Fedor Karpenko

2 hours ago, Jefta Varwijk said:

curious whether you found anything yet and if so, whether you liked it ?

Bought a set of Optar Illuminas! Love them, just sent them out to get serviced since the mechanism on all of them needs to be greased. Seems like they just sat in a case for a decade or so and all the lubricant has dried up. Otherwise they look great, here's a little test I shot with my buddy: (Note: the vignetting you see on some shots is from the screw-on ND's we were stacking in front of the lens)

40 minutes ago, Robin Phillips said:

Check with AM Camera https://www.amcamera.com/ . I sent Andree few I had in various condition that he was going to sell on consignment for me. Dont know if any are spoken for yet, but I sent them to him last week so you might be able to nab one. 

Oh interesting, I actually spoke to him this past week and I think he said he was on the lookout for them. I think he might have buyers lined up for yours!

Anyone know where I can find one of these? Looking to upgrade the tap on my SR3 but it has the IVS handle.

Oh my god, you're the one who got this thing for $10K at a the auction recently aren't you?

SOLD!

3 hours ago, Donald Milne said:

Anyone would have to be out of their mind to trust this guy Max Ivanov with your money after reading about my experience purchasing one of his Canon Mount K-3s.  Once I made the purchase, I had a feeling I would never see the camera or the money, and that is what happened. 

I purchased the K-3 in April of 2021, and have received nothing since but false promises, and no refund, or any responses since last summer. There is one side to this story, only myself being ripped off, and a guy in Russia who stole my money.  And someone is on here trying to send business his way? 

There is no accountability since he is in Russia, except maybe this forum full of cinematographers.  He continues to show videos of modifications to the K-3 on the internet.  If he couldn't send me a Canon mount K-3 with a ground glass modified viewfinder, how can his other experiments with the K-3 be worth thousands of dollars?  Who would risk sending their money to someone who has said in the past (after my purchase) that people must use cryptocurrencyy due to being blocked on Paypal?  If anyone questions the veracity of my post, then please send me a message.

Please do not let this con artist use this forum to rip other people off.  I learned the hard way, and I have seen another disgruntled customer ask Max Ivanov about his camera that was not delivered as well, so surely there must be others.  If he couldn't deliver on time, then he should have issued refunds.  He simply stops communication, so this is the result.

Aw man I'm really sorry about that. I know a few people who have gotten their cameras without any issues so I really didn't think he would be scamming people. I'll update the post. EDIT: I'm not able to edit the original post any longer unfortunately, otherwise I would add a disclaimer at the top regarding your situation..

I would definitely recommend buying a basic camera package though, but nothing too expensive. Personally, I have a pocket 6k pro kit that probably cost me $3k total, you can get a really great image out of it. In terms of image quality and color I honestly prefer it to the Komodo, which will run you close to $10k for a full package. These days most of my gigs will rent proper cameras but I still get the occasional passion project / low budget thing that my friends are putting together where the pocket 6k really comes in clutch.

3 hours ago, Tyler Purcell said:

Welcome to the forum! 

Sadly, there isn't one specific road that works the best. Everyone has their own skillset, their own connections, living in different parts of the world and so each road is very different. There are some real basic tips and tricks that can be given, but just remember it really comes down to many more things than these. Also, I don't think film school does anything anymore, besides make connections that you may or may not use in the future. I for one, have never used my film school connections because I never really made any. The UK is also a very different place than the US. Most of my UK friends struggle to find good work there and resort to traveling more than we do state side. There is also a BIG difference between someone working in Hollywood, where work is literally growing on trees vs someone living in the countryside where bulk of work is 100 miles away. 

With that said, the tricks I've learned over the years are as follows; 

- Make your own films in order to fine tune your craft. Tell stories that maybe other people in the world don't know about. Make them short, interesting and to the point. They don't need to be scripted, it could be documentary, but the more stories you tell, the more your name will get out there, the more resume building you will be doing. This could include music videos, commercials, industrial films as well, anything that you can produce that will hone your skills and look like a finished product. 

- Connect with locals who also want to be in the industry. There are PLENTY, but finding them can be tough. I know there are some UK based groups on Facebook, maybe hit one of them up and start to make a presence on there. There are also local events for sure, you need to find them and attend as many as you can. Your connections are your livelihood in this industry, they are your bread and butter. The only way to survive is to make them, so when you're not working, when you're not shooting, you need to be networking. 

- The film industry is like any other industry, only it's a bit more "catch 22" where if you haven't done something before, you generally won't get chosen to do it. So you almost need to have a wide range of skills that you can demonstrate through demo reel's and/or finished product. Where I don't like building a demo reel full of fake stuff, it can help build you up, it is a trick I see used a lot. Once you have that reel and some decent material for people to watch, it's a lot easier to bid on jobs and potentially get them. 

