Doug Palmer

I'm intrigued by this new colour film from Film Photography Project. It's for 16mm 100ft roll film cameras as well as the old 50ft magazine cameras. However, it's got an ISO speed of just 1 !!! Has anyone here tried it yet ? I've never ever used such a slow emulsion even in still photography. So I'm guessing this would need careful planning. It would be interesting to see how it looks, grainwise and so on. Then maybe certain projects could find it useful. One thinks immediately of long single-frame exposures. Or perhaps normal shooting in bright conditions. But then the lens aperture is going to be really wide, perhaps f1.4 or more. I've been watching the new Great Expectations on BBC, and there are some interesting exterior shots where backgrounds of crowds etc are wildly out of focus, giving an impression of much activity going on but not competing with the dialogue etc. Maybe a special lens was used for this. An ISO One film would allow any normal focal length length lens or even a wideangle to give a similar kind of effect. https://filmphotographystore.com/collections/movie-film/products/16mm-film-double-perf-fpp-sun-color-1-100-ft?mc_cid=f0b3c27895&mc_eid=872efc9db2

That's interesting. Maybe The Fablemans has helped ? I expect you're already going to be cutting down as much light as possible using the variable shutter, if fitted. Also maybe some slo-mo ? Cheap square ND filters on ebay etc for putting in front of lens, as long as they're well shaded.

Thanks ! Great !

Yes texture wonderful. The young director talking to his soldier actor was interesting. I would have liked his editing instincts done more, like the two closeups of the seagull droppings on faces... maybe would have looked good to have shown him shooting these after the beach scene to cut in later.

Finally got to see it at our crowded local cinema. Excellent cinematography, acting and casting. I was engrossed, and from their reactions I think the others were as well. The open-ended kind of ending maybe intended to keep us pondering. With the 16mm film screening to the students using that old B&H workhorse, I wonder how the screen image was made. Some kind of back-projection I guess, or possibly a front-projection.

To me this does seem a likely cause, if not enough light-proof compound was applied after your service perhaps. If you examine your single-frame material on a lightbox, you can determine which join is maybe leaking.

Does the flash occur a short distance from the start or (possibly) end of a shot ? If so it's probably a light leak somewhere, only happening during the long time the film is at rest. By gauging that distance it's usually possible to find the spot. The Bolex doesn't have a fool-proof light seal unless kept in tiptop condition IMHO. I've more than once had issues and generally tape the lid for peace of mind.

As the flash also occurs outside the image it can't be to do with the filter slot. I'm wondering if maybe there's a door-leak near the gate area, perhaps coincidental. Does it still happen if you black tape up the join? Or is there a hole for an external magazine on top ?

It's strange though it happening with such a normal kind of shot ? Not against the light etc...

Have you looked at images in the gate ? If you don't have the Bolex gate-focuser maybe some tracing paper held in with tape. Shutter set on 'T'. A magnifier should show if the Yvars are in focus or not. Assuming your lenses are screwed in properly ?

Thanks Simon !

It could be then an early version of Nicholas' great UltraPan8 system. I don't know how the layout of the camera's interior would differ from Pan-16. You may have to delve deeper inside to find out. Pan-16 would of course have lower running costs, but would I think present a slight problem of precise cutting of inividual frames unless done with a scan. There were so many mods done to 16mm and 8mm cameras during the 1960s etc. Supervision (yes that's right !) was another. A normal 16mm camera with vertical gate-masking, to allow double-run and splitting later. Camera tipped on its side. Again, nice images (same ratio as Vistavision) at low cost. The Widescreen enthusiasts modified their projectors to give very bright and sharp images. I have yet to see a Supervision half-16 camera.

For some reason when you click on that one his son comes up instead ! (MP Grant Shapps) Maybe contact via https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tony-shapps-bb259626?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

Pan-16 cameras have their cam movement modified to give a half-pulldown. So you get 2 letterbox frames per normal 16mm frame. I don't know what happened to the shutter speeds etc. Tony Shapps who edits AV Concepts will know all ? http://tony@shapps.com He used Pan-16 a lot, maybe still does ! I can remember his impressive shows of Pan-16 on a curved screen, using a modified projector. He was a leading light of the UK Widescreen Association.

Intriguing Al, have you looked to see if the claw pulls a full 16mm stroke or for the 8mm frame height ? This camera to me does look possibly an H16. Although the spool spindles are for double 8mm spools ? Another possibility is an H16 modified for 8mm pull-down. I believe several people in the Widescreen Association had this done: name Pan-16. So saving 50% on 16mm film.

I don't think I've ever seen one ! Maybe they didn't come over here. Do you have more images ? Regarding Samuel's queries, hopefully a winterised professional camera will work all the time. But it probably makes sense to take along a small light windup camera like the little GIC that you kindly serviced for me and 24fps modified. Although not in the same league it's capable of good footage, and great to have in one's warm pocket for quick shots.

Good registration would certainly help, though probably not noticeable with handheld kinds of shots. I don't think Ultra Pan 8 normally has registration pins. Just a proper gate like all the regular-8 cameras, albeit wider. And of course Fuji's Single-8 system that never really took off.

Once I used a Bolex EBM with mag, to film a poetry-reading. I received lots of tut-tuts from the audience even though I kept well away from the centre stage. The director didn't mind as she was going to dub music on instead. She just wanted the visuals of the reader, and their annoyance and his reactions maybe part of it ? It is possible however to silence a Bolex if you don't mind a heavy blimp. I later made one from an old projector case lined with felt and rubber-backed carpet and a Cokin filter. Important not to have the camera touching blimp, floating inside. Super-8 much quieter and you'd still get the film look.

Just a metre cut off (or examined in a dim place) should reveal if the film is brittle or warped. Or whether shrunk, by comparing alongside a piece of white leader.

Some of the really old stuff can give interesting effects. Bear in mind also it's likely there's a considerable reduction in the iso speed. If nothing else there is plenty of blank leader for someone, and some useful spools and cans.

Me too. In the third image there's also a faint one beside it, which is possibly a reflection ?

That and the noise seems to have been its main drawback. Duvets are not the ideal solution ? though I see they worked on Ellston Bay. https://www.in70mm.com/news/2017/bay/index.htm

Sad indeed. The fact that it's 35mm makes it more attractive to use than 65mm. Also more in the way of black and white stocks if desired. I wonder if anyone is considering using it for VFX again, with the superior colour film we have now. Another point in its favour: as it moves horizontally it has potentially finer registration than normal 35, at least in the vertical.

Looks similar to my shop ? Yes I'd say mid to late 1940s.

I don't know, maybe the 2perf Arri 2c is less noisy anyway? As it's kind of going half the speed. And more attractive I'd think for renting out... I've often wondered if it's worth getting mine converted. Not sure of costs involved.