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Scoopic M camera about to become...


John Adolfi

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a refurbished Scoopic 16 M Ultra 16mm camera. Bernie at Super 16 is working on the new addition to the family. He said, "Ultra 16 is 89-90% of what Super-16 picture area is and very inexpensive to modify comparatively. I'm sold.

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  • 1 month later...
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I believe because it doesn't require you to recenter the lens.

Right. With Ultra16, all you do is shave both sides of the camera gate. You can't shave too much because of the perfs running down one side of the film, which is why Ultra16 is slightly less wide than Super16.

 

With Super16, you only shave one side (the side away from the perfs) all the way out to the edge of the film and thus you also have to recenter the lens mount. You end up using more space on the film, so you get a better image. But there's a lot more mechanical work involved in converting the camera.

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Especially on a Scoopic. As we've talked about Ultra16 is a great option on those cameras. Another plus is that it is backwards compatible in a sense with regular 16 so if you shoot ultra your framing will be centered on the standard 16 area in case that ever matters.

 

On a K3 S16 is just as easy as Ultra 16 if you can pick up a re-centered lens mount like someone was selling out of Russia a few years ago.

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Camera being sent back from Bernie at Super16 all ready to shoot. Completely refurbished, collimated, cleaned, U16, new batteries and I got a wide angle Canon adapter and a leather barney. The only thing we couldn't do to it is laser bright due to excessive glue in the lens mounts. I'll be receiving it Saturday.

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Congratulations on your new U16 Scoopic! Bernie customized my 16M a few months back, with full U16, LaserBrighten and 1.66:1 frame lines on the 1.33:1 groundglass, which is about 2.40:1 if you use the full U16 image. It is amazing what can be done with these old cameras.

 

I shot part of a documentary in the Balkans this summer with the Scoopic, and had the footage processed at Alpha Cine and then transferred to 1920x1080 HD at Cinelicious, and it looks great! Tip: I have shot with a bunch of different stocks and the Scoopic is loving 7212 100T the most. They all look good but 7212 stock and that Canon lens are made for each other.

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Congratulations on your new U16 Scoopic! Bernie customized my 16M a few months back, with full U16, LaserBrighten and 1.66:1 frame lines on the 1.33:1 groundglass, which is about 2.40:1 if you use the full U16 image. It is amazing what can be done with these old cameras.

 

Roger: Curious how you got Bernie to do Laser Brighten. He informed me a few months back that the mirror couldn't be removed since it was glued when I had it there for my U16 upgrade.

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... but the Scoopic is so bright already I'm not sure if it would make as much of a difference on the Scoopic.

 

Will: I guess I always felt like the scoopic got SO dark when the iris closes. I thought laser brighten would help anything higher than 5.6. Not a big deal since the scoopic M/MS has the aperture override button, but it does add an extra step during critical focusing. During a shot, while rolling, it's impossible to do any sort of critical focusing on the fly. Always bugged me.

 

Because of this I've learned to use 50D outdoors, 250D inside so that the iris doesn't clamp down so much. Also have to use a bunch of ND filters from time to time.

 

It's such a different workflow than Super8. I do love the fact that the light to the viewfinder is consistent with all my super8 cams.

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Will: I guess I always felt like the scoopic got SO dark when the iris closes.

That's true - I shot on short on my Scoopic once that was 95% interiors so I shot the whole film on 500T film. I had two bright day exterior shots to get where I had to do some critical operating, which was tough with N.9+Pola @ T16. So I'd love a brighter viewfinder too!

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Hi Adam,

 

Actually, I think my Scoopic was the first that Bernie worked on as far as the LaserBrighten process, and it gave him a hard time to remove the focusing screen. He marked it for widescreen 1.66:1, which with the recent U16mm gate widening makes it a decent marker for 2.40:1, and did the LaserBrighten. But, because it had been glued in so firmly and the glue was old, it developed a hairline crack during removal. Thing is it makes no difference in the viewing, I hardly notice it, but I think that is probably the reason that Bernie does not offer that for the Scoopic anymore. I attached a couple of small frame grabs from the U16 Scoopic. I really love this camera...it gives me a decent, very compact 2nd camera to my Aaton XTR.

post-33350-1252702878.jpg

post-33350-1252703189.jpg

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That makes sense. I know Bernie doesn't like to do things unless they are 100% greatness, so I'm sure he stopped offering it. S'ok though. Like I said, I just have to use the right film for the right place. Like, no 500T for outdoors!

 

It's a great little b-roll cam, agreed. I'd still like to challenge myself and shoot a short or a music-vid on it. When the time comes.

 

The U16 is awesome though, and it makes for VERY pretty pictures.

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Hello to John Adolfi, Roger Richards, Adam Garner! I read with interest you account of converting your Scoopic to U16. I would love to get more details about Bernie's job and how much to whole package costs, etc. I have an MS, an M, and a Sound Scoopic 200. I am thinking about getting the U16 done. My MS and M are in very good shape and I've shoot a few rolls which looked pretty good to me, but the Sound 200 is a little rough and I haven't fixed it up enough to use it yet -- no docs and no power supply. Anyone have some docs so I can figure out the external power???? Anyway, while the 200 hundred is heavier, it has a reflex mirror shutter, registration pin, and built --- so they say --- quieter for single sound, like the CP. Oh and it takes 200 ft spools (which are hard to find). So that one is pretty interesting too. It looks like it has almost the same lens as the MS and M, same focal length and aperture, but I am not sure if it is exactly the same. Interesting thing is, though it weights a good deal more than the M/MS, it balances in your hand surprisingly well. Just playing around with it non-running it did not seem that fatiguing to hold for extended stretches of time. Ah mystery!

 

Oh, one other question -- any vignetting problems?

 

Anyway, I would love to correspond over my regular email about this camera convesion.

 

Thaks,

 

Paul

 

Los Angels Area, California.

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Hey Paul:

 

Call Bernie at Super16Inc. He can tell you more about cost. He did a great job! The conversion is a few hundred bucks or so. Much cheaper than a S16 conversion since you don't have to recenter the lens. www.Super16Inc.com

 

There's some slight vignetting when at one certain focal length (maybe in macro). It's not a big deal. It's hard to notice.

 

Search Vimeo for Ultra 16. A few of my clips are up there to see the results. Also read up on the workflow that Cinelicious offers.

 

The scoopic is a great little camera for this conversion and the results are really nice!

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Hi Paul, good advice from Adam, give Bernie a call and he will take good care of you. I am very happy with the image from my Scoopic. Remember that when composing use the top of the R16mm frame lines to mark the top of your shot, like the top of someone's head. That will leave headroom in the U16mm telecine. Enjoy!

-Roger

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  • 1 year later...

Camera being sent back from Bernie at Super16 all ready to shoot. Completely refurbished, collimated, cleaned, U16, new batteries and I got a wide angle Canon adapter and a leather barney. The only thing we couldn't do to it is laser bright due to excessive glue in the lens mounts. I'll be receiving it Saturday.

 

John, I would love to know where you got your leather barney for the Scoopic.

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