Brian Rose Posted May 9, 2006 Share Posted May 9, 2006 I realize that regular servicing is necessary for ensuring quality and longevity, but are there some things I can do for my camera that do not require sending it away? What can I do for my Eclair NPR that would help stretch my dollar? Like the equivalent of changing the oil in my car? Best, Brian Rose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thibaut de Chemellier Posted May 9, 2006 Share Posted May 9, 2006 I've recently found the oiling diagrams for NPR but it's in french...I've scanned it and I will soon be able to send this precious manual to those who need it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Ardenti Posted May 10, 2006 Share Posted May 10, 2006 I've recently found the oiling diagrams for NPR but it's in french...I've scanned it and I will soon be able to send this precious manual to those who need it... Where did you guys buy your NPRs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thibaut de Chemellier Posted May 10, 2006 Share Posted May 10, 2006 There are many NPR available...It was widely used all around the world for TV news in the 60-70's, just try on eBay...you can have one NPR 16mm for 2000 dollars max and then convert it to S-16mm Pl mount. There are many different motors available for this camera and some of them are big and heavy and handheld shots are tricky...Aaton & Haflexx are really lighweiht and well designed I think...Angenieux viewfinders will upright image contrary to Kinoptik viewfinders and has a better magnification. Npr has a incredible adjustable shutter from 180° to 15° !!! Most of Aaton Xtr prod goes to 45° max... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewbuchanan Posted May 10, 2006 Share Posted May 10, 2006 I've recently found the oiling diagrams for NPR but it's in french...I've scanned it and I will soon be able to send this precious manual to those who need it... please let us know when you post, i'd love to see those diagrams. otherwise, for care between trips to the camera shop, i keep my camera dry, dust free, and avoid tempature extremes. i get the camera out and run it at least once a month - with or without film. i keep all ports and mag openings covered with the proper covers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thibaut de Chemellier Posted May 10, 2006 Share Posted May 10, 2006 (edited) Thanks Andrew to remind us the basic stuffs that everybody should do to keep his dear Camera ready to go...I'll try to post my docs by Sunday or next week... Did anybody can help me with my Aaton motor: I want to know if there's a fuse somewhere, how to switch from 24 to 25...and if I can plug a Tobin Milliframe controller or a AC flexiLight on the Hirose 4-pin... Thanks Edited May 10, 2006 by TiboP' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewbuchanan Posted May 10, 2006 Share Posted May 10, 2006 I want to know if there's a fuse somewhere, how to switch from 24 to 25...and if I can plug a Tobin Milliframe controller or a AC flexiLight on the Hirose 4-pin... That Alcan motor is quite rare, and I have never used one. I wish I could be helpful, but I don't know about speed control for this motor. I did a quick google search and found that SMS Productions in Chicago has an NPR with an Alcan pictured in their rental section, and Visual Products has one in their Cameras for Sale/Super 16 section. You could call these guys, and ask about the motors that are included with their cameras. I don't know SMS, but Visual Products has always been very good to me. http://www.smsprod.com/rental/16mm2.html http://visualproducts.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alain LeTourneau Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 That Alcan motor is quite rare, and I have never used one. I wish I could be helpful, but I don't know about speed control for this motor. I did a quick google search and found that SMS Productions in Chicago has an NPR with an Alcan pictured in their rental section, and Visual Products has one in their Cameras for Sale/Super 16 section. You could call these guys, and ask about the motors that are included with their cameras. I don't know SMS, but Visual Products has always been very good to me. http://www.smsprod.com/rental/16mm2.html http://visualproducts.com If you have Alcan motor question try Andrew at AZ Spectrum or Pierre at CineAsst. Visual Products, SMS, George Zorzoli at OEH, and Bernie O'Doherty will not be able to help you. Some have recommend DuAll, and they themselves told me they've had some success fixing these motors, but I'm not certain if George Gal is still alive? Anyone know if he's alive or if his kids are now running the business? As for the 24/25 switch, I believe its as simple as moving the screw/nut from the 24 hole to the one marked 25 or vice versa. Try that and then mark Xs in the gate and run the film for 1 minute and go back and count your frames/feet. Or even better use a speed checker! Alain I've recently found the oiling diagrams for NPR but it's in french...I've scanned it and I will soon be able to send this precious manual to those who need it... Hey TiboP, please let me know when you have that diagram scanned. I might even be able to translate it for folks...though I know there are others on the list who likely speak/read french better than I. Anyway, I'd love to get a scan. Alain Brian's post has got me thinking more about those who own NPRs on this Forum... I was able to tell who some of the NPR owners are just by searching posts in the archive, but some folks who have posted are no longer owners or in the case of Andrew Buchanan are selling their camera. I'd like to know who out there on the Forum owns an NPR. If your one of them please send me a PM and I'll add your contact info to my resource list. Also, for those who have questions the ACL List (which has a misleading name) is actually open to all Eclair owners - NPR, ACL, CM3 or Camflex. So folks can post their Eclair qustions there too...which would be good as the list is not as "active" as it used to be. There are a number of really knowledgable folks who subscribe to the ACL List, and good info in the searchable archive. Alain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alain LeTourneau Posted May 14, 2006 Share Posted May 14, 2006 TiboP- Still interested in possibly getting a scan of the oiling diagrams. I'd be happy to translate the french for you and others interested. Alain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thibaut de Chemellier Posted May 14, 2006 Share Posted May 14, 2006 (edited) Hi, actually it's more than just oiling diagrams...my documents are huge ! You gonna love it !!! ;) It's dealing with all the settings and controls that must be done on this camera and in addition there's an oiling board that goes with a spare parts list with parts codenames and diagrams. I don't really know how to put this files online...I've no website yet and it's too big to put it in here...any suggestion? Anyway I can send private emails to each one of you, just ask ! I've made about 50 scans in good quality, each page is around 10 or 15 Mo... I'll be ready on thuesday... Thibaut Edited