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Will Montgomery

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Posts posted by Will Montgomery

  1. If the loop was JUST oversized enough to hit something but not so oversized that it made a ton of noise that might account for it. SR3's are pretty dang quiet...but I've also found the mags to be easy to load properly (at least on measuring for the loop) and they seem to have plenty of safety margin to avoid something like that.

     

    When you say you shot for the first time, do you mean that film (Double-X) or do you mean first time with that camera? Do you own the camera? If so you should do some scratch tests with all the mags for sure. You want to make sure that doesn't happen again before using the camera on something that "matters."

     

    Love Double-X by the way...such a beautiful grainy stock...unfortunately most streaming codecs don't like it for the same reason. :)

  2. To properly check a reflex camera like this a technician would use a collimator and a reflective backing plate in the gate to check that 1: a correctly set lens is focussing at the film plane and 2: the film plane and the ground glass are both set to the same depth (with the ground glass depth being reflected off the mirror). It's a pretty quick and simple check for a technician, and saves lots of headscratching and conjecture about what might be out of tolerance.

     

    In terms of focal flange depth 0.1mm is a huge error. A typical tolerance would be more like 0.01mm. On an 18mm focal length shifting the lens forward by 0.1mm would move the plane of focus from say 10 ft down to 5 ft.

     

    Bingo. Have you seen the thickness of a lens shim? They are so incredibly thin but are used to correct these issues by the tiniest adjustment. Hardest part is having the collimator.

  3. How big of a problem is this and where are good places to get a CLA?

     

    Try Bernie at Super16inc.com. He's revived several "dead" cameras for me over the years and made sure the ones that are working keep working. He can certainly help you diagnose the problem.

  4. Does anyone know how the Sony a7s compares with the BMPCC? Maybe there's no comparison for serious filmmakers (I've no idea at this stage). I found this footage and to me it looks great. Yes, it's using an anamorphic lens but it made me sit up and take notice, which I usually only do with film. Taken with an a7s:

     

     

    Jon, what you're probably liking on that footage is the depth of field. BMPCC footage would not look like that with the same focal length lenses. As far as "quality"... you can achieve excellent quality on the BMPCC, especially with the RAW setting but you have to know your way around Resolve to get the most out of it.

  5. Ohh and for people who have Super 16 cameras, the pocket allows them to re-use that wonderful old school glass. That's partially why I haven't bothered buying anything else, I have over $30k worth of S16 glass that works great for a camera the size of two iphones.

     

    Yep. I have a PL adapter on the BMPCC and use my Zeiss 12-120 zoom on it from my S16 SR2. Basically the BMPCC is a decent sensor for my S16 glass.

     

    Like all Blackmagic cameras it's all about the post. It's designed so you spend time in Resolve getting it to look like what you want. The generally low contrast image out of the "film" mode is nice to work with...but you're still dealing with an HD image; not 4k.

     

    Depth of field is a consideration as well. If you're used to DSLRs and large sensors the BMPCC is an adjustment. It is certainly a good and inexpensive tool to have at your disposal. My only issue with it is it's unnatural consumption of batteries. External power is a must.

  6. I watched the vid repeatedly but could not make out the slightest reference to Kodak or Super-8. I mean, Cara does look nice. Will?

    Watching it several more times would probably be good professional research. ;)

  7. Actually, that's the only question to begin with : ) But I'm also open to any other general comments or questions. Thanks.

     

     

    If you're looking to scan 16mm in 4k, search for a Lasergraphics Scanstation in Australia. Maybe even email the Lasergraphics people and ask them.

     

    We're seeing them more and more in the U.S. and they are really at the top of their game. You can even scan to 5k if you want although that's probably pushing usefulness on 16mm. But that would allow you to do a little re-framing & slight scaling without resolution loss.

  8. Similar issues come up in Super 16 conversions that are done only half way; just enlarging the gate to one side. Without re-centering the lens mount you can some strange lens issues, especially when using a zoom lens (when zooming) which is probably more common with Super 16.

  9. Experimenting is always good but the reality is that anything short of the Hawk anamorphics is going to be soft. Definitely play with it; it may give you exactly the look you're looking for, but you may also be frustrated in the end...I know I was.

     

    Have you thought about maybe trying 35mm 2-perf? Film costs approach Super 16 and it would be much easier to shoot and way sharper.

