pin Amphenol connector on the Aaton cameras. it is very difficult to get suitable connectors which fit so I think the most practical solution is just to make them partially out of scratch (machining/3d printing) instead of hunting down the few remaining original connectors which are almost non-existent. In any case, a good cable properly fitting the camera is included in the price. Availability: it takes from 6 to 10 months or so to finish the device after the starting funding is secured. So the schedule depends on when the first paid preorders are in. Price for the device for preorderers is 1300usd including shipping (up to 100usd shipping costs, not more. should work even for expensive parts of the World like AU, etc.) which can be paid in three parts if needed (300usd deposit when order is placed + 500usd in the middle of the project about 3 to 4 months from the start when the prototype has the variable speed and basic display features like speed selecting working + 500usd final payment when the project moves to the finishing phase about 1 to 2 months prior shipping, this is when the final cables and outer casing of the controller is made which creates the highest costs. When the controller kits are finished they will ship immediately without further delay, that is why I will want the shipping sorted out beforehand so that it is possible for me to just send them all at the same time when they are ready and much easier to arrange the logistics then.) So the price for preorderers who follow the schedule would be 1300usd including shipping costs. For later sales the price will be 1500usd + shipping costs (typically ends up to about 1580 to 1600usd with the shipping). If wanting to preorder this more advanced Aaton crystal controller device, let me know by DM. I will need to collect couple of orders ( I would say at least 3 ) before being able to start the project .

I assume most people would use a rolled towel on the shoulder and use the camera without separate shoulder pad. Because likely in any case the camera would sit too high if using a base plate with rods, then some riser, then some separate shoulder pad... the new motor will be very small but the camera body itself is still relatively high so I don't think it could be compensated enough. but could be wrong too, my test camera is not in working condition so have not tested it 🙂 in any case I will try to reduce the motor height as much as possible because it was the main goal of the motor project in the first place. modern motor drives are possible to get in flat shapes which was not possible in the past

I will likely change the motor shape a little when getting enough budget to continue working on it. it depends on what type of bldc motor drive I can get to work with it, some of them are flatter than others which allows reducing the motor height and shaping it differently. Unfortunately these motor drives are very expensive and I can't afford making the tests without the orders in place so have to wait and see how it goes. the camera's own gearbox is relatively large as seen on the reference images, that makes it impossible to get the motor tripod mounting area to the save level with the magazine bottom surface. So likely I will make the motor so that the motor has relatively large flat bottom with tripod threads and the back part of this area is somehow curved to shape it better for shoulder use and extends backwards enough to allow the camera sitting on table on its own balanced without tilting forward/backward. it is relatively complex shape to model and thus I will need the final dimensions before starting making it. which like mentioned requires the budget first because I need to fit the electronics inside before knowing the exact dimensions of the motor especially vertically

I think they only have some value if they are tested and otherwise one would likely pay the scratch test film value. Especially the higher speed films don't like 14 years of warm storage at all, they would suffer a lot even in fridge

here is the previous draft printed to test its size with the NPR camera body. This is just drafting and the final device will look different. The final will probably be just a little bit smaller in vertical direction and extending more towards the magazine to get larger mounting area on the bottom. But here you can get some kind of view what size of a motor we are talking about 🙂 I will need to wait now to collect orders (budget) to move this project forward, it only makes sense to continue the designing process if there is enough support to finish the project in the first place. So let me know ASAP if you are interested in ordering the new "compact NPR motor", I would like to work on it in Summer if in any way possible but will need the orders in April to keep that schedule because continuing requires ordering the most expensive components next before anything else can be made. price for 2-speed model is 1200usd + shipping and for the display version with at least 10 speeds and a film counter will be 1800usd + shipping.

yes the emulsion color will differ and different films often have different smell as well, sometimes one can pick up the difference from the smell alone in the darkroom without looking at all

Yes movies always 24fps with 172.8 degree shutter and tv stuff 25fps at 180 degree shutter

Anyone interested in the 1-speed system? there is still about 2 weeks left to order these kits if you need one. As said I will probably throw the leftover parts away and sell the camera body in Summer so there will be no cp16r crystal update kits available then anymore

Here is some files where one can take mounting plate dimensions when designing how to mount this Universal Motor to their own camera project. Please inpect the photos carefully to see which holes are used for mounting, the motor is supposed to be mounted to the camera with four M4 screws/bolts and the rest of the holes are either blocked by the motor parts or already used for something else (mounting the motor drive or electronics box). Motor axle is about 19mm lenght measured from the mounting plate surface. And it is 5mm axle. The screw heads of the brushless drive mounting screws are about 3.5mm height so leave about 4mm room for them and you should be fine. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Oq2I3yeMbI9qHOqDNY2uVBZi0b6W3m8b Designing your mounting system should be easy, you can even print out the 1:1 pdf file of the plate and make a cardboard model of your mounting system if that is easiest way to work.I have one partially assembled 2-speed motor which can be finished in about a week or so after someone ordering it. So I have these available and can make more whenever needed, just need orders to keep them moving 🙂 two were sold last month so there is already people working on these

