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CLA/Pimping my CP-16r


Alain Lumina

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Hello All,

 

Thanks for info on maintenance for the CP. I realized it's serial #15xx which means bow

tie, I think #1955+ or something is half-moon, so I'm just counting on Bernie to tell me if shutter tech is OK/Fixable / neither.

 

It seems Bernie in NY is a diligent, genial, low overhead expert-- it was exciting to get to talk to an academy award nominee.

 

They do an Ultra 16 mod for really cheap, especially if you bundle it with a CLA.

 

I know S16 is better, but they told me they don't do it on CP-16r due, I think, to certain irreplaceable proprietary IC's in the CP. Othe vendors are around $3000-$4000, too much. I'm saving up for two-perf if I'm going to spend that.

 

If they start moving around the lens mount, and fry something, CP's may be unfixable due to the unavailable IC's; so they don't want to be in that position.

 

I talked to cinelicious about scanning ultra HD to hard drive, and they seem to have a positive. collaborative, reasonable priced, and genial ( that's important to me) approach.

 

My proposed model of distribution will be direct-sales, all digital, with no realistic plan on going to theatres, which I think is unrealistic with my budget and lack of total genius.

 

Cinelicious does handle Ultra, and I guess Ultra adds about 1/6 more resolution scanned to wide-screen relative to 4:3 Reg 16, Super adds about 2/5 more?,

but the camera cost would be so much higher I'd have the slight problem of not being able to make a film at all!

 

I should be able, barring unfixable IC problems, to get the Ultra 16 rig going for:

 

~600 cam cost with Canon Cine Pro Zoom ( Bernie says they're good)

~800 adjust with Ultra conversion, extra battery, extra magazine.

 

~600 Nagra/Fostex sound recorder ( Probably mono Nagra)

~1600 SChoeps 641 cardoid 1600?

 

~2000 Refurb Mac 17" Laptop ( has one year warranty from Apple)

my old tripod and the CP on the shoulder-- news style! (Hooray Ozu and the fight against Shakeycam!!!)

 

5600 Production startup cost

without lights.

 

I already have some Mole fresnels ( a 2k and a Midget) ,

I'm not really sure what I can do for outside lights at night as the whole generator truck thing is way out of reach. The cheapest way I see right now for brief remote shoots is those cheap ($25) rechargeable "Zillion Candlepower" lights from Auto-suply stores.

 

I know, everybody says "You're wasting your time without pro lights, but,

if I listened to everybody, I wouldn't make a movie, would I?

 

I think the sweet spot for me is to shoot in the time spot before magic hour where natural light is enough that reflectors and scrims can shape things to my advantage.

 

I'll post for more info on the lighting board for that.

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  • 2 weeks later...

OKay. got the estimate from Bernie, and it looks like it's not too bad.

all the cleaning, belt , battery , and lens overhaul will be $720.

 

That includes an Ultra 16 conversion.

 

So we're up to about 1300 , and now I'lll will start thinking about testing stocks.

 

Any recommendations on getting a color bar clapper board?

for a pretty snazzily refurbed cam, with sync sound , 400 ft mags, and a fairly reasonable shoulder held shape.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Got her back!

 

CP-16R Ultra 16, CLA's by Bernie, complete with colorful narrative when I called them

Fun and expert to deal with.

 

It runs so quiet I thought there was a problem. I would say as long as the cam

 

is two feet or so from the talent, no problem.

 

I have some short ends from NY Company, now to get a meter and start

making a real mess.

 

I'm in Sacramento.

Edited by Alain Lumina
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It runs so quiet I thought there was a problem. I would say as long as the cam

 

is two feet or so from the talent, no problem.

 

Are you running film through the camera? I don't recall my old CP16R ever being that quiet, even after a service, you frequently had to put an anorak over it in quiet rooms when getting closer than 4 or 5 ft.

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Are you running film through the camera? I don't recall my old CP16R ever being that quiet, even after a service, you frequently had to put an anorak over it in quiet rooms when getting closer than 4 or 5 ft.

 

Not knocking the CP16, they're great cameras, but just not as quiet as say an Aaton.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Yeah, lol, the noise lets you know the camera is working with a CP ;-)

 

Check it, at least with dummy stock to make sure it is running through the gate cleanly. . .

the answer about the noise is that I was NOT running it through the camera.

 

Trying to run film through it, I don't think I've got it working at all.

I've threaded it correctly I think, tried different tensions,

but the claw seems to emerge a little too low ( the film moves downward past gate)

so as it emerges through the perf the bottom side of the claw is rubbing on the bottom edge of the perf as it comes out through the perf

 

When you do with the inching knob it will go through all right, but

once you turn it on to 24 fps no good.

 

the claw starts pushing the film up away from the gate by hitting in the wrong spot with the pressure plate jumping

around, obviously not working right as far as I can tell.

 

I'm calling super 16 to see if I'm doing somehing wrong and will see.

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Another 50 feet trouble free, I think I had the bottom loop too tight. It looks like the top loop is self-adjusting, but if the bottom one is too tight there's no self-adjustment mechanism.

 

NOo, more batteries, mattebox, I win when I'm broke!

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  • 1 year later...

Hi Alain, I had this trouble today. Camera starts making a jarring flapping noise as the gate hits the claw device. Did you work out the reason, i was pulling it pushing it., eventually it clicked and started feeding smoothly but i took it as chance.. any ideas? Also my motor belt has started stopping, so the film spools inside the body of the camera.. Does that mean the magazine pully belt needs replacing?

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Alain, I had this trouble today. Camera starts making a jarring flapping noise as the gate hits the claw device. Did you work out the reason, i was pulling it pushing it., eventually it clicked and started feeding smoothly but i took it as chance.. any ideas? Also my motor belt has started stopping, so the film spools inside the body of the camera.. Does that mean the magazine pully belt needs replacing?

 

HI,

 

i'm not much of an authority, Bernie at super16 is the guru, but as far as chattering and the claw seeming to not come out into the holes, the bottom loop being too tight

seemed to be the problem, it has to almost touch the floor of the interior compartment as it bends around and heads upward.

 

Other problems I've heard of that relate to your situation:

 

1) If the spindles in the film magazine onto which the rolls of film mount ( particularly the take up spindle which is the only one that the belt should be looped around)

 

are not turning freely that could restrict the take up. I believe I heard this could damage the cam mechanism by excess strain.

 

2) I've had trouble with low batteries I think once or twice starting chattering or other problems.

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  • 5 years later...

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