  10. I think the 12-120 is the best Super 16 lens you an get. It's great for 80% of your shooting. For the wider end of things, invest in a few cinema primes.

    Zeiss made a version of their "high-end" 10-100 16mm Zoom for Super 16 and it was an odd range like 11-112. I first used that lens with an SR3 and was completely blown away by it so I made it my mission to buy one. When I couldn't find one for sale I went with the conversion and I've loved it ever since.

     

    I just wish there was a 4k sensor in a Super 16 size format so I can keep using that lens! (although I'm using it this weekend with an SR2 for a music video).

  11. I use a PL mount Zeiss 12-120 Super 16 lens (it was originally a Zeiss 10-100 "kit lens" for the SR2) modified to S16 by Charlie Pickel at Serious Gear with truly amazing results. The great thing about the BMPCC is all the Super 16 glass out there that works brilliantly with the camera. PL adapter from Wooden Camera.

  12. Then again, personally I was very curious on how the Panasonic adapter performed on Nikon-still lenses mounted to a S16 camera, on film that is.

    C

     

    Sorry I don't have any samples posted, but I can tell you that it was not very impressive. That lens adapter was designed for an SD video camera...everything was very soft in my opinion. Nothing wrong with giving it a try but it is nothing like the Hawks.

  13. Third idea is to invest in a Panasonic AG-LA7200 adapter, with a 0.25 diopter, and use B4 lenses on the ACL to get the image we are going for.

     

     

    I've had one of these. I think you may find the quality lacking, but you should try it. Cheap anamorphic lenses are difficult to work with and keep in focus. You can always just sell it if you don't like it.

     

    I think I made an adapter by removing the glass from a variable ND then finding a step-up size adapter. I was using it on a Canon Scoopic.

  14. I have a project coming up where I'd like to record the SD PAL video tap out from my Arri SR2 S16 camera as a reference. I have some easy ways to do this with a small DVCAM deck, but I was considering using something like an Atomos Ninja to record AND have a camera mounted LCD screen for reference.

     

    Seems like these types of devices are all about HDMI or SDI ins, so perhaps some sort of converter box to take the SD PAL BNC connection to HDMI?

     

    I have a feeling I'll be better off just going with the small DV Deck, but I like the idea of incorporating a monitor that will record at the same time.

     

    Anyone dealt with something like this recently?

  15. I love the portability of small 16mm cameras. I really love my Canon Scoopic MS. Great lens on that camera, even if it is fixed. BUT, if I shoot landscapes and skies, I can notice a faint pulsing due to extremely slight inconsistencies in the mechanism. I've seen this in varying degrees on three different cameras. However, on the three Arri SR's I've owned, I've never had this issue.

     

    The SR is simply a well-built workhorse that can be easily adjusted throughout the film path. It's designed to be maintained professionally for professional results. Any camera that is taken care of and properly serviced shouldn't have issues but on something like a Scoopic there are just limitations to how it can be adjusted.

     

    I've shot some amazing footage on a K3 with Pentax M42 still lenses. It is totally possible. It just comes down to luck of the draw sometimes on the cheap cameras and as a professional it's hard to rely on that luck all the time.

    • Upvote 1
  16. I'm guessing that the film school tuition is not cheap. You may want to look at shooting a short project on film as just part of the cost of entry. They want you to have at least a basic understanding of the film process before you show up day one, which really does make sense.

     

    Once you've shot, processed and transferred your footage, it does basically become "just like" digital because it IS digital at that point so you'll have no problems with editing. It's the first part, shooting, processing and transferring that you'll learn quite a bit just by going through it.

     

    I would just do a 5 minute short and even if you buy a low-end 16mm camera you'll probably be just under $1000 to do it right. But that $1000 will give you priceless experience with the media/medium. Totally worth it if you're planning on spending thousands more on film school.

  17. 2-Perf 35mm is a nice step up from S16 without a HUGE increase in cost. Especially if you like the Techniscope ratio. Just hard to find the cameras.

  18. The Laser Graphics Scan Station is pretty much the top dog right now for Super 8 & Regular 8 scans. You WILL notice a major improvement from the machines you're thinking about purchasing. $2000 would go a very long way with Perry, especially with 2k scans.

     

    If you're looking for something you can own but still does a decent job you may want to look at these:

     

    http://moviestuff.tv/moviestuff_home.html

     

    But they start at $4500.

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