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Eclair NPR 16mm


Krys Athens

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Would anyone recomend shootiing with the NPR?

 

 

 

 

Why not. Good enough for Jean Rouch, good enough for the rest of us.

 

Solid camera, mags are easy to load (easier than ACL), and CA-1 to Arri-B mount adapter for about $90 will allow you to mount B mt HS lenses.

 

Shooting B/W or color?

 

Your questions are vague and you should look in the archive as this has been discussed many times.

 

 

--Alain

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I shot a project on the NPR last year. It was a B/W doc. I used an old set of prime lenses. I liked using it. It was pretty easy to use although a bit awkard. I would recommend it if it were available to you, as I have enjoyed it in the past. But then again, I am no expert!

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Would anyone recomend shootiing with the NPR?

 

Hey a solid 16mm camera is a 16mm camera.

 

should I rent better lenses though

thanks-

 

 

To be honest m8,

Better use an Aaton XLR 7 , I did a feature film with NPR and it was full of suprises!

U see this cameras were great when new, but not after all this miles of footage on their backs.

Regards

Dimitrios Koukas

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The NPR is the best camera going for the money. Just be sure you know its quirks and idosyncracies. The camera gets a lot of blame for operators who are inexperienced in its use. Variable shutter, registration pin, and horizontal pressure plate put this camera in a class with the very best of 16mm cameras. However, it is dated and takes some getting used to. The finder is pretty dark and you need a good motor (like the Tobin or AZ conversion or Cirpi), and a S16/PL mount conversion is really helpful) but for the price, its features are unbeatable. Plus, it's built like a tank. I use mine often as B-camera for an SR3A (I challange anyone to tell the difference) difference) and as A-camera on lower budget stuff (fictional narrative sync sound stuff, not just music videos) and myself, the director, and the producers are always pleased with the results.

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I own the NPR - picked it up 12 years ago from a community college. That camera had really had a work out.

 

I shot a couple of movies with it and then put it away until this summer when I "discovered" it in the back of a closet. I used it for some "behind-the-scenes" stuff. It's kinda loud but even after sitting in a closet for 7 or 8 years it ran like a champ amd the footage looked great.

 

-rik

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The finder is pretty dark and you need a good motor (like the Tobin or AZ conversion or Cirpi)...

 

 

 

Andrew,

 

The dark finder has always been my gripe as well.

 

What do you mean by "good mirror"? Are you referring to a replacement mirror (made by TCS, AZ, ir Cirpi), or are you talking lasering the ground glass similar to the process done by Bernie O'Doherty?

 

 

Alain LeTourneau

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  • 3 months later...

Personally speaking, I love the NPR. For most applications (not all), I'll go head to head with an Aaton XTR or Arri SR any day of the week. I've had one for nine years, have worked the heck out of it, and when I recently had it converted to Super 16 it only had 1 worn part that cost me less than $40 to replace including labor. Virtually every modification is available for it (or so it seems to me, anyway): a brighter ground glass, video assist, 15mm rods to accommodate follow focus and modern matte boxes, 16mm to S16 conversion, 15 speed motors (crystal at all speeds), CA-1 to Arri 'B' mount, PL hard fronts, etc.

 

The best part about the NPR is that you could overhaul it, including repainting, have all of the aforementioned modifications made to it, and be working with essentially a brand new camera for a fraction of the cost of buying a worn SR3 or XTR. If you decide to do all of that though, be prepared to be without the use of your camera for a number of months; the wait is excruciating but I don't think you'll be disappointed. I know I wasn't.

 

The NPR isn't without its limitations, however. You can essentially forget about super slow-motion, for example, and FPS "ramping," at least in my experience, is a nightmare if it's even possible at all. And let's not forget about that infernal, non-orientable Kinoptic viewfinder. If you can find an Angenieux viewfinder -- BUY IT! Cinema Products made a viewfinder for their cp-16s that was orientable as well, but not all of them will focus correctly on the NPR's ground glass, so test prior to buying if at all possible.