One thing I will say, it's A LOT easier to get work as a DP if you have a very good camera. If you're just renting gear like everyone else, it's harder to separate you from the pack. This is why so many people focus on gear and less on the craft, in today's age it really sadly is a gear world. 

Finally, education is everywhere these days. Youtube channels, applications that help demonstrate lighting setups in real time, dozens of great books and even groups like this to ask questions. Resources that up until the last decade or so, were a lot harder to access. Today I think everyone has everything they need at their fingertips. It's no longer a world where questions are hard to answer, today everyone can find 80% of what you need and that's all ya need to start. That last 20% can take decades to learn, but if you start by focusing on the basics; good camera, learn your craft, build connections, construct a decent demo and then start bidding on jobs, I think the road is pretty straight forward from there on out. By then, you'll not only know 80%, but also maybe another 5 - 10% on top. 

All solid advice. Only thing I don't totally agree with is camera ownership, I think it's steadily becoming less and less of a factor, at least in LA. Most of the people I know who own a proper camera package don't really get more work as a result of the camera, it's just a way to make more money since the client pays you for the camera instead of some rental house. For the production, it doesn't really make a difference who they're paying for the camera. What they really hire you for is your skills and visual sensibilities. That and connections / referrals.

The only times when I've seen camera ownership be a factor in getting hired is low budget stuff where they want you to bring your camera for free. So, in that sense, buying a camera could be a decent option if you're just starting out and want to get work under your belt as fast as possible. However, those gigs usually aren't great since they're obviously just making hiring decisions that will save them the most money, not get them the best product.

Mag is in beautiful condition, serviced by Andree Martin at AM Camera. One of the cleanest SR3 mags I've encountered, with only minor cosmetic blemishes on the exterior. Mag has been used on a project this past week and works perfectly. Selling this mag because I have 4 total with my SR3 package and don't have a need for a fourth. Pickup in LA preferred but willing to ship. $1000

Photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FQkf0rpufyD6I2uV0rgARU7xGfSymo9T?usp=sharing

32 minutes ago, aapo lettinen said:

the Krasnogorsks are not very well made cameras in general and seemingly only meant for intermittent use shooting low amounts of film like couple of rolls every now and then. 

by my opinion, the biggest issue with them is the quality and construction of the internal mechanics like bearings and gears... if one takes those cameras apart one sees immediately that it is not meant for shooting a feature film or anything, the bearings would never make it without turning to dust and one would virtually need to take it apart every shooting day to adjust and lubricate it for it to make through the project without breaking apart. That is why I gave up making modifications for the camera, it is just not worth it because one can't manufacture dozens of new higher quality mechanical parts to make it durable enough to shoot longer sync sound projects with it.

the lenses are the best part of the camera by my opinion and the mirror is pretty neat as well. The film transport is just too cheap for most serious projects by my opinion and if it happens to work well now, the is no guarantee that it would not fail you tomorrow when you least expect it ?

Yeah I agree 100%, I would never use this for anything narrative. For music videos and small fashion films I think it's an awesome budget option!

11 minutes ago, Tyler Purcell said:

It MUST have a spring loaded guide rail. It can't "just be" the size of the film, doesn't work that way. With 16mm, the only way to 100% retain lateral registration is through a spring loaded guide rail. With 35mm you can get away with registration pins, but with 16mm because of single perforation film, it can still twist in the gate ever so slightly and cause lateral registration issues. The SR1's and 2's have this issue if the rails aren't in perfect shape. They are made out of a hardened material and I believe coated then polished. So stock they work great in conjunction with a single registration pin, but you can't do that with a K3 gate unless you make the entire gate out of that same material and chrome it. The tolerances of a proper gate are so tight, it blows my mind away when doing the math. It was difficult for Arriflex to do it, let alone some random guy in Russia. 

I see, thank you. Very good to know! I'm very curious to do some testing with this thing when it eventually gets finished (whenever that may be haha)

12 minutes ago, Tyler Purcell said:

Oh yea the thing doesn't work at all unless you squeeze the film super tight with the pressure plate and then you actually introduce back coating scratches. I bet if you look at your film in the light off angle, you'll see little scratches down the back. 

I've spent A LOT of time working on my K3 to get it better, sadly it needs a gate. It wouldn't be too tricky to do, but it would be costly because it would need to be machined properly. If someone DID develop a gate that worked, it would sell like hotcakes and it would make the K3 a real viable camera. 

He is making a new gate though! Custom machined with really tight tolerances for correct FFD

12 minutes ago, Tyler Purcell said:

The only real reason the K3 has such low value is that gate system. It's prone to jamming, loosing loop, unstable image and can be infuriating to any would be filmmaker. Your taking a horribly flawed camera and spending a bunch of money throwing parts on it to suddenly make it modern, yet not addressing the critical aspects that make it a low-value camera? Doesn't make much sense to me. 

