Jason Banker

oopps.. just realized there's a steadicam forum. :rolleyes:

Hi, I have noticed that there are 3 Angenieux lenses that are listed as having full S16 coverage. They are priced alot cheaper than those made for S16. Here is link to the resource: http://www.cinematechnic.com/resources/opt...r_super-16.html My question would be even though they don't have the multicoating and other features of modern lenses what is the real world impact on the picture quality? How much of a image loss is there, maybe in a percentage value? Would you work with one of these lenses if it was all you could afford for a zoom? Also if you had to choose one of these lenses which one would you pick? Angenieux 11-66mm T2.6 Angenieux 15-150mm T 2.8 Angenieux 16-44mm T 1.3

Hi, I recently bought a Aaton LTR 54 and am considering buying a Steadicam or Glidecam rig. I think the camera would weigh in at about 25-30 pounds. Which model or features would you recommend? Value for price? Are there other manufacturers to consider?

Here is the adapter that I first bought, http://cgi.ebay.com/PL-to-Bayo-or-PL-to-Ar...1QQcmdZViewItem Here is the quick release that I might buy: http://cgi.ebay.com/ARRIFLEX-BAYONET-TO-PL...1QQcmdZViewItem Which one would do a better job?

Here is what the guy emailed me about the quick release adapter: "You have one of the first style PL mounts by the sounds of it. This style simply fits over the ears of the Bayonet mount, then the locking ring is turned and tightens down onto the actual Bayonet ears securing the PL mount in place. If your lenses are collimated correctly, you do NOT need to check the lens each time you put the mount onto one of them. It takes a matter of a few seconds to switch from Bayonet to PL, there are no screwdrivers or allen keys needed." Does this sound like it would work for the optar lenses?

Hi, I have just bought 2 optar illumina lenses that need an adapter from arri bayonet to pl mount. On ebay I jumped at the first adapter I saw which seems to be more of a fixed adapter that is held on by 4 screws. Then I noticed someone just posted one that they are calling quick release. My question is whether its better to buy another fixed style lens or just buy the quick release and use that for both lenses? Are there any negative sides to using either type? Would both lenses need to be collimated to the adapter? How does collimation work for a quick release style adapter? Any help would be great, thanks

Hi, I would like to do some single frame timelapse stuff for a feature that I am working on. The Aaton LTR 54 is a great sync camera but I don't think it is able to do that type of work. So I was thinking of purchasing a Bolex for S16 conversion. The problem is I would like to know if this whole prism/shutter issue substantially degrades the image quality to a level that it wouldn't make a good B camera for this purpose? Are there any other solutions? As a side question, if I did get a B camera that was just Regular 16 and cropped the frame for Super, could I intercut the footage if I shot the R16 with a stock that was half the speed of the S16 footage? or would it still look very different? Thanks

Does anyone have a simple resource that breaks down lighting vocabulary, so I don't have to keep asking things like... ...what exactly is a PAR light? :rolleyes: I am starting to dive into the more professional level of super16 filmmaking and want to get these terms under my belt, so I can make the best decisions when I am shooting a feature. Do HMI lights make people "look" better? In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and other tim burton films, he always makes people look this pale almost glowing white. Is that all about HMI or can you get that effect with tungsten and just good makeup? Also do they make a good range of daylight balanced Vision 2 for HMI use or is there a filter to compensate for tungsten balanced film?

So for lighting indoor at night with practials in the shot you should use tungsten lights like the arri series of spotlights...right? If you could only buy one HMI light which one would you choose? Which HMI has the best value for the money? Does the ballast supply power? Is HMI 2x the light per wattage?

Hi, I own a 650w Arri spotlight and 3 lowell pro 250w lights. This has been my base package for a few years now and they have served me well. Reading these forums I am constantly hearing about HMI lights, so I checked the lighting department at B&H photo to check out what these lights can do. The sales guy was showing me how they are daylight balanced and run on a lower wattage but produce brighter light than typical tungsten lights. This is basically the limit of my knowledge of HMI lighting. Oh yeah the other thing I know is that they are damn expensive!! One question I have is if you are shooting a typical night scene that contains practical lights. They are tungsten balanced so wouldn't you normally want to use tungsten balanced kits for additional lighting. If shooting indoors during the day with sunlight coming in thru windows, use of diffused HMI light makes sense as a fill. Any additional info would be great, just to get me up to speed.

I have seen a bunch of arri bayonet mount lenses on ebay and was wondering what the quality is like with a converter from pl mount? Would an Angenieux 16-44mm Zoom Lens, Arri-Bayonet mount work?