May 14, 2006 by TiboP' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alain LeTourneau Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Hi, actually it's more than just oiling diagrams...my documents are huge !You gonna love it !!! ;) It's dealing with all the settings and controls that must be done on this camera and in addition there's an oiling board that goes with a spare parts list with parts codenames and diagrams. I don't really know how to put this files online...I've no website yet and it's too big to put it in here...any suggestion? Anyway I can send private emails to each one of you, just ask ! I've made about 50 scans in good quality, each page is around 10 or 15 Mo... I'll be ready on thuesday... Thibaut If you don't want to post as PDFs then I'd be interested in just purchasing high quality photocopies from you. I can pay for your time, copies and postage if you'd like. Otherwise, if you get everything scanned in as hi-res files you could email it in pieces. I could post it on my site if need be. Best, Alain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Belay Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Or you could contact Tim Tyler on this forum and ask to post your scans on the "Manuals and Docs" section so they are available esaily to anyone interested. That would be great ! -B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thibaut de Chemellier Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 Hi guys, Sorry for the delay, I Have resized the first document and it's a 5.33 Mo file now instead of the original 210 Mo!!! At the end the quality is not so good but if you have some problems with any page of this doc I can recompress it a bit less and resend it to you. Anyway if you want this greasing and maintenance manual, send me a private message with a personal email address with enough space... I'll try to send it to Tim Tyler so he can put it in the docs and manual section of this forum but I'm afraid he reject it cause the quality of the originals is poor and it's in French... The other doc is a list of all the npr spare parts with corresponding diagrams and it's in French, English and German... :) Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olex Kalynychenko Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 I realize that regular servicing is necessary for ensuring quality and longevity, but are there some things I can do for my camera that do not require sending it away? What can I do for my Eclair NPR that would help stretch my dollar? Like the equivalent of changing the oil in my car?Best, Brian Rose Hi Brian I'm camera mechanic, repair and service of professional cine cameras and can tell you a some about your question. At first, The any cine camera- complex system of precision mechanical and optical parts. The every cine camera need simply servicing ( after 1000...2000 m of film) of film and this service you need make personally. Need clean film gate, film magazines, set oil on special point. But, the regular service not replace of complex service of camera. If you will interesting know more about complex service i can explain you with images. The camera need take to pieces, check condition of parts, clean, set new oil, assemble. But, the base side of this service - test of optical and mechanical characteristics of camera. Will need check and adjust of flange focal distance of lens mount and lenses, check position of ground glass, check position of mirror ( or mirror disk ) and more ets. All this procedures make with special high precision mechanical tools and optical tools ( collimator ). You have special measuring tools and collimator ? You have exprience do this ? You compare service of camera and service of car. The complex service and adjust of camera like you take to pieces of engine of your car. That's why, will be better, if the complex service will make professional mechanic. You wish spare money, but, you can pay for film, processing, telecine service and receive footages with bad quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thibaut de Chemellier Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 You are right Olex but we still can check many things by ourselves, cleaning is easing and we easily have access to some of the greasing points... Checking flange focal, back focal and ground glass is easy. in France doing those tests is one of the job of the assistants camera...modifications are done by camera techs in rental houses but when you own a Camera with lenses, you do those tests once and almost for all...if you treat well your camera gear ! Thibaut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olex Kalynychenko Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 You are right Olex but we still can check many things by ourselves, cleaning is easing and we easily have access to some of the greasing points...Checking flange focal, back focal and ground glass is easy. in France doing those tests is one of the job of the assistants camera...modifications are done by camera techs in rental houses but when you own a Camera with lenses, you do those tests once and almost for all...if you treat well your camera gear ! Thibaut I agree with your idea. The every camera and every lens must be check before shooting. And the great, if the camera assistant can checking of camera and lenses. The russian crews had camera and optical technician on shooting area ( on time of former USSR ). If you wish know more about service of russian cine camera, please, visit of my pages : Service of Konvas http://www.geocities.com/kinor35/repair/re.../rep-konvas.htm Service of Kinor-16 http://www.geocities.com/kinor35/repair/re...ep-kinor-16.htm You can see points of oiling at current maintenance of Konvas and Kinor cameras. The other cameras have some points too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Ardenti Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 I've read in two seperate places in the NPR manual that everything is permanently oiled and not to ever lubricate anything. Why are you guys talking about oiling th ecamera? Were the Eclair people wrong? Just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olex Kalynychenko Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 I've read in two seperate places in the NPR manual that everything is permanently oiled and not to ever lubricate anything. Why are you guys talking about oiling th ecamera? Were the Eclair people wrong? Just curious. I can not answer about Eclair NPR, but, i can answer about Konvas and Arri BL3. Konvas camera have a few self-lubricating bearing, but, from my experience of service of Konvas cameras, i set consistent fat on this bearing too, and cameras work very good. The russian cine studios have Arri BL3 cameras. This cameras delivery at 1975..1980. And this cameras work good now. The result of long time life - good oiling and service of technicians from studios. The technicians from Arri company give Arri BL-3 time of life 10 years we had 25 years. We have russian saying, "Good butter will not spoil porridge". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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