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Film camera requirements


Jon O'Brien

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With old Arri cameras, serviced by an expert, if mothballed and not being used for quite a while, how long can mechanism and motor go unrun without problems developing? Eg. oil thickening or whatever. I guess that might be a difficult question to answer.

Also, has anyone made up a battery box for one of these film cameras? This is what's holding me back from operating (and I'm busy with other things but will eventually get around to it). I'm not the handiest person with things like even simple electronic projects such as soldering up XLR connectors and fuse etc.

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Depends on the camera and the storage environment but if well stored and proper Arri lubricants were used they tend to last a long long time. I've pulled cameras off a shelf after 10 years storage and they seemed to work fine. Of course it helps to be able to check running current and know when manually turning over the movement whether it feels tight or lumpy, and to check things like the take-up tension (which you can judge by feel with experience) and note whether the movement heats up after running it for a while etc. In the old days when cameras were being professionally used to shoot many thousands of feet of film a year it was more important to maintain regular service intervals, but for enthusiasts who shoot a few times a year I think you can be more relaxed about it. The worst issues I came across with Arriflex cameras were usually caused by filming in dusty, sandy or corrosive environments rather than long storage.

Rental houses everywhere made battery blocks for Arris for years, it's not hard to do. I'm sure Cameraquip or someone like that would sell you an old battery case you could get re-celled. A 12V 7Ah lead acid battery is cheap:

https://www.batteryworld.com.au/Drypower-12V-7Ah-F1-SLA-Battery

Or pay a handy person to fit a fuse holder and an XLR socket in a pelican case and fit a cell in it. Or buy a ready made battery pack and charger like this:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1048193-REG/bescor_fp_12vatm_12v_lithium_ion_battery.html

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22 hours ago, Dom Jaeger said:

... I'm sure Cameraquip or someone like that would sell you an old battery case you could get re-celled. A 12V 7Ah lead acid battery is cheap ...

 

21 hours ago, Tyler Purcell said:

What camera are you thinking about? Some cameras do have solutions, others don't. 

Thank you, Dom. I rang a camera rental company last year, and there were battery boxes up for sale, and I got the price. I might ring again soon. I will look into the other options you mention, you're very helpful.

Tyler, they're a IIC and 35-3. Probably my two favourite MOS cameras. Built to last. My dream as a teenager was to be a cinematographer with 35mm so when these cameras became affordable I went for it.

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5 hours ago, Jon O'Brien said:

Tyler, they're a IIC and 35-3. Probably my two favourite MOS cameras. Built to last. My dream as a teenager was to be a cinematographer with 35mm so when these cameras became affordable I went for it.

I use an NP1 battery solution, it works great. 

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Thanks guys! So, really, all that is needed is some kind of 12V battery source ... ideally, with a fuse in the line somewhere. All the thing about whether it's lead acid or Li-ion, or whether it's 7 amp hours, or more, is immaterial? I'm just really concerned I'm going to fry the wiring or motor inside my Arris. That's unlikely or impossible, as long as it's any battery, with enough oomph in the amps, that is 12V??

If that's the case, I'm very close to shooting some test footage.

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Yes the important variable is the voltage. Most DC appliances can accept a range of voltages around the nominal voltage they are rated for, but too high and components or motors will fry.  


Different battery chemistries have qualities that may or may not be advantageous for different applications, but in terms of simply powering an appliance generally it doesn’t matter. You can research that on the web if interested. One of the differences is the individual cell voltage, which is why lead acids might be 12V while NiCads and NiMHs might be 12V or 13.2V and Li-ions are often 14.4V.  For older 12V cameras a 14.4V battery is probably a little high, since at full charge it will get up to over 16V, so unless regulated back to 12V I would avoid Li-ion. 


The capacity of a battery is really just a measure of how long it will supply a certain current to an appliance, so unless it’s very small (in which case it may not have the grunt to supply the start up current) it also doesn’t matter so much. Most cameras pull between 1 and 3 amps. A 7Amp hour battery will run a 2A camera for around 3.5 hrs before it needs re-charging, and have enough capacity to easily supply maybe double that current during start up. You could use a 4Ah battery and recharge more often, or a 20Ah battery, but the down side of large capacity is more size, weight and expense for something that you don't actually need. 7Ah cells was what we often used to use with those older 35mm Arris.
 

A fuse will protect the camera in case something shorts out, usually a 10 or 15 A fuse is fine.

 

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