Good Sub $1000 16mm camera?

S

Snowroach

Member
Hello,
I'm looking into getting a 16mm camera for shooting snowboarding with. I would like something that is cheap (used is OK), non-crystal sync OK, with a decent zoom lens. Would a basic bolex be good? I'll be shooting outdoors in bright sunlight most of the time. Thanks for any sugestions.
 
You can drop your price estimate way down then. You can get a decent camera for under half that off ebay. But "used" can't be just OK, it has to be mandatory -- the cheapest new 16mm camera is $6000+.

Do you need an electric motor on the camera, or is spring-wound okay? Because a Krasnogorsk K-3, with a Peleng 8mm lens on it, would give you a pretty decent wide-angle and would be quite inexpensive. The K-3 includes a 4:1 zoom lens with it which is surprisingly sharp. Not a bad little kit (providing you get a working one; quality control wasn't all that good). Last I looked those kits were going for around $150 on ebay, and occasionally you find unused ones. The Peleng 8mm lens goes for under $200.

If you need an electric motor on the camera, that changes your options significantly. You can still get it done for under $1000; a Beaulieu R16 should fit in that price range, although my experience with them is that they need repairs a bit too frequently for my taste. The venerable CP16 would work as well, and is infinitely more reliable, but it's much larger and heavier too, not nearly as portable as a K-3 or an R16.
 
The Frezzolini LW16 is another great camera usually going for $1000 w/ Angenieux lens

Most people hold on to these, but this was the going price about 5 years ago

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Then a voluptuous ghost poured from her host looking like she did in highschool then fades when I gaze close
 
Barry_Green said:
You can drop your price estimate way down then. You can get a decent camera for under half that off ebay. But "used" can't be just OK, it has to be mandatory -- the cheapest new 16mm camera is $6000+.

Do you need an electric motor on the camera, or is spring-wound okay? Because a Krasnogorsk K-3, with a Peleng 8mm lens on it, would give you a pretty decent wide-angle and would be quite inexpensive. The K-3 includes a 4:1 zoom lens with it which is surprisingly sharp. Not a bad little kit (providing you get a working one; quality control wasn't all that good). Last I looked those kits were going for around $150 on ebay, and occasionally you find unused ones. The Peleng 8mm lens goes for under $200.

If you need an electric motor on the camera, that changes your options significantly. You can still get it done for under $1000; a Beaulieu R16 should fit in that price range, although my experience with them is that they need repairs a bit too frequently for my taste. The venerable CP16 would work as well, and is infinitely more reliable, but it's much larger and heavier too, not nearly as portable as a K-3 or an R16.
Click to expand...

good luck getting a CP-16 for under grand. I would look for a good Bolex.
 
Don't need electric motor, my biggest concern is having varible frame rates, and a decent zoom lens (or long prime, at least 100mm).

How is the K-3 in framing your shot? It doesn't look like it has a viewfinder.
 
I just used a K3 on a music video...a friend picked up off ebay, with the crystal sync motor, for around $400.00 I believe. He widened the gate on it to make it a super 16, so the viewfinder isn't entirely accurate...you just have to keep that in mind when framing shots.

Decent camera overall...I'm just not real happy with the amount of frame jitter that came out of it, but this is my first experience shooting anything on film. Here is a very short clip:

Clip 1

This was shot at 48 fps on Fuji Eterna 500T.
 
i wouldn't get on a snowboard with a frezzi or a cp16 if you paid me. neither one of those lends itself to action sports type stuff.

bolex or kras is the way to go for your needs. i too have experienced the frame jitter with the krasnogorsk. i think it's a case of bad registration due to the aforementioned soviet-style quality control. i'm going to be sending my kras into these guys soon:
http://www.concentric.net/~jdq/K-3_menu.shtml
you can buy one straight from them or buy it on ebay and have them upgrade the transport for you, which is probably cheaper with kurrent k3 prices on ebay. if you can get a later reflex bolex, that's a great way to go too, especially since you can close down the shutter for bright light and fast action.
 
I'm glad the frame jitter problem wasn't just me. The camera we used has the generation 1 crystal sync motor from those guys. It does 12, 24, and 48 fps.
 
Snowroach said:
Hello,
I'm looking into getting a 16mm camera for shooting snowboarding with. I would like something that is cheap (used is OK), non-crystal sync OK, with a decent zoom lens. Would a basic bolex be good? I'll be shooting outdoors in bright sunlight most of the time. Thanks for any sugestions.
Click to expand...

I've got an extra K-3 in new condition with leather case and zoom lense that I will sell for $500.00 USF. It has a pistol grip and a shoulder grip. The standard issue zoom lens had ok glass but not great. I brought two new units in from Kiev last winter. It has no crystal and is spring wound. you get 20-25 secondes at 24p. It has variable speeds.

You can also get an M42 mount screw-in long zoom lens for dirt cheap on Ebay. I recenly bought a 75 - 260mm lens with excellent glass for about 18 British Pounds.

If interested, contact me at
etearon@yahoo.com

cheers,
earon
 
earon_k said:
I've got an extra K-3 in new condition with leather case and zoom lense that I will sell for $500.00 USF. It has a pistol grip and a shoulder grip. The standard issue zoom lens had ok glass but not great. I brought two new units in from Kiev last winter. It has no crystal and is spring wound. you get 20-25 secondes at 24p. It has variable speeds.

You can also get an M42 mount screw-in long zoom lens for dirt cheap on Ebay. I recenly bought a 75 - 260mm lens with excellent glass for about 18 British Pounds.

If interested, contact me at
etearon@yahoo.com

cheers,
earon
Click to expand...



No offense, but $500.00 is a bit steep for a K-3, even if it's new with all accessories.

They are all over Ebay for about $150.00 complete.

Snowroach, i own two K-3's, bought new off Ebay straight from Russia several years ago and they are great camera's for the price. They produce very decent pictures and are built like tanks. Shot a lot surfing (from shore) in Hawaii with them. For what you want to do, i would definately go with a K-3, only because they are so cheap and expendible, yet produce a good picture.
 
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