Ultra16mm format now being supported by two sites

Post by **Herb Montes** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 6:04 pm

TFG Transfers and Cameraspro now are supporting the Ultra16mm format. Cameraspro is converting 16mm cameras like the Arriflex and Bolex to Ultra16mm while TFG offers digital transfers of the film made with the modified cameras. Information about the format can be found on both sites.

http://www.tfgtransfer.com/

http://www.cameraspro.com/

Post by **Nigel** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 6:09 pm

Every fish has its last flop on the dock.......

Good Luck

Post by **zetetick** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 6:43 pm

$900 seems rather steep -- that's almost the same price they charge for super-16 conversion. From what I've read the procedure merely involves machining the gate .7mm on either side -- they don't have to touch the viewfinder or re-bore the lens fastening screws. The down-side being that unless you're using the Eclair NPR, you can't see the added area until you get the film telecined.

Last year's 16mm threads at cinematography.com had some illuminating discussions regarding the Ultra-16 format. One feature-film photographer had the procedure done for $100 or so, and claims the ultra-16 footage intercut seamlessly with the super-16 footage (Hi Def digital intermediates made for editing, finishing).

I'm interested in this format, as for me it seems like a cheaper path to a widescreen digital master, and, most importantly, all the lenses I own for for my Bolex EBM will cover the ultra-16 area -- that would not be the case if I had the camera converted to super-16. It would be nice if at least one other good telecine lab (The Transfer Station, Flying Spot, Cinepost, FilmCraft) officially supported the Ultra-16 format as a film-to-tape option.

Post by **rollemfilm** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 6:59 pm

Nigel,

Does that "fish" include super 8? Sometimes a dead fish can provide a great meal...

Post by **Nigel** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 7:29 pm

Super8 is the goldfish of the film world--You can throw it out in the snow and leave it there for a few hours then drop it back into its bowl and it just starts swimming around like nothing happened.

Time will tell.......I hope it stays around for a long long time.

Good Luck

Post by **MattPacini** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 10:13 pm

If I can ever find gates for my Scoopic & CP16r cameras, I'll have some before & after 16mm/Ultra16mm footage to compare & show people.
I'm not willing to risk it though, until I have extra gates, so I can always go backwards if it doesn't work out.

By the way, all your regular 16mm lenses aren't necessarily going to work.
Some will, some won't.
Matt Pacini

Post by **ericMartinJarvies** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 11:03 pm

MattPacini wrote:If I can ever find gates for my Scoopic & CP16r cameras, I'll have some before & after 16mm/Ultra16mm footage to compare & show people.
I'm not willing to risk it though, until I have extra gates, so I can always go backwards if it doesn't work out.

By the way, all your regular 16mm lenses aren't necessarily going to work.
Some will, some won't.
Matt Pacini

matt,

spend $50.00 on a 2-part liquid rubber mold making formula, and a 2-part liquid plastic(hard, no bend) formula. using plexiglass and clamps, or even easier ... using legos and clay, make a little box with 1/2"-1" around all the surfaces of the gate/size. place your gate in there flat o nthe bottom plxiglass surface, and pour in enough liquid rubber to cover half the height of the gate. let dry, remove, and then do it all over again, expect on the second rubber part to the mold, you need to place a thin rod and a thick rod on the deepest parts of the gate. then pour the rubber. this will give you a place to fill the rubber mold with liquid plastic, and the smaller rod/vent will allow are to escape so everything fills up. once your two rubber parts are made, then mix and pour you liquid plastic and let harden. once hardended, remove and cleanr up where need and drill holes if and where needed and open the gate using a drill and fine bit, and install onto your camera for the purchasing of short term testing ... it will work fine for this. if you decide it works for you, then merely take your plate to a local machine shop and have them open it accoridng ot spec and voila! you have u16 in a snap. plus, you have a rubber mold which you can pour wax into, and then take that wax and pack it in casting dirt and make a filler and vent the same way, but this time pour alloy into it, and then take those parts you cast and have them machined clean and voila! replacement gates. it is really very simple when you start delaing with it.

eric

Post by **MattPacini** » Sat Jan 31, 2004 12:13 am

Wow, doesn't sound so easy to me!
I might give it a try if I really can't find any junk cameras out there, but it sounds a bit over my head.
I've never done any molding/sculpting kind of thing before.
Thanks for the pointers though.

Matt Pacini

Post by **ericMartinJarvies** » Sat Jan 31, 2004 12:31 am

neither had i until a number of months back. but since that time i have all kinds of replacement parts for a fraction of what it would cost to purchase them ... and some parts i could not even locate for purchase, so that is when it really comes in handy. once i figure out the lathe and mill a bit more, i will be able to cast parts and machine them to spec(in other wothers, the actual casting needs to be a smidget larger then the actual part so it can then be machined smooth). this stuff is pretty fun, but it most certainly requires investment of time. i was torn between prototyping/machining and filmmaking, until i finally just gave in and decided to do both, for beterr or for worse. but mold making is a piece of cake ...just follow the instructions/directions, and you will be amazed at what you cna make. it is espeically helpful for those broken plastic parts that you have all the pieces for ... you merely super glue/epoxy them together, and make a mold, and then pour some liquid plastic and let harden, and there you have it ... a replacement part!

i am now going to venture into TIG welding, so i can weld thin aluminum together, so taking cut/machined parts, planished parts, etc.can make some cool housings or what have you. i still have it in my head that i am going to one day make a film camera, so i at least need to know how to make something if that is going to happen. i want to take the beaulieu design and replace with belts and a new body with md recorder and microcontroller, and have a cool little s8 camera that can also record sound. if i am able to fabricate a cool body/housing, then from that oint i would merely need to make a mold and cast those accordingly as is warranted. but that is another topic all together.

i do not have a cp gate ... but if i come across one, i will make a mold accoridngly.

eric

Post by **ericMartinJarvies** » Sat Jan 31, 2004 12:41 am

MattPacini wrote:Wow, doesn't sound so easy to me!
I might give it a try if I really can't find any junk cameras out there, but it sounds a bit over my head.
I've never done any molding/sculpting kind of thing before.
Thanks for the pointers though.

Matt Pacini

making a mold is like making jello. when you place the jello in little cups, or decrotive tins, or whatever, when it has cured, it takes on that shape and form. doing so with liquid rubber is really no more difficult. the only chalanging part is making it so it has two pieces, but even that is not that hard/difficult. it is something i would recomend to everyone ... it is real fun and allows you to make anything you want. if you have a blo torch and some little blocks of allow, and some chunks of wax, you can make sand casts, same concept and process. fun fun fun. really.