Aapo Lettinen

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 🙂

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

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.

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

I agreed to trade some NPR gear for one motor if there is other orders so one order so far but still need more to fund the project. The issue with 12v is that it needs double the amperage rating from the bldc controller and higher rating controller is physically larger (the small sized controllers are a little less than 3A which is fine for the motor at 24v but goes way over at 12v for similar wattage motor and thus larger controller needs to be used) which means less compact end result. A 12v motor drive itself can be larger as well but not as big difference as the controller size difference. So likely it would be 24v but I will test the 12v approach too if I can make it compact enough to be viable. 24 + 25fps vs only 24 fps is very little difference in size, basically few dozen cubic millimeters as only one small switch or internal jumper is needed and nothing else. for power connector, I am intending on adding only one connector if possible and the smallest affordable one which is locking and relatively reliable. it allows user making extra cables more easily but the main reason is that I need to use the kind of connector which takes very little internal space from the electronics box to keep the whole motor still compact. Something like a XLR connector takes almost one third of the space inside the current size electronics box which makes it very difficult to fit the necessary control electronics there and would lead to needing to make the whole motor larger. So likely I will use either a Lemo connector (expensive to buy though which is not good for the end user) or just use the same gx12 connectors than on my other devices... they are not the absolute best but they cost next to nothing and I can include spare ones for them costing 1usd instead of 100 a piece 😄

VERY EARLY TEST PRINT OF MY 2-SPEED NPR COMPACT CRYSTAL MOTOR DESIGN. Normally I don't post photos of the earliest drafting but I will need to collect the orders for this motor beforehand so some kind of reference image is mandatory. The motor will be approximately this sized, so noticeably smaller than the Alcan motor and considerably lighter weight. Additionally I will try to position the electronics so that the motor would be as ergonomic as possible to operate on shoulder so I will try to make it as short as possible which helps tripod operating as well, and position the electronics so that they are out of the way when the camera is on the shoulder. SO things will change, this is just a first draft which I use in the design process. The design will be refined when I get more budget (orders) to continue with the tests and order more parts for prototyping 🙂 The price of the compact 2-speed motor will be around 1200usd + shipping and it has crystal 24 and 25fps. Will be either 24v or 12v depending on which option keeps the smallest form factor, likely the 24v is better choice but we will see. I will need at least 3 orders before can make this into a final product. For the schedule to work out the orders need to be placed before May2024 so that it is possible to get the working prototype finished during the Summer and the final motors delivered in November. Again, the reference photos are just the first very rough 3d print test which I use to test out the motor size and shape. The final device will be properly finished and at least partially machined from aluminium to last in use

I POSTED SOME REFERENCE PHOTOS OF THE 2-SPEED NPR MOTOR DESIGN TO THAT MOTOR'S OWN THREAD https://cinematography.com/index.php?/forums/topic/101530-new-alcs-compact-crystal-motor-for-eclair-npr/

COLLECTING FINAL ORDERS for the 1-speed CP16R update electronics, LET ME KNOW BEFORE APRIL 20 IF WANTING ONE!!!. I still have possibility to make one batch of these in Summer but this will be the last chance to get one, I technically already discontinued this product last year but can still give one last chance to order if there is someone needing it. This project did not create revenue and I need the storage space for other stuff but would hate throwing the materials and board away if there is a chance someone still needing a kit for their camera. The 1-speed update electronics completely replace the old control electronics of the CP16 camera, you can see in the picture the insides of the camera after the installation, the only original component used is the motor itself and everything else including the tachometer sensor is replaced with modern electronics and the design of the update kit allows very easy servicing of the camera for leaving all the mechanical parts easily accessible and not blocked by circuit boards like with the original electronics. No shutter parking, there is a inching function which is easy to use to manually park the shutter by pressing the button shortly once or twice to run the camera just a tiny bit forward until one sees the mirror is in viewing position. the same inching button can be used to run the camera at slow speed (adjustable with a trimmer on the circuit board) to shoot basic "time lapse" kind of effects. The camera has one internal crystal speed of either 24 or 25 fps. More speeds can be fed via the 6-pin accessory connector on the back panel and it has additional start-stop connection and footage counter pulse output as well. The update kit is tested with a CP16R with 25fps belt gears (red coloured belt gear) but if your camera has 24fps gear I will need some easy to measure information about the gear tooth count to ensure that the kit is setup correctly here. Price is 450usd + shipping per kit, or two kits for 800 including shipping. This is a user installable update kit, includes very good instructions how to install it to the camera. The back panel colour may be slightly different from the images and the switch is slightly different and will have a protection collar. Like mentioned before, this is the absolute last chance to order one and I can only make one final batch if there is enough paid orders this Spring. If not, I will throw most of the materials away and sell my test camera body to make room for other projects and only keep the absolute minimum to have couple of spare parts in case the existing users need them. No new kits possible to sell then anymore.

