Heikki Repo

Ha, for some reason I hadn't before this realized which ring to turn in order to remove the VF. Turned out to be very straightforward. I think I'll begin with trying to implement the M12 camera without the viewfinder. If that turns out to work well, I'll try to look in to one mounted between the camera and the VF....

D John, looks great! I also have an Eclair ACL and tried to put a similar (SD) small CCTV-camera up against the viewfinder -- ACL doesn't have the slot for a viewfinder -- but I wasn't able to align it well enough and thus the results were just bad. The AZ Spectrum videotap for ACL is a box embedded between the viewfinder and the camera. I wonder what would it take to put together a box with a CCTV module such as in John's with a prism?

Are you sure your ACL is ACL 2? Just wondering since that small viewfinder is AFAIK the one the ACL 1 shipped with. I have ACL 1.5 and it has the Angenieux finder, I have also owned an ACL 2 which had the big Kinoptic finder. Is there any flicker in the image or is that bar there just all the time? In darker scenes, is there that reflection as well (the one in the upper center part of the frame)? If there is no flicker, the cause of that bar is not in the mount area. Swinging mirror would cause flicker to light leaks from that direction. Some people with ACL 1 have reported having had problems with the clapper light being broken and exposing the frame from below (due to the bulb glowing a bit). I guess that wouldn't really show up in the finder though, except perhaps in very dark conditions when the camera is running.

Have you read this page already? https://eclaircameras.wordpress.com/acl-flicker-problem/

I have been buying from Frame24. Just last September had some process paid film processed and scanned at the Kodak Lab in UK.

They need to start with something and AFAIK, 16mm reversal film wasn't in the last years of Ektachrome in much demand. If there is enough demand for both 35mm still film and super-8, I'm pretty confident they'll roll out other formats as well (at least 16mm MP and 120 for still).

There is an update now on Ektachrome in Kodakery Podcast :wub: https://soundcloud.com/the-kodakery/update-from-our-film-factory-on-kodak-ektachrome

My suggestion is, do not hoard (old) film :) Been there, done that. It just becomes older and more fogged every passing day. And when you finally get to make your project and you calculate all expenses, you'll end up buying new film because you don't want to risk shooting your expensive and time consuming project on that old and fogged film. So, my suggestion is: buy film just before production. Otherwise you'll just lose money and feel guilty for not shooting all that film in your freezer. But if you want to make the same mistakes I have made: yes, freezer is IMO better than fridge. And yes, chest freezers are quite nice :wub: I myself haven't stored any exposed film in cold but I live in Finland, it isn't usually hot and humid here even during summer. I have only tried to have the film processed as soon as possible, no later than within a month of exposing it.

Thanks! :) It was a fun project and proved to me that an ACL with professional PL glass, even if lower end (Optar Illumina) can produce quite good results. :wub:

Mine (ACL) weren't modified. I haven't seen any scratches thus far. However, I have a feeling that on one of my mags there is higher chance of some dirt accumulating on the modified side of the frame which might suggest that there is some very minimal scratching going on. Or perhaps there isn't. No idea. This was shot with my "Bosher modified" Super16 ACL with unmodified mags. Indoors footage with one mag, outdoors footage with the other. Can you spot any scratches?

The "flickerfree" means that the light shouldn't flicker even with more exotic frame rates and shutter angles. HMIs with electronic ballasts generally are flicker free where as older HMIs with magnetic ballasts might introduce flicker if you shoot with higher/lower fps or different shutter angle. This is due to how the lights work vs tungsten.

Well, you have to have means to power all of those 5K tungsten lights and that's where it might get tricky unless you have a generator truck :) For a smaller shoot that's pretty much why HMI, leds and CFL are so popular these days, those lights are much more efficient than tungsten. Bring in a 1.2K HMI and unless you are outside and the sun is shining, you can do very much with even one of those.

I tried to google a bit for Seattle and cine light rentals. First result was Seattle Grip and Lighting which had closed. However, Pacific Grip and Lighting has an office in Seattle and you can order gear online: http://pacificgrip.com/ They seem to have exactly the stuff you need. So save your money and your space and redshirt gaffers ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redshirt_(character) ) and rent safe, modern powerful HMI lights. :)

I have seen the mentioned "breathing" issue only in some of my super-8 films, never on anything I have shot with my ACL. As for flicker, I had a hole in my lens mount. It was fixed by Bernie. I occasionally do still get flicker when strong light comes in from a certain direction and then apparently gets reflected inside the camera. This is a flaw related to the mirror design, one that I'm ready to live with since the same design allows one to use C-mount lenses on this camera.

Take a look at the camera and see if it is "Made in England" or "Made in France". Generally speaking the French ones are better built. As for 400ft mags, Super16inc (which is my go to place for servicing my ACL now) won't even service English 400ft mags...

When buying old light fixtures it's a good idea to make some research first. A few years ago I bought an old broken HMI with the intention to repair/mod it. Suffice to say, when I found inside it an asbestos plate it didn't take long for me to discard my plans and get rid of the light. Unless you have lots of free space I think it is a better idea to just rent lights. Also: if your camera is broken, you can't make films but if your lights are broken, someone might get killed (!)

Feature wise Eclair ACL is a professional 16mm camera whereas Scoopic is closer to an amateur camera. With a later model ACL you get 400ft mags, crystal sync 24 fps and non sync speeds 8/12/50/75. Self blimped. Using a proper adapter you can also use PL mount lenses on it. It is a steady but lightweight camera. Definitely better choice for narrative work.

Sorry, I'm a real celluloid film fan and I want to shoot as much as possible on real film, but there was absolutely nothing wrong with Bladerunner cinematography. It looked really nice and it was a very beautiful movie, at least imho.

The CM ring should allow you to change the zoom fluid resistance (or what ever the right word in English is), i.e. it changes how fast you can change the focal length. Higher resistance for those slow smooth zooms in and out, low resistance for those kung-fu zooms... :)

I have an O'Connor 30 with wooden sticks for my Eclair ACL and even though it is from the day and age of film cameras such as Eclair ACL, thus far I haven't been that happy with that combination. While that head should be (easily) able to carry the weight of ACL, the stiffness or rather the lack of it is my problem. However, in part that might be due to the fact that it isn't possible to balance an ACL with a prime on it, too much weight in the back and the plate slides forward only so much... Next Im going to try this cheeseplate on it, I just thin I'd need second screws to also hold in place the ACL rod bridge plate. As for what worked really well with my camera but is too expensive for me to own: Sachtler Video 25. Had it on one project of mine and it was a very smooth experience.

BTW, there are official "canon" short films set in the universe that expand the movie. Might be worth watching.

Just went to see the movie -- I liked it very much. A stunning piece of art.

Even if you are only doing your own personal projects as a one man band, I really encourage checking the gate. Nothing is as annoying as getting back your expensive, processed and scanned film just to see that hair dancing around in the frame... :)

AFAIK, all couriers x-ray shipped items when it is sent as air freight. So unless you have a local lab (quite few have these days in Europe) you are going to have some x-ray effects on your footage. Even if you are sending it within EU. However, I have sent S16 to US for processing and telecine and I cannot see any damage. So if it has been x-rayed, it is so low powered that it hasn't really affected it.

Adox has been relocating their super-8 production line and because of that the production has been suspended for the time being. Fear not, pan-X should become available as soon as they get their line up and running again.