16mm

[Pj]

Recently I bought an Ikonoskop SP-16 and have been using it a lot, I like this camera and the lens it comes with is really very good, though I don’t like to shoot wide all the time and I find not having a proper viewfinder is a real pain and makes using different lenses, especially zoom lenses impossible. Reflex viewing should not be seen as a luxury and I think for a camera that allows lenses to be interchangeable a reflex viewfinder should be a must. I am making a permanent reflex conversion to my camera and I have come across a Soviet camera - the Kiev Alpha 16mm camera, this uses a pellicle mirror which diverts the image to the viewfinder. The plan is to transplant the mirror and viewfinder optics to my Ikonoskop, I know I’d loose 1/3 of light and will need to compensate for this when setting the aperture. There’s not much information about the Kiev Alpha 16, I know it was aimed at an amateur market and have found out that it’s small and light, but haven’t heard from anyone who's used one about how it performs, whether it gives steady images and how long the wind lasts.

On another note, I have some 100D in Super 8 and would like to swop them for some 100D in 16mm if possible. Can anyone help?

Pav

[Will2]

I know that Du-All camera in NYC has been doing a reflex conversion for several years for that camera; you should talk to them...they are very helpful.

http://www.duallcamera.com/services/index.shtml

Click on upgrades on the side and A-Cam. The reflex conversion is $5000 but at least maybe they can give you some insight into how they do it.

I've been interested in doing that for my Eyemo 35mm and found someone who is making something which is basically a waist level viewfinder for the Eyemo. It's a little box about 1/2 inch thick with some mirrors that gives you a reflexed Eyemo with a Nikon mount.

[Will2]

The easiest thing would be to find an older reflex c-mount lens but just make sure it's the type that you can do critical focus with because some of those lenses wouldn't actually show if the lens was in focus; you still had to guess or measure distance and was only really good for framing.

[Pj]

I think I asked Duall a while ago and I was told they don’t do this conversion anymore, nor could they offer me any help. I have guessed that any reflex conversion of this camera must have had a pellicle mirror or beam splitter to divert the image to the viewfinder, this is basically what the Alpha 16 does. I have machined a new front plate with a c mount thread for the Ikonoskop and have just got an Alpha 16 camera which is in good shape, its mirror is clean and it’s easy to get to without dismantling the camera. I will transplant it across, I have no idea how much light I’d lose, I’m just going to have to test it. I’m intrigued with this Alpha 16, although as yet I haven’t been able to find anyone who's willing to admit to having used one. Surely there must have been people who have tried these cameras.



Pav