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Aapo Lettinen

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Everything posted by Aapo Lettinen

  1. 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.
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. The 8s has fixed built in 15mm lens and one can attach their proprietary wide or tele converters in front of it. For example 9mm, 6.25mm, 36mm, etc. I abandoned all 8mm camera projects but have all the Leicina8s kits still in storage if you want to buy cameras, bags, lenses or other stuff for spare parts
  12. Anyone interested in the 2-speed model (830usd + shipping) or the 2-speed model with additional display and more crystal speeds (likely 9 crystal speeds and the variable speed. And some kind of simple footage counter) for 1100usd+shipping? It looks like this is the last motor model I'll be making for the Eclair ACL as it is pretty optimized price-performance ratio and possible to make in smaller batches because almost all the parts are the same than on my 2-speed Universal Crystal Motor, only the front panel is different and I need to make the extra axle connectors and mounting parts (which are basically included for free as the price is the same than the Universal Motor without these extra ACL specific parts) I have possibility to assemble couple of these in Summer if anyone needs them but would want to know ASAP if they are needed because I am already scheduling projects for the whole Summer and it can cause the motors being delayed for a month or two if the orders are last minute. So I advice ordering during April if you are interested in this motor, or at least let me know soon so that I have some kind of idea how many motors could be maybe needed 🙂
  13. More 3d printing tests. I was asked to try to include a basic footage counter and make a flat base which fills the whole area between the motor and the magazine. JUST A FIRST TEST TO FIGURE OUT THE APPROXIMATE LOOK OF THIS KIND OF SYSTEM. Not in scale compared to the camera but you can see how it would approximately differ from the first design. If making the motor this style shaped, the extra piece would likely be a little smaller towards the magazine, this first test is likely exxagerated a little. The extra part allows attaching more connectors (likely d-tap or two at least) and the 3-digit footage counter which allows choosing additional crystal speeds too. With the counter the motor would be more expensive, I estimated about 1800usd + shipping . The benefits are more crystal speeds (likely 9 selectable speeds during startup), a footage counter which counts to 999ft, extra connectors and a much larger flat base which allows the camera to stay upright on table/other flat surface without additional support. These are just first tests and things will change when I get funding (paid orders) and have made more test in Summer with more refined motor body design which could be attached to the camera. The plan is to run some tests in Summer with the motor drive itself, likely finish the mounting plate first, and then build the rest of the body around that motor drive + mounting plate design. Please let me know by DM if you are interested in this motor, either the basic 24+25fps model or the footage counter + multi speed model. I will need the orders in April to be able to continue with the planned schedule and be able to order the parts for tests (the parts for tests alone cost almost 1.5k which is why I need to have the motors paid for beforehand to be able to finish the project)
  14. Lenses have different geometry on the edges of the image circle and that can affect the effective field of view quite a lot. on wide angles the difference can be as big as 4 or 5mm or more equivalent focal lenght difference (which can translate to even couple of dozen degrees fov in worst case) but it varies from lens to lens so only possibility is to test to figure out how much difference there is. But almost always lenses differ at least 2 or 3mm or so. A larger format lens should generally have slightly smaller field of view in most cases because it is likely to draw the center area of its image circle relatively flat whereas the smaller format lens uses all of its image circle on the format and thus the distortion on the edges is likely to compress just tiny bit more fov to the frame. edge sharpness may be better on the larger format lens, but overall sharpness depends on the quality and type of the lens so it is not possible to say without testing how the center sharpness would behave. contrast is often worse in larger format lenses compared to small format ones if the coatings are approximately same. this is because there is lots of unused glass surface causing extra reflections and spreading out-of-image light all over the place. Using hard mattes can help with this to a point but generally speaking smaller format lenses should have better contrast and brighter colours if everything else is the same as there is less extra glass area to mess up the contrast
  15. just sold one device so I ONLY HAVE ONE PIECE AVAILABLE FROM THE LAST BATCH. So if wanting one, this is the last chance to order, I don't have parts to make more and will concentrate on the expensive controller from now on
  16. I thought they are all for 1R film as they are made for sound work, may be some old or special version then? The 2R film was most common before 60's, especially before about 1954 or so. For example Bolexes from the 50's already have 1R versions
  17. Most cameras are made for single side perforated film, no matter which gate they have. If having one of the really old cameras which needs 2R film then it it different but I would try to avoid them the best I can, they make life difficult without any benefit to the end result
  18. I don't see any benefit in using windows on a special use computer only meant to do one task well. Windows is most useful for stuff where you need to constantly install small 3rd party software tools and plugins and use it for multi purpose generic work. Mac is easier to use and Linux can be too if it is configured well. For stuff where it is possible to use virtualizing or containers one can manage pretty well with any kind of system. Drivers may be one reason to use windows, for example gpu easier to set up than on linux
