Chris J. Zahller

Clarification: There are a couple of nonagenarians on the large format photography forum who have been shooting since their pre-teens. One of them is still quite active on the forums and still goes out with his LF rig. They were shooting with sheet film and small and medium format roll film, not cine film.

I just bought 2 C-stands from this guy. He sold his DSLRs and switched to the FUJI X-T2*. He was very glad to be rid of his sound blimps. I dare you to tell him he's not an established pro (after you look at his portfolio). He just finished a pilot for a show that got picked up by ABC. The star is a former Miss America turned award-winning actress. The sound guys all love him. *I shoot with the X-T1, among other cameras. I'm not in the motion picture industry.

I just make my assistant carry them by hand, 2 at a time. :P

Have you thought about setting up lights outside the room window to create your own daylight? This would work for ground floors only, of course, but that could be many of your interviews. A big rectangular softbox or a silk in front of a large LED panel should give you what you want.

I read another reviewer who noted that the color grading for the new print is very different from the digital restoration. The digital is, to my eye, pretty neutral, some would say cool. But the new print is very warm — everything looks like it's under tungsten. The reviewer also notes the lack of digital cleanup — lots of dust & scratches left intact, as well as a reel-change beep that didn't need to be there.

I also needed new o-rings for my recent purchase. The Matthews o-rings are pretty dear. These are less expensive and better quality; if you are in the US you can get them from The O-Ring Store: -318 S70 FDA Silicone (VMQ) 70 Duro O-Ring (S70318) -314 S70 FDA Silicone (VMQ) 70 Duro O-Ring (S70314) -312 S70 FDA Silicone (VMQ) 70 Duro O-Ring (S70312) Note that the numbers (318, 314, 312) correspond to the Matthews part numbers. They are available in other materials but I chose silicone rubber for its durability and ability to withstand extremes temperatures and humidity.

I can now confirm that the aluminum/aluminium foil method works a treat. I did have a few pits in the chrome; the foil can't do much with those. A brass brush removes some of the rust pit & what's left can be kept from spreading by applying silicone or whatever to prevent moisture from getting to those areas. Method: Crumple up large squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil into balls. You will need at least a couple per C-stand, depending on how rusty they are. Fill a container with warm water. Add a few drops of liquid dishwashing soap. Dip the foil in the water & scrub the chrome parts, rinsing frequently. A light touch is all you need for surface rust. Pitted areas will require the brass brush. Dry with a soft cloth. Apply chrome polish (e.g., Mother's California Gold) according to package directions. Allow to dry & buff off with a soft, clean, dry cloth. Apply silicone spray, wax, or other protectant. If using silicon or WD-40, wipe off excess with soft, clean, dry cloth.

I know some folks who have been shooting film since the orthochromatic days who are happy to use the phone calculator apps.

Yep; that's why I looked at the MSDS — to see if I could do the same without the high cost.

I was going to post a question about this but found this thread. I recently acquired a pair of older Matthews C-stands with gobo arms from a movie stills photographer who doesn't use them in his work. They have some light surface rust on them. After reading the suggestions here I found numerous tutorials on cleaning chrome that recommend using wadded up aluminum foil dampened with plain tap water or with water + some mild dish soap. Has anyone tried this method? How well did it work for you? Another possibility for preventing further rust after cleaning, besides wax, grease, or chrome polish, is silicon spray. Any thoughts on that? As this is an old thread, that link is dead. Does anyone know if this stuff is still available? EDIT: It is still made. The manufacturer is Lear. According to the MSDS, the active ingredients are solvent naptha & hydrotreated neutral oil. Nothing special there; you could probably do just as well with pure mineral spirits followed by a protective top coat (wax, silicone, non-evaporating oil).