Sure, you might be right. Personally I've never had it jam or encountered any major issues with jitter. One of the K3's I've used had a decent amount of jitter but tightening the pressure plate made it quite stable, even at higher framerates.

4 hours ago, Dom Jaeger said:

There was a thread about this guy last year, and at least one unhappy customer:

https://cinematography.com/index.php?/forums/topic/88188-rebuilt-krasnogorsk3-video-assist-pl-super16mm-gate/

I can understand getting swamped with orders while still in development but you need to refund people if they pull out due to delays. There’s always two sides to a story of course.

Apparently he only takes payment in crypto currency now?

I notice he redesigned the ground glass holder, which is simply pinned in place in the original design and has no facility for adjustment. For a proper reflex camera, that’s essential. But then he discovered he needed an autocollimator to set it.. ?  at least he appears to be trying to make it as professional as possible. But I can’t help thinking it’s a bit like putting mag wheels and fins and racing stripes on a old car but leaving in the original engine. I mean there’s only so much you can redesign and fabricate before you’ve ended up making a whole new camera, with a price to match. Still, I wish him well. 

This is the company insta account I think:

https://www.instagram.com/shtrihfilm/

Dang I'm sorry to hear he had trouble getting a refund. I know he was refunding people for the preorder on this motorized version since it's taken a lot longer to complete. And regarding payment, he does still take paypal payments! He just offers a discount for crypto payments (I'm guessing for tax reasons). So if anyone is hesitant just use paypal goods & services and you're 100% covered in case you want a refund due to delays or other reasons.

1 hour ago, Uli Meyer said:

Is there a website or any other link?

Just has an instagram I think: https://www.instagram.com/maxivanovdp/

4 hours ago, Tyler Purcell said:

The camera would need an all-new gate to actually be a good camera. He hasn't done that work last time I checked. So it's still going to deliver a non-professional wobbly image for a very high price tag. Great idea, but needs work. 

Here is a DP that uses the previous version of this camera (the one without a motor but with a custom gate, pl mount and video tap): https://www.instagram.com/belkasemi/

From what I've seen he mainly uses it as a b-cam for handheld shots and more run and gun stuff, with really great results. Haven't really seen much jitter in his work although it's possible that it's stabilized in post.

5 hours ago, Travis Shannon said:

Didn’t he just post today that he had to change a bunch of parts over from plastic to aluminum because they were stress fracturing? It’s a cool project but I think it’s a lot rougher around the edges than the IG lets on. 

My understanding is that those are temporary 3-d printed parts that he uses for development and testing. He is definitely having many metal parts machined, including the new gate.

Been kinda in the same boat and sadly it seems like an XTR Prod is suuuuper rare to find in that price range ? Especially with a lens. You might find a decent SR3 kit for that price but, again, not with a lens. A basic SR2 kit with lens might be more realistic.

I know there are many Krasnogorsk haters on this forum but I wanted to share this awesome project by Russian DP Max Ivanov. It's been 2 years in the works and so much effort has been put into this with a ton of custom machined parts and boards. Here are the specs as shared on the Instagram page for the project:

- Camera works with 7-12V batteries (it has a 2-pin lemo connector for power input)

- Swiss 100 watt BLDC Motor. (BLDC motors have longer service life and were installed on the Aaton A Minima, XTR Prod, Arri 416.)

- Motor controlled and stabilized by a microcontroller

- Sync is accurate to 0.001fps at 25fps. (between 0.01-0.001 at other framerates)

- Framerates: 1-50 fps

- Video tap is based on GoPro internals which allows to record the tap feed in-camera. (Max said he will be adding a cable clamp / adapter since it uses the unreliable micro-hdmi connection from the gopro internals)

- Optical viewfinder can be used at the same time as the video tap

- Wi-Fi control which allows to set framerate and run/stop wirelessly via your phone

- Electronic footage counter. (Maintains footage count after being powered off and has a reset button)

- Super 16 gate with ground glass adjustment mechanism. FFD can now be easily tuned and will be precisely set on every model. Max will also be selling a set of tools for calibrating the FFD on this camera so you will be able to calibrate it yourself (I can already hear some of you complaining about how nobody should attempt to do this on their own unless they're a trained technician)

- Super 16 viewfinder with correct markings

- PL Mount

Obviously not a camera for every situation, like narrative projects or basically anything with dialogue. However, I think it's perfect for more abstract projects like music videos or fashion films, especially when you need to move fast and do dynamic handheld stuff. I have one preordered and am super excited to test it out once it's ready! (I think the current eta is March/April)

16 minutes ago, Tyler Purcell said:

Little update. 