Is it really possible to use the viewfinder if there is a battery sticking out of the back? I am pretty sure it would hit your face and make the operating difficult no matter how the battery plate is oriented. If it can be mounted to all different positions around the camera (door, rods, etc) then it could be useful but only the backside mounting would be very limiting by my opinion and I am pretty sure it would not work well in real world shooting. using a step down converter and short cable would be useful as Robert suggested. it can be nice if the regulator is built into the battery plate but that makes it 20x more expensive regulator board than using a similar specs regulator separately. personally I would use a separate regulator on a short cable and have different mounting positions for the battery plate so that it could be moved out of the way quickly if needed

the idea is to start working on a new Arri16S crystal sync motor this Summer if there is orders and enough general interest. I talked about this project briefly earlier and now when it looks like I have nothing else to do this Summer than design circuit boards and write software, I could as well move this project forward too 🙂 Generally speaking, I am planning a multi-speed motor with a small display and film counters, all integrated into the motor body and relatively compact. Planned price is about 1600usd + shipping to allow using higher quality parts (very high quality brushless motor drive, proper machining for metal parts, enough resources to test thoroughly, etc) and would need couple of orders to move the project forward. There will be a deposit charged (amount depends on how many orders there is, something between 30% and 50%) which will enable me getting a used Arri16S body for tests and the materials for one prototype motor so that I can finish the device this year. Sounds expensive, about 1600 for a motor? well, the used Tobin motors are not cheap either (about a grand a piece, very hard to find, they are old and used and likely not serviced in last 20 years so not in pristine condition anymore) and this is much more advanced device with better speed options and counters etc, completely newly made and made of high quality parts. I was originally trying to make a new motor for 1k a piece but that does not seem to be possible without cheaping too much on the materials and motor drive so I will rather make it more expensive and add extra features instead to make it worth it.

MORE DRAFTING. will print this test later when having time. Here the extra housing for the display+extra speeds unit is integrated to the basic motor and I would just leave it empty if the basic version is ordered. I will very likely make it just like this so that the motor would be most versatile. The height of the motor is still the same so it is pretty compact. I drafted the one button for display functions and other button for start+stop. This is a bit closer to the final design but still will change a lot so consider it as a first test type of thing 🙂 The extra support parts would be attached to the backside of this base unit whenever needed.

it is for supporting the sides of the film roll when spooling so that the sides stay on level and no chance the layers falling over causing a mess. You will install the core between the two separable flanges which support the sides of the film roll. After spooling you open the assembly to take the core out with the film on it so that you can use it in camera

To clarify, the square hole on bulk film cores is same size than the square hole on 16mm daylight spools. To avoid scratches you need to control friction so that film layers don't slip and grind against each other on the takeup spool. Other than that it is just about avoiding static flashes and dust and getting the film spool straight on the core. If starting to spool conical you just correct it manually whenever needed

With spooling by hand you mean without using rewinder at all?? The 16mm rewinders usually have square axle which fits the photography bulk film cores. You may not be able to lock it in place but the spooling would work the same. The takeup core needs to have split reel flanges or manually correcting it every couple of meters

It can be fun if keeping it as a hobby and only doing fun stuff every now and then which is relatively fast and simple to complete. For example making simple camera gadgets (ultrasonic distance meter, battery voltage meters, etc) and 3d printing nice housings for them can be very rewarding. Actually I recommend the 3d printing stuff as a hobby instead of electronics if you can choose, it is much funnier to make 3d parts, faster to complete them and much more rewarding ------- If making super complicated ambitious projects it is a living nightmare to do electronics stuff and not recommended at all, it will eat up all your time and money, your home will be full of unfinished projects and parts pissing everyone else living in there, your social life will suffer a lot (no time, money or energy to have any life outside your projects) and it is not that rewarding to get anything finished, you are just glad the suffering is over and can finally move on to next unfinished task which has waited completion for years. so the "hardcore approach" is definitely not recommended unless maybe if you plan on leaving film industry completely and only making electronics stuff for living. in that case you may need to use even more time and energy on it as making super ambitious diy stuff is not enough to survive in work environment so you need to double or triple it to get forward

I made some hobby stuff when young and started to repair stuff again and learn more when worked with old cameras so learned the basics when young and continued from there when older. For the past almost 5 years I have used pretty much all my free time on electronics projects (maybe 6 hours a day every day) and at the moment am studying for a engineering degree as well which is of embedded systems and electronics designing as well. So have been doing this full-time for couple of years sometimes getting money of it and the rest for helping with my studies, probably used close to 10 000 hours on the electronics and programming stuff so far during these couple of years and still learning more. I would rather make movies for living as that is much easier work but there is not much film industry work here anymore due to budget cuts and economic instability etc so trying to get making electronics stuff as main profession if in any way possible... there is tons of electronics and embedded systems work in this city whereas the film industry is pretty non-existent

It is not possible to shoot with the camera without the auto exposure system in working condition so the modification needs everything to work correctly. Of course I could still make crystal sync Leicinas out of them but one would need to buy the whole batch at once and pay for them before I can start work on them. I think 5 cameras for 6k usd or something like that. Takes about 8 months including tests

No I only did tests with the motor but never finished the software or circuit boards. One of the issues was that I am not able to mechanically overhaul these cameras and would had needed them to be bought first, then crystal modified, then sent to Simon to Switzerland for mechanical overhaul before anyone could use them for filming. People not willing to pay for the camera beforehand made the project impossible to finish. So only spare parts cameras available, no fully working ones

It is both cheaper to use converters instead of full lenses, but it would be a nightmare to make automatic exposure working with interchangeable prime lenses and would be cumbersome and very expensive to buy. So I think the only right choice for that camera was converters because auto exposure would not been possible with interchangeable lenses and the auto exposure was main selling point of that camera model. The SV model with built in zoom lens has auto exposure too (leftmost camera in the image). Interchangeable lens would had needed external motors like on beaulieus

Still have all of these and can sell part if you need Leicina stuff. Some cameras partially disassembled when I took parts for tests, some in original condition