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Super 16mm Intervalometers


Anthony Schilling

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I don't have any immediate plans on buying a S16 package but i'm keeping an eye on them for when the right time comes. I've been looking at Eclairs, SR3's and they can do between 5-75fps, but what about single frame, timelapse, long exposures? Is there an S16 camera that has the ability to accommodate intervolometers?

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Eclairs and SR3s are designed to be run at speed, so they do not have single frame capabilities. Your best bet for animation or time lapse in s16 would probably be a Bolex. It does animation out of the box and there are a variety of specialized motors available for it. Beaulieu R16s also shoot single frame animation. Here's a link with more info about 16mm intervalometers: http://www.intervalometers.com/

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Hi,

Bolex cameras can wear out if you use them for single-frame operation. They can do it, but they haven't been designed for this type of work. Eclair NPR, ACL or Arri SR1/2/3 neither.

Aaton LTR and XTR models can use their phase circuit (0,5 fps, 1/4s) for time-lapse work.

You can use either Cinematography electronics, or Eshot intervalometer. Both are great devices.

 

When I used Aaton LTR with Eshot, footage came with bad registration (i.e. stability), I had to used postproduction stabilizator to correct it. This problem could be just mine LTR.

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Bolex cameras can wear out if you use them for single-frame operation. They can do it, but they haven't been designed for this type of work.

That is if you use the start/stop single frame option - even then, they are pretty solid units...

 

If you freewheel the drive ('0' I think on the dial), then the two shafts on the outside are yours to operate as you see fit - if I recall one is 1:1 and the other 8:1.

 

Design a stepper/servo/arduino/whatever based intervalometer that mates to these and you have a sweet variable shutter angle intervalometer with almost 0deg to almost 360deg depending on the period. You could program it with a computer and I guess assuming some kind of smartphone to arduino communications exists (I'd bet money on it) go down that route also :)

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The Tobin motor used the drive shaft so there's no ware on the spring motor. Single frame exposures are about 1/2sec so you get very fluid motion (have to use 5stops of ND) and you can also do open shutter time exposures. Here's a clip i shot in 2008 with it. The scan was SD back then so the resolution is not up to today's standards. I was hoping to have the same options with a nice S16 package someday but oh well.

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