Pricing will go up in Feb not Jan. They haven't finalized the new price list yet. 

It will be on ALL products, not just motion picture. 

On a good side, Kodak's office in Hollywood is selling short-ends and re-can's (mostly 35mm) at a highly discounted rate currently. If ya need 35mm, this is the best deal I have seen since 2016. So call them and ask about the short-ends and re-can's. They have most stocks available and some are sealed, with dented cans. Most are only a few months old production date. They sadly don't get much 16mm in, I bought a bunch of what they had tho. 

Literally came here to say the same thing haha. Went to their hollywood office today and also heard that february is the month of the price increase. Stocked up from b&h for now with their student discount, they finally had some 16mm in stock.

Hey everyone! I'm getting a super 16 camera in the near future and am in the market for some lenses, preferably something more budget friendly. Does anyone have any primes they're looking to get rid of? Ideally looking for a set of 3 fast lenses, something like a 7mm, 16mm, and 25mm.

Thank you!

1 hour ago, Matt Figler said:

Thank you so much! I suspected that this was the one, just wanted to make sure I wasn't adjusting something I shouldn't be.

3 minutes ago, Matt Figler said:

Have had the exact same experience over time with my K3. For the first few years it sat nice and flat, but the spring & pressure plate is not very robust & overtime can weaken. I've also noticed the pressure plate is quite flexible material so it too can sometimes be ever so slightly bent out of shape & not hold the film flat enough. There are a few small screws that hold the spring tension of the pressure plate -- You can see this issue pop up in this recent video, where the film is flat on the sides but out of focus in the middle. 

 

Who has a good recommendation for someone who can tune up these cameras, check FFD + pressure plate? 

I think I will send mine to Du-All: http://www.duallcamera.com/services/Upgrade_KrasnogorskK3.shtml

Is there a chance you could specify which screws exactly control the pressure plate spring? Thank you!

20 hours ago, Dom Jaeger said:

If the flange depth was out the whole image would be soft. Plus you can see the focus  pulsing at the start, so something is shifting. I think your initial diagnosis is quite possible, since the softness is very noticeably limited to the centre. It’s as if the film is sitting flat on the edge rails of the gate, but bowing out in the centre, and the pressure plate is unable to keep it flat. Maybe the gate is a little under size in width, causing the film to bow, or it’s the natural curvature of the film and the pressure plate is just weak or not seating properly.

But it won’t hurt to get the flange depth checked I guess. 

K3s are very cheap cameras, and their quality is pretty bit and miss. Personally I think  too often they have issues like this that put new filmmakers off film because of the hassle and disappointment, so I don’t recommend them. They might be cheap initially, but the cost of wasted rolls adds up. 

I think I am going to go ahead and get a full overhaul done just to rule everything out.

Like you said, I still think that the pressure plate may be the culprit, however, it looks like my lens is not functioning as a parfocal lens should, which is another symptom of the FFD being off or the lens needing collimating. Perhaps it is a mix of all of these issues haha. Hence, the full overhaul!

I actually got the camera quite cheap, only $160 with shipping included, so I'm not really too upset about having to spend $250 to overhaul the thing. Considering that most of these go for ~$300 on ebay and are still a gamble at that price point, I'm happy to spend $400 total to have a fully operational, tuned up K3. I have seen many that perform incredibly when they are properly maintained!

18 hours ago, Dom Jaeger said:

Try running some dummy film through and observing the pressure plate. Is it sitting flush against the gate or is it pulsing? Are the loop formers fitted? Is the loop OK? (When observing the transport with the lid off, make sure to manually depress the plunger that is normally activated by the lid, which retracts the loop formers.) If the first roll turned out OK it could just be that the pressure plate wasn’t seated right for the second roll. Sometimes you need to manually set the loop and check the pressure plate is seated properly.

If you suspect the pressure plate spring is too weak, you can remove it and bend the spring a bit by hand. 

Plenty of threads here about K3 loading, eg:

https://cinematography.com/index.php?/topic/80917-krasnogorsk-3-not-loading-properly/

Thanks for the suggestions, Dom! The film runs very smooth, no pulsing of the pressure plate whatsoever. My camera does have loop formers and the loops are also very stable while the camera is running.

The first roll actually didn't turn out ok as there was a couple of shots that also had this issue -- shots where I was shooting with the wider focal lengths of the Meteor zoom. This current roll wasn't all bad either, some of the footage was ok but about a third of the footage was shot with that same wider range of focal lengths on the Meteor zoom and that's where this problem shows up. The rest of the footage didn't seem to suffer from this.

I think I have found the culprit, though. I reached out to someone who's had this exact problem with a different camera and it turned out that the flange distance was off and the camera and lens had to be collimated. I am going to see if I can get that done with my K3.