Robert Hughes

I support a VFX section covering all these topics (except perhaps for the tricks used in felling the WTC, which already has ample coverage in the conspiracy boards). Richard, 20,000 nude extras would definately make a statement!

I've got a right-angle black Pan Cinor 17-85mm like Ian's. The image is suprisingly clear and sharp for a lens of this vintage. I've heard it can vignette slightly in S16 at the shorter end of the zoom scale, although I haven't noticed it on my R16 Auricon. I used to own an angled-viewfinder version of the lens and it worked OK also, although the lens elements had yellowed over the years (who needs an 85 filter?) and flare was a problem.

Let me get this straight... you've never written a feature film script, yet you walked away from a 1/2 million dollar contract. You must move in some pretty refined circles. Or are you like the former gov't official in Nigeria that keeps emailing me for my bank information so that he can deposit my 50% of some inheritance?

Anything that starts with "S" - Shure, Sony, Sennheiser, all good mics. If you need to run a sound reinforcement system from them, get a cardioid or hypercardioid, otherwise (recording only) omni mics are more forgiving of placement. Proper placement is critical - a couple inches makes the difference between a clear voice and a noisy wall of mud.

Maybe change your handle to 35D00D and you'll get some answers...

Matthew- Tube cameras haven't been manufactured in decades. You won't have much luck finding a Hi8 tube camcorder because AFAIK there never were any. Besides, do you know anything about proper setup and alignment of tube cameras? Learn to light, frame and shoot with what you have available first.

I suppose you could process 5231 as reversal. Reversal stocks are available in 16mm but not 35. But you can probably also find some Ilford m/p stock around if you look.

I've serviced a couple of my own Filmos, but have never needed to get in as deep as the mainspring. My guess is that you can remove the front shutter assembly and find whatever is jamming your mechanism (on a 70KRM I found a broken leaf from the clutch gear, which necessitated removing the top plate and replacing the gear). If you aren't comfortable with doing your own troubleshooting and repairs, you may be better off buying another one off eBay and keeping this one for parts.

At the risk of repeating the obvious one more time, the single most important component of the filmmaking chain, as in driving, is the nut behind the wheel. An experienced, qualified DP shooting on a decent Bolex will run rings around any film student with any camera you can name, simply because a student doesn't know how to light, frame and shoot like the DP. So don't worry about whether a Bolex is "good enough" - it's probably better than you will be for quite some time.

Last week I had to assist in evacuating approximately 2000 people from the hotel I work at because an exhibitor knocked a sprinkler with a pipe & drape poll. You can bet that the exhibitor was charged for the trouble. Don't hit them, don't heat them, don't even look at them crosseyed. Stay away from the sprinklers.

Caution: silica gel tends to release minute particles of carcinogenic silica when heated. Best not to use your kitchen microwave or oven for silica gel drying and food preparation simultaneously.

There are several web sites with scripts from classic movies; perhaps you could attempt a scene from one of the films you admire to see if you can match the feel, or add your own personal touch.

You may also wish to use a split diopter filter, that allows you to focus on the foreground on one side of the frame and at a distance on the other side of the frame.

Yes, Kodak supplies 35mm 100' daylight loads of all stocks. Give them a call; you can have them by the end of the week.

Y'know, I don't know about you, but I've always had a problem intercutting S8 Plus X with larger formats. Whenever I line em up on the splicer, I can't decide whether the Super 8 pins should be used or the 16mm pins-and lined up on the top or bottom? I mean, WTF? :blink:

Dunno, but the 814 I opened up had dried, fluorescent blue paint all over the place and the circuit board was shattered. Maybe it's the same one?

Aaron, welcome to the world of antique camera users. I've brought a couple of Eyemos back from retirement and have found that, unless you can find the parts you need, you may need to make friends with a machinist. That said, you may find that DeVry cameras are not all that uncommon - several traffic and security cameras in the past used DeVry movements. But eBay is, for better or worse, the first place to look for old cameras & parts. Just protect yourself; I've done scores of eBay deals and have indeed been ripped off once (I sold a camera to someone who claimed he never received it, and I didn't have enough tracking or insurance backup to go after him).

If you're planning an HDTV 16:9 final product you'll probably want to shoot in Super 16, which has a more compatible framing than standard 16. Other than that, you're golden.

If you're just starting out, even if you've been shooting for awhile, you probably don't want to buy a used camcorder off eBay or anywhere else. Ask yourself; "why is this guy selling so cheap?" It's probably being sold because it has some weird little problem that the original owner can't fix cheaply. Do yourself a favor and buy a new one; at least you will have a warranty if it poops out on you.

But a word of warning. Even though the 4008ZM2 uses c mount threads, you aren't guaranteed that any c mount lens from another camera will focus properly on it. My 4008ZM2 has the original Schneider 6-66 lens that focusses just fine, but the c mount lenses from my B&H Filmo don't work right on the 4008, even though they are interchangeable to other 16mm c mount cameras. I don't know why this is, but I suspect that the Beaulieu doesn't adhere to the flange focal distance specification of normal c mount lenses.

How about this? I have heard that back in the early days of cinema some dual use camera/projection machines were made, so do a little DYI mod on your Eyemo. Replace the steel pressure plate with a glass one, put a light behind it and use its gate to step-print to a digital camera?

Film is fine. Digital's fine. I can scan a negative into my computer, or run it in over a wire from my wifes DSLR. But when my disk drive dies, everything's lost. Good thing I made a backup (why won't this read) and shot in film (where'd those negatives go?)...

It's shorthand for how much money you need to spend to get a decent telecine from this stock.

Nah, he just left. As for the 4008 Beaulieu power supply, I saw a walkie talkie battery pack yesterday that put out 7.2V, perfect for the 4008. I think I'll try it. My most used S8 camera is the Nikon R8. It's quick, easy, and takes fine images. Dunno about the Bell & Howell, haven't seen one.

How loud is a 4008ZM2? Louder than a cricket, not as loud as a cement mixer... If you record sound with a camera running nearby, you'll hear it. As far as I know no Super 8 cameras were made that were internally blimped or sound dampened. You can quiet a camera down by throwing a leather jacket over it, or you can build a custom blimp for one, but you'll lose the portablility which is the S8 camera's strong suit. Also remember that 30 year old cameras are noisier now than when new; if you're concerned about your unit and wish to make it quieter, send it in for an overhaul.