Its the Angenieux 15-150mm for $1,900. Definatly looks like the best value. 15-150 is great and it says it works thru the whole range! Although T3 is a tough pill to swallow for 2k but.. ..what else is wrong with this one? I don't see it on the abel s16 resource page. What kind of mount is it, anyone know?

Mike, thanks for the link, its a perfect resource for Super 16. So now my questions have changed a bit. The list of acceptable S16 zoom lenses is a bit short. If 4,500-5,500 is the cheapest you can go for a S16 zoom if I decide to go to a bayonet mount can I find any zoom that would be usable thru its entire range? Or is there a similar still 35mm Nikon zoom? I realize that the lens is probably more important than the camera but I would like to know my other options. Can someone comment on the quality, and use of still 35mm lenses with S16?

Nathan, I actually bought the aaton package today. Still a bit shaken, but moving onward to the horrific world of lenses. The cooke does seem to be a highly reguarded zoom lens. If you have one let me know. Are there any other decent options that might be around 2 or 3k? Also is it better to invest the money into a set of primes or do people usually buy a zoom and rent primes? Lastly should I consider a conversion adaptor for another type of lens that might give me more options that are a bit cheaper? Thanks again

Which Angenieux zoom lenses cover S16 thru the whole range? Should I consider buying a converter to Nikon or Arri bayonet? What is the deal with using 35mm still camera lenses for S16? Help..

Hi, I have finally made a desicion and bought a Super 16 Aaton LTR 54 with a PL mount. Unfortunatly the camera didn't come with any lenses and need a quick fix so I can start shooting some footage. To get up and running, I am just looking for about lens costing $1000 or less. PL mount lenses aren't cheap so is it better to spend $200 for a converter so I can use Bayonet mount lenses? If so which bayonet or pl lenses should I consider? (they should cover the S16 frame) Thanks

So is it worth paying the extra 3 or 4 grand to buy a Aaton to avoid having a camera I am going to struggle with? I want to be able to make industry standard films, and music videos with the camera. Is the ACL up to the job or is it more of a beginners kit to get your feet wet with shooting 16mm? Obviously I am a beginner, but I want to buy a camera that inspires confidence, and will not regret having in the near future. This is a very serious buy for me.

So from this I can assume that if I bring an Aaton on set people will feel more confident than if I bring a Eclair ACL..? (its more professional?) Would that alone make it worth the extra money? Also does the shutter make the ACL less interesting of a buy? How much does one really change shutter angle? Is the ACL a much smaller package (sort of like a cheap Aminima)?

Hi, I am wondering if it is better to buy an Eclair ACL converted to S16 for about $3500 or an S16 Aaton LTR 54 for $7000? Please compare weight, ergonomics for handheld work, ability to attach a video tap, reliability, and camera noise. Is it worth spending twice the money for an Aaton? Thanks

So HD at "1440" would be the perfect archival resolution for super 8. Is HD at any resolution considered 1k? Could someone please post the actual pixel resolutions of 1k, 2k, and 4k? Also is capturing to HD a telecine process or a scanning process? Thanks

I have never used anamorphic lenses, and don't fully understand how "squeezing down" the picture could help the picture quality, could you explain the advantages of shooting anamorphic? The aspect ratio would be widescreen but wouldn't that also soften the image?

Could someone please post the actual pixel resolution of 1k,2k,and 4k? I have never transfered Super8 to anything other than miniDV which is 720x480 pixel resolution? Being new to these other processes I could use the exact info. thanks

David, do you happen to know what stock "Greendale" was shot on. I haven't seen the whole film but from the clips I saw it looked like Vision 800ASA? If so, I had some of the Vision "1" line processed at Pro8mm and was shocked at how bad it looked!! Shot that footage before the Vision 2 was avalible. Recently a friend of mine saw my S8 footage and wanted to shoot a test for flashbacks for his 16mm feature. Just trying to figure out how to achieve the best results. 2k seems overkill, technically, if the S8 resolution is too small to benifit from scanning. Thats good to know.

What resolution is 10bit uncompressed quicktime? (720x480?) Would this option mainly improve color information? Could you explain a more about the advantages of 10bit uncompressed? Thanks

What film did you shoot with for your transfer to HD? I am trying to figure out the full limitations of S8 in terms of resolution using the maximum quality in film, lenses and transfer technology. A Beaulieu S8 camera with quality prime lenses and maybe Vision 2 100ASA or EXR 50ASA with a 2/3 stop overexposed would be an optimal starting point for the conversion. With that base, could the quality improve to a point where it might make sense to go HD or 2k scanning?