It is possible to order this 2-speed motor with a display update too! the display allows choosing more base speeds, it has one button (not pictured, this is a prototype not finished yet) which is used to select the speed at startup. The updated motor costs 1100usd + shipping and delivery time about 1 month. Two or three available depending on how many parts I have left in April. The display adds the following base speeds: 16fps 20fps 22fps 23.976fps 24.00fps 25fps 29.976fps 30.00fps 33.333fps So these are the selectable base speeds on the motor if it has the display update. The "1x2x" switch works similarly after the update so if the selected base fps is 20fps the motor speed is 20fps in "1x" position and 40fps in "2x" position of the switch. Similarly if the base is 30fps the "2x" position is 60fps and so on. So effectively the motor has a total of 18 crystal speeds after the update! Normal motors with the internally switchable 24fps or 25fps are also available for 830usd + shipping just like before. They have delivery time of about 3 weeks at the moment.

Great! we can arrange the shipping next month. I will need try to collect couple of other orders to ensure that the motor body can be properly machined (expensive) though it is possible to make single ones too, they would just look ugly 😄

yes it will have tripod threads and some kind of flat bottom surface to allow tripod mounting. all the considered motor drives are very quiet and the camera body would make lots more noise in any case than the motor

Yes I am still working on the NPR motor project but changed the goal to making super-compact 2-speed model for handheld use and having only 24 and 25fps crystal speeds. I asked around and it seemed that most users would want to have a similar style motor than the rare-ish Alcan but something that works reliably as most Alcans are broken and no one seems to be able to repair them. I am trying to make the new motor smaller than the Alcan is and it is completely new design made from new parts so that I can make my own design choices using modern components and technologies (including 3d printing when needed). the targeted price range of the compact motor is about 1200usd + shipping. so no extra speeds but instead traded them for smaller size and weight. I will try to make it 12v if it does not compromise the size and price. The current goal is to have the motor finished in October or November 2024 if I can collect at least two paid orders this Spring to finance the r&d work. It is still possible to trade a NPR camera body, mags or other Eclair cameras for a motor if the 2-speed compact design is something you are after 🙂 here is the new thread for the 2-speed Eclair NPR motor I am working on: https://cinematography.com/index.php?/forums/topic/101530-new-alcs-compact-crystal-motor-for-eclair-npr/

I think it will mean RED sensors soon having tons of dead pixels, random channel noise and flickering and so bad image processing that the black hole sun problem comes back 😄 oh, and dynamic range will be at most half of what is advertised. And firmware update don't correct any real issues, just adding new ones :D

The 2-speed motor will have a simple 3d printed protector for the inching knob which allows inching the camera easily but protects the knob from catching anything when the motor is running. the protector is just attached to the motor with 2-sided tape or glue and seems to hold pretty well even if printed out of simple PLA. I am intending on having the files available for users if there is a need to print a replacement part sometime later 🙂

It has been used on DCPs the whole time so it is common. But on cameras has been rare, I think the main reason is it requiring lots of processing power to encode and the RED had patent for using it for onboard recorded raw video on cameras so manufacturers ended up using other codecs in-camera. Other codecs are more edit friendly as well, the reason why RED material plays back reasonably well is because it is debayered at fractional resolution instead of full res which makes it lighter to playback but needs even more processing power to encode in-camera and makes the whole thing complicated to do well

The 2-speed motor for ACL would look approximately like this (MIRRORED PHOTO FOR DEMONSTRATION. WILL MAKE THE FINAL FRONT PANEL WITH PROPER TEXT IF THERE IS ORDERS FOR THIS MODEL). this example has the experimental 2-digit display with additional base speeds and possibly a simple footage counter added. The basic version is of course with normal 24/48 and 25/50fps crystal speeds options

Nikon does not have expertise in making movie cameras and their stills cameras have very questionable video performance so I would expect the RED products to drop in image quality and reliability in the next years. After shooting a feature and other stuff with the Z6 I would not want to be in the same room with a Nikon branded camera again

we are doomed

I have still possibility to make the ACL version of the 2-speed motor. The deadline for orders is 15th March and delivery likely in May. I will need at least one order to move the ACL version forward, it is exactly similar than the normal 2speed motor but just everything mirrored to fit the different side of the camera, so I will just make the extral casing and front panel different and mount the circuit board differently, otherwise it is the same. That is why I did not make separate prototype of the ACL version because, well, it is the same motor, just buttons in different order https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXR6ep1cC1o

bad cosmetic condetion cameras may have moisture and / or mold damage. one wants to be extra careful with those and prepare to send it back if it turns out to be unusable. the price of those cameras is very good so there may be something the seller does not tell... my non-working parts NPR body was this way, I can only use it for taking dimensions for motor projects because can't be near it without gas mask, would get bad symptoms if trying to use it for filming

