Hey Everyone,
I am shooting a short Super 16mm documentary, mostly going to be filming in a recording studio in a mixing room (so fairly close quarters, acoustically tuned, etc). The two set-ups that I am looking at investing in are roughly as follows:
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ECLAIR ACL 1.5 SUPER16 KIT:
- Eclair 1.5 (converted Super 16mm) (newer motor, very well kept)
- 1 Zeiss Super Speed T* 16mm f/1.2 Arri Bayonet for S16mm
- 2x 400ft Spools (1 Barney)
- 2x 200ft Spools (1 Barney)
- Anatomical Grip, Rails, Matte Box
STRENGTHS:
- Full Package ready to go
- NOISE: 32db for the Eclair (w/o barney) [might be close to the 29db for the Minima w/ barney???]
- MUCH CHEAPER (1/4th the cost of the A-Minima)
WEAKNESSES:
- Lots of Parts
- Might want to upgrade again a year or two...
- Repairs may be difficult?
- Might not hold its value as well (would be more of a purchase than an investment)
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AATON A-MINIMA KIT:
- A-Minima Camera (Non-Rental)
- Canon T 2.4 Super16mm Lens
- potentially some other goodies... (tripod, matte box, etc...)
STRENGTHS:
- Warranties, resell guarentees (Purchasing from a big name re-seller)
- Smaller Overall/Less parts (camera, motor, mag are all in one...easier to travel with in the future??)
- Canon T 2.4 is Remarkable (from what I understand???)
- A-Minima is a current industry standard (B-Cam to be sure on bigger productions)
- A-Minima might retain value more???
WEAKNESSES:
- Significantly MORE EXPENSIVE (3-4x more expensive than Eclair Package)
- No 400ft Mag capability option
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The filming for my next project is going to be extremely low key (gonna be more photographic, more demonstrations and potentially will be more like 2 or 3 mini-docs around 5 mins in length), so the 6 minutes (200ft spools) vs. the 400ftrs on the Eclair pack shouldn't be that big of a deal (I may be speaking too soon though).
Both cameras packages are within my price range for the project, however the A-Minima package is, as stated above, (4x more expensive).
I've learned a ton in the last few years, but I am still very much a rookie when it comes to experience, which is why I really need some advisement here. Want to make sure I am not going for the cotton candy (w/ the A-Minima) or stopping short with the Eclair.
Any wisdom that could be offered to me on this would be MOST APPRECIATED!!!
Thanks a lot!
- Alec
