Patricia Dauder

On 10/2/2022 at 8:56 PM, Robert Hart said:

I observe there have been no replies as yet. 

To have the projector gate modified, the best would be a motion picture camera repair service. Widening the gate would likely be a fairly simple but necessarily high precision task.

A simple widening of the gate will locate extra image area away from the optical centre axis. If the light beam from the lamp is narrowly prefocused, there may be delivered an image which is dark in the right side upper and lower corners.

A more thorough method would be to move the widened gate slightly to recentre the image to the optical axis but this would be complicated and expensive.

What brand and model is your projector? Some projector lenses may deliver a Super16mm image which is vignetted at the right upper and lower corners.

I copy-pasted the following list for some european services from this web address.

https://re-voir.com/shop/en/content/10-film-services

SUPER 8/16mm CAMERA REPAIR/MODIFICATION RESOURCES : BJORN ANDERSSON - BEAULIEU Sweden, Atelier RAYBAUDI - BOLEX France, CINEFIX UK UK SUPER 16, INC. New York, USA, JK CAMERA Oakland, USA, LIST OF GERMAN CAMERA TECHNICIANS  Germany, PRO8MM Burbank USA, DU-ALL New York, USA, CLICK & SURR Berlin, Dr. Bolex USA, LES BOSHER UK, MICRODELTA Spain, PIGEON CREEK CAMERA - Bolex Ontario, Canada, L'ATELIER DE CELESTINS Montrouge, France 

Hi Robert,

Sorry I'm replying this late. Before, when someone replied to a post of mine in Cinematography I got an email, but it seems is not like this anymore and since there were no replies I did not check for quite a while. Many thanks for all the information. It is very useful.

My projector is an EIKI SSL2. I actually got two gates modified, that I bought separately. The first modification was done by a technician in Spain (not MICRODELTA, I also wrote them but they could not do it), but the cut was very imprecise. The picture area was not straight, (the frame was quite curved on the upper right corner) when projected and I therefore the gate and modification was useless. After that I tried Les Bosher since he modified my Eclair ACL  but he did not reply to my email this time. Hope he's fine

Luckily a man in London read my post on another forum, and offered to do the job. The cut on the second film gate was far more precise but now that I read your email, maybe I have to check to find out if there has to be done some recentering of the image. Will work on it on the following days

Thanks a lot Robert

On 12/18/2022 at 6:48 PM, Mark Dunn said:

You do need an up-to-date machine as Resolve is demanding on resources- it wouldn't run on my Windows 7 all-in-one. Just a thought.

I'm sure any machine from the past couple of years will be fine but if not, Lightworks is also free with the limitation that the free version will only output SD, but you can take a 1-month subscription just for the render.

That's true. Resolve is not running on my Mac os High Sierra 10.13.6. So I need to update the system.

Thanks Marc!

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Dirk DeJonghe said:

Patricia,

 

I would advise to spend some time to get familiar with Resolve, I recommend the Ripple training available on their website. You will learn ten times faster than just reading the Resolve manual (over 4000 pages).

DaVinci Resolve 18 Core training is a good starting point.

 

Thanks a lot Dirk for the advice. Did not heard about this training but I'll check the website. And as soon as get Resolve installed in my computer (by next week) I will start spending time on it.

Groetjes!

 

1 hour ago, Tyler Purcell said:

As a professional filmmaker who has cut several pretty large features on Resolve, it works great. I use it 100% of the time and it's probably the best over-all tool on the market today. Other tools require the use of several programs to get it all done OR are much more money. 

 

1 hour ago, Perry Paolantonio said:

If your Final Cut experience is with version 7 or earlier, Resolve is the closest to that of all the available software. It's free, and ubiquitous now, so it's worth knowing. It's a very capable editor, as well as an excellent color correction tool.

Thanks both! I'll definetely go for Resolve. I had the doubt wether it was a program only for color grading but I see It's the best choice for editing.

Hi,

 

I'm looking for a book/guide/pdf file, up to date with postproduction technology, I can read to get acquainted with postpo workflow nowadays.

 

I make 16/S16mm films (indie -very low budgets) every now and then and would like to know the process well to get the best results when working with editors and labs, specially when it comes to digital transfers, scanning, etc.

 

Years ago I bought Film Technology in Post Production by Dominic Case. Great book. It helped me to understand how things work in the lab but I guess it's a bit out of date now

 

Any recommendation?

 

I'm also trying to find out which editing program I can start working with that is not too complicated for a beginner . The editor I work with usually recommended me Da Vinci Resolve (I had been working with Final Cut up to now)  because I need to work a bit on the editing before I start the final edition with him (won't do any color grading myself,)

 

Thanks!

Thanks for the tips. They've been very valuable to me

 I realize that exposure is quite a thing. I've used film for some time but not that regularly and now I want to learn more about exposure and lighting.  I'm trying to implement Ansel Adams Zone System process to film tests I'm doing.

Will keep on practicing

 

Thanks both!

Thanks for the explanation Duncan.