I probably mentioned somewhere that I am working on a NPR crystal motor project which would be completed later this year if there is at least 3 orders so that I can get my own money back from the machining and parts costs and R&D work. I have narrowed down the specs of the new motor enough that wanted to post a new thread for it. As with my other current projects, I am making the development work in steps and advancing to a new steps necessitates that the orders come in time and pre payments are made as planned to finance my development work. The basics: - a completely new crystal motor for the Eclair NPR. not a modification of existing motor, I am making this out of scratch - possible to make if there is at least 3 pre paid orders to finance the materials and research. I can't use my own savings on this project right now because need every penny for move in the Summer - the motor has internal crystal speeds of at least 24fps and 25fps, user switchable. There may be additional speeds if there is room for the larger electronics and extra selectors additional speeds would need. prepare only for the two speeds because the main goal is to make the motor AS COMPACT AS POSSIBLE for handheld etc. use and every extra bell and whistle makes it larger and more cumbersome which is why I try to avoid adding any unnecessary extra features - will be smaller sized than the Alcan motor. the exact size will be determined in Summer when making 3d printing tests of the body of the motor - price is 1200usd + shipping. I won't try to make it cheaper if there is extra headroom, will try to instead make it better if there is extra budget left. it is affordable as a new motor already and cheaper does not make sense for products which are meant to last for years and years of use - Availability: needs to be ordered and paid for in March2024 or absolutely latest before April 20. The final motors will be delivered in late Autumn, likely in October or November. Prototype available to look at after the Summer. You will get a good working motor which has the promised specs or more and which looks as nice as was possible to make with the budget, it just takes lots of time and budget to finesse the exact outer shape of the body so this is why there is no photos or renders yet. - body will be either 3d printed or machined from solid aluminium depending on how many orders there is. I will make it as good as possible with the available budget. if there is minimal amount of orders then a sturdy print should be fine and on the other hand would be much lighter than aluminium body - integrated tripod mounting threads, does not need separate boot/support structure. the main use for this motor is handheld etc. use where the small weight and size has best benefits but tripod use of course possible as well - either 24v operating voltage OR 12v if I can arrange custom bldc motor drives made and there is enought orders and the 12v drives don't make the motor considerably larger and heavier. - no shutter parking because it would make the motor much larger, heavier and more expensive. the NPR has a manual inching integrated and the goal of the project is to make the smallest and lightest motor possible for it which contradicts with shutter parking systems

the cp16r has this weird ball-bearings-embedded-in-the-gate-holding-the-film-better thingy which works fine when it is in good condition and is pretty unusable if it is worn out. Additionally the soundproofing materials have often deteriorated and may need replacing if it hasn't been done already. the electronics may work or may not, often the originals can be repaired but there is no guarantee how long the repairs will hold. Mechanics are relatively simple and well working but again, 50 year old camera is not going to run properly without CLA and one can't expect that old electronics to be super reliable and long lasting anymore. overall great cameras and may be cost effective but CLA is mandatory with all old film gear and you will need to calculate it to the total price of the project, it is not just the camera body but it is mags, cla, batteries, lenses and support too. The same with Eclairs, Arris, Aatons etc

Breaks my heart to let this lens go as it took years to hunt one down with the wide angle but will need money for a move later this year and frankly speaking don't have time to shoot with it at the moment. I would prefer this lens over the boring 10-150 angeniuex I also got but what one can do... It is in very good condition and includes the sought-after original wide angle converter. Kinor16 mount and PL adapter included. it can be fitted to for example Aaton LTR with the PL adapter (tight fit but works correctly and looks super cool with the huge wide angle converter) if being careful and of course works with the original Kinor mount too. 1100usd + shipping. Can take photos if someone is seriously interested

No, i didnt have time to work on it and sold it to fund other projects. No idea how and it you motor could be repaired. I am likely making a batch of 24+25fps compact crystal motors this year, it is possible to order one if it is ok that it is paid for in Spring and you will get the motor in November with the prototype ready after Summer. Will have to move around June so cant finish the outer looks of the motor before it but need budget for the custom motor drives and other parts in April latest. Price is around 1200usd +shipping and will need 3 or more orders to be able to make it

COLLECTING THE FINAL ORDERS FOR THE AATON 50-SPEED CRYSTAL GENERATORS. I can still build couple of these devices (about 3 or 4) before running out of parts and then need to discontinue the device. Order before 15th March, price is 290usd + shipping a piece for these last devices.