  19. The older Aatons had all sorts of add-on updates and additional stuff possible to get installed to the basic ltr body when they figured out additional stuff over the years. So there is maybe at least dozen or more different combinations of what could have been added and when. Can make them kind of frankencameras at times, you have to take a moment to figure out what they added over the years and why 😄 For example I have one which has pl mount, s16, video optics similar to xtr, the 9pin amphenol connector found on most newer ltr's but not all of them. And I think some kind of edge timecode system, no idea if working or not but there it is. The body only has 25fps crystal, does not seem to be possible to switch to 24fps crystal whereas some ltr's can be switched by the user. Those alone add lots of variations between cameras. There is no one LTR, there is bazillion different ones and it is likely more uncommon to find unmodified one than those which have add ons installed over the years
  20. sorry I misread the first post and did not realise it was about the guitarmaking process 🙂 You could have one of those tiny mini slates (or only the sticks) made for closeup shots and let the talent just slate the shots. Actors are fine with it on shoots where the set is restricted some way (car scenes, tiny corners, etc) so I am sure your subject would be happy to slate the shots for you if needed and tiny slate can be just hidden behind the guitar or put aside easily for each shot
  21. you have to know which take is which on the sound recorder. so you have to keep track of the files or alternatively announce the shot+take on the mic for each take. You are shooting a music performance but is it staged just for your film shoot or will there be an audience... meaning can you just ask the guitar player to make some kind of additional sound with the instrument before starting to play for each take and you can use that as a sync reference? tapping the body of the guitar to make a distinctive sound you can easily find, etc? You could probably sync most of the takes without clapperboard or any other reference, it just takes tons more time so good to make it easier if in any way possible. one thing which comes to mind is some kind of toy which has a button and when pressed it flashes light and creates sound at the same time. I have a seal pup key fob which does just that, you may be able to find something from local stores and it would make the shoot much funnier at least 😄
  22. it is to allows shooting other crystal speeds than 24/25 with the camera. Originally I developed it for my own camera which only has non-switchable 25fps crystal speed and I needed it to shoot 24fps crystal but it is of great value for any user needing framerate versatility with the LTR. The normal LTR only has one crystal speed (24 or 25, either user switchable with minimal tools or painful to switch or not possible to alter) and every other internal speed is generated with RC oscillator which is not accurate at all, normally the other speeds the camera has are off by about half fps or so and can vary depending on temperature and mood of the camera etc. The 50-speed external generator makes it possible to shoot even low speeds crystal sync (for example 1fps, 2fps etc crystal sync) and it enables crystal framerates like 23.976 (stuff going for web/file based instead of dcp) and 33.333fps (most common slow motion framerate when shooting on film). Additionally it is very handy to have 48fps and 50fps crystal sync speeds because they enable shooting slow motion effects for music videos with sped up playback, very common "cool effect" if the band is just able to play that fast 🙂
  23. The continuous running is probably not battery related. Low battery on LTR usually causes "clicking" motor sound and the motor running intermittently or not starting at all. Can cause buzzing etc weird motor sound as well
  24. I HAVE STILL PARTS FOR A TOTAL OF 2 DEVICES. Can assemble them between April 4 and May 10 if there is still orders, let me know ASAP if wanting one as I have lots of other projects and need to schedule carefully to be able to assemble any extra stuff like these. Those 2 are the final ones of this device type and it is uncertain if/when I would make another speed generator for the Aaton (if will, they would be about 3x the price of this device so no affordable ones available after these are sold out) so let me know asap if wanting one of these.
  25. The same connector needs to be used for start-stop connections to avoid adding multiple connectors. XLR is possible if people want to run the switch from the unused pins 2 and 3, non-standard but should be ok. Huge sized connector however. making a separate "box" on the side just for the connectors would be doable but makes the motor pretty weird looking... if not making it ergonomically worse then might not matter. Using 200usd on connectors per motor is not possible budget-wise (I need about 70% of the budget on getting the outer body of the motor designed and finished perfectly, thus need to use more standard stuff on the motor drive and control electronics and connectors), maybe can find out something more affordable to replace Lemo with about similar form factor. That would be made somewhere between July and August because I would need to secure connectors for the whole motor batch which needs the full budget to be available. The connector pinout would not be standard anyway so a separate cable would need to be made to use the motor, just plugging in a Arri cable would not work. Extension towards magazine is possible but I need to test with printing how the motor would behave ergonomically and that any extension would not be on the way of the mounting latches etc. Additionally the current plan is to make the motor body out of combination of machined aluminium and 3d printed ABS plastic so will need to design the shape so that the body still stays rigid to support the camera in handheld and tripod use and is possible to machine in the first place 🙂 But yes, can arrange 4-pin or 5-pin XLR or similar style of "secure" connector which is more sturdy than the gx12 connectors I use on my other designs. Likely can't use Lemo for the high price of those connectors but the xlr should be possible to fit somewhere without making it too cumbersome, it would just be larger towards the right side of the camera with the xlr cable attached. Displays and footage counters add quite a lot of more work, need lots of space and compromise the electronics and the outer shape of the motor so I will need to leave them out of the design for them making the motor less compact and more expensive
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