I use first a Sekonic meter L-478D, measuring both incident and reflected light, to get the right exposure and set the camera meter accordingly. But since I can never get the center LED lit alone in my ACL because the next LED after the center one, below, (- 0,5 f)  is always lit, no matter which aperture I'm using , that makes me think the LED7 meter is not working.

In that case, I guess I can only trust the Sekonic readings and forget about the ACL light meter calibration. Correct?

Thanks again

 

Thanks Mark. Will test different exposures to see if I can find a way to figure out the inner meter failure

Hi all,

I'm trying to calibrate my ACL II, LED7 built in light meter, following the procedure described here:

https://eclaircameras.wordpress.com/acl-meter-calibration/

I follow all 6 steps but when I rotate all the way the potentiometer knob to set the proper exposure, I never only get the central diode (zero) lit, the -0,5 stop diode is always lit , regardless of the rotation.

Does that mean that the light meter is not working?

I'm trying to calibrate my Sekonic reflected meter to the ACL meter, to get proper exposure and be able to decide about sub/overexposure for creative reasons

Thanks,

 

Patricia

Hello,

I've been reading in a post from 2009, that Bernie O'Doherty could widen the film gate of 16mm projectors to S16mm.

I wonder if nowadays, there is someone /company who can do this service, carefully. 

Any info, will be much appreciated

Thank you very much

 

Patricia

37 minutes ago, Satsuki Murashige said:

Are you looking at your film scan on a computer monitor? If so, it seems that whomever did the scan skipped a step. 

It’s normal for the image to be upside down, the lens always flips the image so the bottom of the film gate is the top of the image. This will become obvious when you are dealing with hairs in the gate. But this is usually corrected in film scan (or in the film projector with the projector lens). 

Yes, I'm looking at it on a computer monitor. The lab sent me a Quicktime Mov file by email

Thank you for your reply

32 minutes ago, aapo lettinen said:

sounds like the film was just telecined backwards and it was upside down for that reason. Probably they received the developed roll from the lab and just transferred it right away without checking how it was winded. 

Easy to fix in the editing software. If doing photochemical finish, just ask them to make a new print which is properly aligned

thank you Aapo. That sounds logical. I will contact the lab tomorrow. They do the processing and telecine at the same place

Hello,

I just received my first camera tests from my new Eclair ACL II converted to S16mm by Les Bosher, and the image is upside down, the floor is up and the ceiling is down. The camera was serviced just recently

I'm still getting acquainted with the camera since previously I owned a R16 Beaulieu

Could someone tell me what could be  the cause for this?

Thank you

Hi,

I'm looking for a Canon 7-63mm T2.6  or Canon 8-64mm T2.4   for a documentary shot in S16

Preferably in Europe to avoid parcels

Thank you,

Patricia

 

I'm looking for:

- 200 ft magazine/s for an Eclair ACL compatible with 24/25 fps motor, and 75 fps motor. In good condition

- platters with core adaptors for a 400 ft magazine (for Eclair ACL as well)

Cheers,

 

Patricia

3 hours ago, alexandre favre said:

I sold a Bolex (rex5) super 16 to this French cinematographer in Spain. I don't remember if he was in Barcelona or Madrid. If you don't find one to buy, maybe he will let you rent his camera.

https://www.instagram.com/lagoonoperators/

Thanks for the contact Alexandre. Is always good to know there is someone with a S16. I'm from Barcelona. Will check their instagram .

Cheers

9 hours ago, aapo lettinen said:

I have seen lots of people on the forum use Eclair cameras for that type of stuff. the ACL seems to be their favourite but the NPR could probably be used as well. There is other options as well. Do all your lenses cover S16 and are in C-mount ?  

eBay cameras always need some kind of CLA before any serious use. That should be calculated in the total costs when considering a camera purchase. 

the orientable finder is a huge advantage so I would try to find the Eclair just for that reason. though a converted one in good condition may cost quite a lot.

Sometimes one can get good deals on Russian cameras but they tend to need lots of CLA and small repairs before use. On the electric ones, the motor control electronics can be changed to modern better ones to make them reliable. Should be a little cheaper alternative than the Eclair though they don't have C-mount (lenses are pretty affordable though). They should be easier to S16 modify than Bolexes though don't know about the prices

Hi Aapo,

Thanks for the tip! I'm considering now buying an Eclair ACL.

The only lens I got is an Angenieux 12-120 f2.2, from my old Beaulieu R16. It does not cover S16, but it is c-mount. I don't think I could use it in the Eclair, when converted, but I'll try to find S16 lenses. That should not be such a problem I think

 

On 7/1/2020 at 5:53 PM, Simon Wyss said:

Are you sure you want an SBM and a Super-16 conversion from Bolex International?

The SBM has an ugly bayonet that makes an adapter necessary for C-mount lenses. Bolex International conversions to S-16 are incomplete, even inaccurate. I have just met with such a camera.

I confess to be a 3-to-4-image aspect ratio aficionado and advocate. The first fifty years of cinema were three to four.

Sorry for replying this late...

