Seeking a 16mm film camera, what should I get?

Well, like everything, it depends. What are you wanting to shoot and what do you consider cheap? Do you want to be able to shoot sync dialogue? If you want a quit camera, with crystal sync, your least expensive option will be something like a CP-16R. This is a camera that is made reflex with the addition of a prism viewing system. Less expensive still, for sync cameras, is the regular CP-16, which has reflex viewing by using a reflex zoom, which has mirror prism viewing system incorporated in the zoom lens. Next up, for sync cameras would be the Arriflex 16BL, Eclair NPR or ACL, Cinema Products GSMO ( a great little camera, I would love to have one, very quite) and others. From there, for sync cameras, the next step up is an Arriflex SR package. While you can find older SR1s in the $2K-$4k range, I would be willing to bet they are pretty beat up. My druthers would be an Arri SRII, package, but a good one would run in the $6k-$10K range, or more.

For MOS cameras, a Bolex Rex 4 or Rex 5, a Canon Scoopic, a Beaulieu 16R, or the Arri S (ST), Arri B, or Arri M cameras are all good cameras.
 
Yeah, a good Super 8 camera will get you footage like that. That Canon has a very limited zoom range (3:1), so you might find it a little disappointing, but there are a lot of good Super 8 cameras out there.
 
The Digital Harinezumi 2 doesn't do it for you Mark? Super eight look for about $200 (forgot exact price may be much cheaper now).

Also is kodacrome not going to be processed after the end of the year?
 
Go for a bolex. Built like a tank and made to last forever. If you can live with non-reflex viewing the old non rx ones are dirt cheap, I've seen as low as $100 with a 25mm c mount lens. They used to typically come with three lenses on the turret, but a lot of sellers are stripping them off and selling separate. The image quality is better than reflex as the light is not passing through a prism, which is often dirty on old cameras. Limited to 30second runs on the spring, but at the cost of film, not really a bad thing. If you don't mind looking like a spaghetti western or Kung Fu, you can post dub all your dialogue for interesting effect. The freatures "The Gods must be Crazy", and "Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter" are all bolex. 8-64fps plus stop motion. A truly versatile rig. If you want to get into 16mm on the cheap you wont be disappointed. Later you can move on to a Sync camera, if it is justified.
 
lambert said:
The Digital Harinezumi 2 doesn't do it for you Mark? Super eight look for about $200 (forgot exact price may be much cheaper now).

Also is kodacrome not going to be processed after the end of the year?
Click to expand...

Yes, Dwayne's Photo is going to stop processing Kodachrome very soon.
 
Pookie said:
There are easier ways to get low end vintage without actually shooting film.
Click to expand...

inp1985.jpg
 
Part of the look of "vintage" is gate weave and frame floating. I don't know how the Bolexes were for rock-steady pin-registered movement, but if you can find one that's vaguely "off" it'll help in selling that old-time vintage look. That, plus some vignetting and some scratches and a few flash frames...

(and check out the digital harezumi thing too, it looks pretty cool)
 
Barry_Green said:
Part of the look of "vintage" is gate weave and frame floating. I don't know how the Bolexes were for rock-steady pin-registered movement, but if you can find one that's vaguely "off" it'll help in selling that old-time vintage look. That, plus some vignetting and some scratches and a few flash frames...

(and check out the digital harezumi thing too, it looks pretty cool)
Click to expand...

The Bolex H-16s do not have pin registration, but are still very steady. The only true pin registered 16mm cameras that I know about are the Arris. I personally don't care for the damaged film look as the standard for the "Vintage" look, and looking for a camera that exaggerates that would mean trying to find a camera that may not be mechanically sound. You are going to have a hard enough time dealing with scratches and dust, so adding to your woes with a mechanically unsound camera may not be the best way to go.

I have a Bolex Rex-4 and it is a great little camera. If you are looking for a nice 16mm camera (MOS) you can't go wrong with a Bolex. My only advice is to watch for light leaks. The film door and the gelatin filter slot on the Bolex has a tendency to loosen and let in light. Just tape up the film door and filter slot with black camera tape on each load and you will be fine.
 
Vintage was probably the wrong word to use. I'm using that as a starting point. I'm experimenting with a lot of imagery right now, so curious about some options. Maybe the super 8 is the way for me to go considering cost...

Thanks guys!

Digital Harinezumi looks AWESOME!!!!
 
Shot for years with a Bolex EBM16, Vario-Switar 10-100 POE zoom and assorted primes, sync sound, 400' mags. Bolexes are great cameras. But they are not blimped and are noisy. Gotta take that into account.

Seconding the importance of keeping the gel slot either filled with a gel holder or taped over. Also make a habit of closing the light gate on the viewfinder end so as to block light bouncing back through the reflex system and flashing your film...

I wouldn't touch the Krasnogorsks. Worked with a friend's and every horrible thing said about them appeared to be true.
 
Further stuff about Bolexes - the 16mm models (spring-powered as well as the electronic EBM and EL versions) are really super-versatile little machines: they have external spindles for either manual or motor-driven frame advance (hello time-lapse and stop-motion animation), variable frame rates (continuously variable on the EL) and depending upon the lens mount on the model selected you have a wide variety of relatively inexpensive C-mount and bayonet-mount lenses from which to choose (or a three-place turreted primes arrangement, or a reflex-via-lens system if you groove to clunkfulness). Rather than pin registration they use a dual-loop former system that threads automatically from either daylight spools or (with an external motor-driven magazine) 400' cores. You can get super-16 gates for them, if'n you like.

Damn. Now I miss my EBM. Well, I traded it for my DVX-100A. That's not so bad.

*EDIT* Bolex internal reflex systems are the prism-type - rather than a mirrored shutter like an Arri (for example) might have, there's a fixed prism that splits some light off in front of the gate and directs it to the viewfinder. This affects the performance of lenses attached to it; there is a series of 'correcting' lenses (the RX type) designed to compensate. Although IIRC the issue only affects focal lengths shorter than about 50mm.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top