 

Overall, and especially for personal use (as to opposed to 'for clients'), I've found the Eclair NPR to be a fantastic option to the more expensive packages. When looking at end results, I've never had anyone admonishingly say to me, "You shot that with an NPR instead of an ARRI, didn't you?" If my funds were unlimited would I rather own an NPR or an XTRprod? Of course I'd go with the Aaton, but if money wasn't a consideration I'd own a Arri 535, MOVIECAM, or BL IV first and foremost and then work outward from there. All in all, cameras and formats are, to some degree, a very subjective thing. Stan Brackhage, for example, spent his entire life as a filmmaker using a spring-wound Bolex and his work resides in the Museum of Modern Art. Not many of us will ever be able to say that. Speaking of the Museum of Modern Art, there's also a horror classic that resides there called THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE and guess what, it was shot using an Eclair NPR.

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  • 10 months later...
Personally speaking, I love the NPR. For most applications (not all), I'll go head to head with an Aaton XTR or Arri SR any day of the week. I've had one for nine years, have worked the heck out of it, and when I recently had it converted to Super 16 it only had 1 worn part that cost me less than $40 to replace including labor. Virtually every modification is available for it (or so it seems to me, anyway): a brighter ground glass, video assist, 15mm rods to accommodate follow focus and modern matte boxes, 16mm to S16 conversion, 15 speed motors (crystal at all speeds), CA-1 to Arri 'B' mount, PL hard fronts, etc.

 

The best part about the NPR is that you could overhaul it, including repainting, have all of the aforementioned modifications made to it, and be working with essentially a brand new camera for a fraction of the cost of buying a worn SR3 or XTR. If you decide to do all of that though, be prepared to be without the use of your camera for a number of months; the wait is excruciating but I don't think you'll be disappointed. I know I wasn't.

 

The NPR isn't without its limitations, however. You can essentially forget about super slow-motion, for example, and FPS "ramping," at least in my experience, is a nightmare if it's even possible at all. And let's not forget about that infernal, non-orientable Kinoptic viewfinder. If you can find an Angenieux viewfinder -- BUY IT! Cinema Products made a viewfinder for their cp-16s that was orientable as well, but not all of them will focus correctly on the NPR's ground glass, so test prior to buying if at all possible.

 

Overall, and especially for personal use (as to opposed to 'for clients'), I've found the Eclair NPR to be a fantastic option to the more expensive packages. When looking at end results, I've never had anyone admonishingly say to me, "You shot that with an NPR instead of an ARRI, didn't you?" If my funds were unlimited would I rather own an NPR or an XTRprod? Of course I'd go with the Aaton, but if money wasn't a consideration I'd own a Arri 535, MOVIECAM, or BL IV first and foremost and then work outward from there. All in all, cameras and formats are, to some degree, a very subjective thing. Stan Brackhage, for example, spent his entire life as a filmmaker using a spring-wound Bolex and his work resides in the Museum of Modern Art. Not many of us will ever be able to say that. Speaking of the Museum of Modern Art, there's also a horror classic that resides there called THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE and guess what, it was shot using an Eclair NPR.

 

Dear Scott

Thanks for such a great reply .....

I'm buying an NPR with a whole bunch of toys......

 

GO ECLAIR!!!!

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Dear Scott

Thanks for such a great reply .....

I'm buying an NPR with a whole bunch of toys......

 

GO ECLAIR!!!!

Hi

I own an eclair npr s 16 is an fine camera with the arri b mount i have alot of lenses option for use. I have done a lot of projects with this camera and the picture is great. Good for handheld filmaking easy magazin loading. The only problem i had was the motor runs out and i replace it twice.

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The NPR's a great camera. If you're in a studio and sound is crucial, you might wanna get a barney to muffle the little noise it DOES make.

 

Also, it's a bit awkward for handheld stuff, for me at least. So you should try it out and see how much you like it first. The adjustable shutter angle and film speed are its best features.

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