Heikki Repo

One important factor: We decided beforehand that we wouldn't go for full coverage of everything.

We shot this pretty much similar length, rather dialogue heavy short film back in 2008 on 9x400ft. 5 shooting days. As a director and producer (I wasn't the DP) I have the feeling we wouldn't have had enough time to shoot more, even if we had had more film. But your mileage may vary.

Wooden Camera has them available and instruction video can be seen here as well: https://woodencamera.com/products/lens-mount-shim-set-round#

I have one available used here, I could give discount on that price mentioned. It is possible to shim it to fine adjust it (opening the screws you see in the front and adding or removing shims from underneath), though I unfortunately don't have the extra shims available.

For a non-professional camera those ACLs sure were used a lot in the 1970s and 1980s by European TV-stations and documentary filmmakers. Its competitors were Arriflex SR and Aaton LTR. Calling it a beginner camera really makes me smile. Granted, it's easy to load and use. But a toy? 🤔 That you refer to it being a toy in the modern world really makes me even more interested what features it is missing in your opinion. Please tell, I'm actually curious!

Well, Arriflex SR2 was introduced in 1982, ACL2 1979. There really isn't much difference in their age. What features is it missing Tyler? One can even get HD video tap for it at AZ Spectrum and motor modifications.

Having been the first customer and having helped him as a friend, I can tell that the reason for closing the lab was not financial. The reason behind building the lab was that A.A. wanted to make movies of his own on 16mm film and being a l'uomo universale, a true master of many things, building a lab & scanners was also a nice challenge for him. Running such an amateur lab can become a burden, however, if your original intention wasn't really to become a lab owner in the first place. His contribution was really nice at the time, but I'm happy that he can now concentrate on things he likes (building things) and not running a laboratory. Shame though that he never got in to making those movies he had planned to do.

How stable is "completely stable" for you? Just asking, as I have never seen "digital stable" footage out of any film footage online, be it SR3 or some other camera. If that's your standard, no film camera is going to give you what you want. Most classic films shot on 35mm film have that small movement too. Then again, usually everyone is watching the movie and not paying attention to the frame line, as long as it is stable enough. Start paying attention to stability only and soon you'll notice all shaky camera moves as well, bumps on the dolly tracks etc. 😉 I have been pasting this short piece of mine here way too often, but do you think the footage here is "completely stable"? That's shot on an Eclair ACL that was serviced just before the production.

If you are a super-8 shooter I can well understand your sentiments. As for 16mm, perhaps it has been previously much cheaper in the US than in Europe, but as I mentioned, I'm paying less than previously. But I agree, in the end it comes down to priorities and choices. And there is absolutely nothing wrong in deciding that film is too expensive to use and using digital. It's only a medium for telling stories. Me, I want to spend as little time as possible with digital cameras. I don't like them, even if my OCD tendencies don't always play well with working with film. And I don't mind having to struggle a bit with film cameras and film prices, I feel it adds something to my art even if only I can feel it. So it's just a personal preference. And combined with the fact that coating film is expensive and things are generally becoming ever more expensive, well, that's a choice I have to pay for. So choose what you find the best solution for you. It's okay to stick with digital.

My experience with Kodak and their QA service during the past year has given me everything but the impression of elitism. Warm, thoughtful, generous - those are the words I'd rather use, as funny it might seem when speaking of a big corporation. On the price of film, while it is true that especially super-8 has become much more expensive than it was when I started shooting on film - back in the 2005 with Kodachrome 40 with processing included! - my impression regarding 16mm is that I'm nowadays able to make a project for less than I was a bit over a decade ago. Back then I produced and directed a short film I wanted to have shot on super16. It was 19 minutes long, I bought 9x400ft of Vision2 200T of which a couple of rolls were recans. Film related costs not including VAT were about 3600 €. That was film, processing and HD telecine (to DVCAM & HDCAM!). Had I wanted to get files on hard drive from that post house, it would have cost €€€. So I had to find someone studying in an institution with HDCAM to do online edit there and get those TIFFs on the hard drive for the grading. Now I can get more for less. At least previously this year 9x400ft of Vision3 with processing and technical HD telecine with files delivered online to me would have cost only 2340 €. Quite a difference! And no need to play with those HDCAM tapes! Sure, the 2008 post house had comfy sofas and "free" Coca-Cola for us customers sitting watching the best light telecine (which ultimately was color tempwise opposite direction than what our DP wanted to take the project in the final grade) but I'm much happier with 2021 than I was with 2008. That was the time of elitism.

Was this fresh film or some short end? I'm asking, because that really does look like it was exposed through the back, compare to these: https://microsites.lomography.com/redscalefilm/ Yours has same color and the under exposed look. With single perf 16mm it shouldn't be possible unless you had different winding. But if it's some short end or Aaton Minima film... Still, I'd think you'd notice if it wasn't the lighter emulsion side you saw when checking the gate. Quite weird.

So Arriflex ST with a 400ft mag it is? 😅 Phew, even a later model (1.5) Eclair ACL with 400ft mag feels a bit too big for me to carry around on walks! - but then again, I have always neglected doing muscle training! 😁

Very understandable! I wonder, would he be open to having his contact details on some of the ACL websites? I'm sure that in the future we are going to need people like him. Having someone on the European side of the Atlantic with knowledge on the ACL motor would be a big asset moving forward.

Found the saved pages and the link! https://pouch4.wixsite.com/index/eclair Perhaps you could contact the person and ask for those circuit drawings and if we could put them online somewhere...

You could ask AZ Spectrum - they repair those motors. A while ago I stumbled on a Russian website with reverse engineered circuit drawing of the motor electronics, but unfortunately I can't find the site now. I should have it saved on my computer somewhere...