Well, I need to film in S16 for a film project I'm working on, and having dismissed the possibility of renting an ARRI (I'm filming on my own, the ARRI equipment is too heavy for me and I have a small budget ), I started researching about Bolex and lenses. I've owned a Beaulieu R16 and filmed in regular 16 for years, but for this specific project I'd like to film in S16.

Having read several articles and different posts in this forum, I concluded that the SBM was the more convenient, (sturdier bayo mount for the zoom, more reliable than the electronic one, EL, with a brighter viewfinder). But the fact is that I realize they are hard to find. Since I live in Spain, I hoped that I could find one in Europe, and avoid high shipping costs from the US (where apparently there is a bigger market) and taxes in spanish customs. I'm also always a bit reluctant to buy on Ebay, because I don't have the technical knowledge to discern if a camera is in good shape or not. That is why I thought that Bolex Factory in Switzerland, was always a reliable option (although a pricey one). But now I realize it's not.

After having read your explanation , I'm considering other models like the REX 5, with the turret plate and prime lenses, converted to S16 (13x viewfinder). Hopefully I can find a camera soon...

Thank you again Simon. Your explanation has helped me quite a lot

 

Thank you Simon

All best,

 

Patricia

Hi,

I’m trying to contact Bolex Factory in Yverdon to buy a Bolex SBM S16. I sent two emails and called twice and I got no answer. 
 

Does anybody living in or close to Switzerland know if they stopped working?

I know their website is under construction so I contacted them through the address they are providing, but it’s not working 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Patricia Dauder

I know the subject. First of all, the projector must be gentle to film. So-called quick shifters, often japanese offsprings of American brands, hack into the perforation causing burrs on the hole edges. These sooner or later hook up a winding on the next, ending the experiment. Second, the film must be waxed, regardless of the projector make, very thinly only on the edges.

 

Pressure sensitive tape is okay, but Triacetate is not. Print should be polyester base film.

 

One projector that I have found very good for looping is the Siemens & Halske 2000. In all humbleness, I was in charge for a museum installation with endless loop projection, and one piece of film, ends joined with self-adhesive tape, then waxed, made over 200,000 runs during several weeks. There were three breakdowns, each time tore the tape. 500 Watt bulb, 24 fps.

 

Hi Simon,

THanks. I´ve always used Eikis and this is the brand that I see in most museums and film installations at art venues.

We are trying on this occasion the eiki slim line 16mm projector, and the silver blue eiki, I think it´s the RST. Problem stays the same for both. I´ve been projecting many films with loop systems on this machine and I never experienced such a thing, neither the projectionist from the museum I´m working with.

These two machines were recently projecting several films in an exhibition by a famous ducth filmmaker in an exhibition that finished last October, with the same loop systems and all worked fine for three months.

I will pass though the information about waxing the film on the edges to the projectionist to see what he thinks. I´m not totally sure but I think that the film is polyester base and the tape is pressure tape, but I´ll check that tomorrow as well.

Many thanks

Hello Patricia,

 

Could it be something with the loop mechanism, not the projector? The film needs lubrication to run smoothly through the projector (it was lubricated) but the lubrication also means that it may 'telescope' more easily in the loop mechanism outside of the projector. It is hard to tell from the small picture that you attached. Some clients in London are very happy with the lubrication procedure we applied and they run 16mm prints in musea too.

 

Telescoping could be due to too much or too little tension in the loop mechanism, but I am not familiar with the device you are using. I don't think the B&W sections and the splices have anything to do with it.

 

Hi Dirk,

I´ve used three different loop systems, the one on the picture, very similar to the loops made buy RFS Inc. in Canada, an original one made by RFS, and then one from Studio2M in Amsterdam, and the film reacted the same way with the three of them. Each of those loops independently have worked perfectly fine with other films, so, of course I cannot be totally sure, but I would say the problem is on the film and not the loop system. We will try tomorrow to increase or release tension in the film, but I don´t know if that will do it.

Hi,

I´m projecting a 16mm film print that has both color and black and white stock spliced together with tape splices in a loop system for an exhibition at a museum.

I´ve projected this film once and now I´m trying to project it again, with a brand new copy and I´m always having the same problem.

The projection copy, coming new from the lab is set in the loop system. Once I turn the projector on, the film starts bending in a strange way, (see picture attached) does not circulate in the right way in the loop system until it gets out of the loop circuit after some seconds or minures and it finally causes a jam, having to stop the projector inmediately.

The first time that this happened, the lab that processed the film told me that it is a well-known problem among filmakers that Kodak stock sometimes reacts in such a way, specially under humid conditions and that it is better to use Fuji stock.

But this time I ordered Fuji stock and the problem stays the same.

The projectionist at the musem thinks this might be caused because the print is made out of two different stocks, black and white and color, and that they are reacting differently.

The solution the lab is only offering to me is to digitally scan the whole film and have it print on color stock. But this is way too exensive.

The other solution is to have a new copy made on color stock and try to make the black and white parts on a tonality similar to black and white, such as sepia, but this does not sound so good to me.

Has anyone experienced or heard about such a problem before?

 

Thanks,

Patricia