In between work on the ARRI BL 2 and other projects, we have been busy rearranging the showroom here at CinemaGear. We seem to do this every year or so as our inventory finds new homes. Here is a quick sneak peak at what it is looking like so far.
Rearranging the Showroom, Again! Read More »
I was taught, when setting the flange focal depth of a camera, the tolerances were +0” -.0002”. The logic behind these tolerances was that any error should be within the layers of the film and not in front of the film. So I have always followed that advice when I set up a camera. When
The Ever Continuing Saga of the ARRI 35 BL 2 Read More »
When I first got this camera and ran it, everything seemed good, and I had previously used the camera on a Steadicam for a feature film I shot, and all seemed good then as well. Then I had to go spoil everything by trying to check the flange focal depth. This is where it all
Still Not Quite Ready for Prime Time – ARRI 35 BL 2 Read More »
After the two weeks of motor recycling, I wanted to tackle something that only needed a final few things checked out before it was ready for adoption. Or so I thought . . . I acquired this marvelous ARRI 35 BL2 from the collection of MovieTech Studios where I got the chance to shoot with
A Check-up for the ARRI 35 BL2 Read More »
Continuing on with last week’s project of seeing what motors I have, and which of them actually work, I took every motor in inventory out of its case, connected it to the appropriate power, and made sure it ran. This process ended up taking much longer than anticipated, as these things generally do, but I
Sorting Motors: Choosing Who Will Go and Who Can Stay Read More »
From the infancy of the motion picture industry through the first world war, Pathé Freres, established in Paris, France in 1896 by brothers Charles, Émile, Théophile, and Jacques, was the largest producer of films and filmmaking equipment in the world. The brothers got their start in the phonograph business, and later expanded into the emerging
The Pathe Professional: The Process of Restoring an Iconic Camera Read More »
New arrival! An Angenieux 25-250mm zoom lens in ARRI B mount with an original ARRI lens support for an ARRI 2B or 2C. This is not up on our website yet, but we wanted to share a quick look at this lens. Check it out!
New Angenieux 25-250 Zoom Read More »
I’ve had a couple of questions recently about vintage motors for various cameras, and before I could answer them, I had to go through the giant pile of motors I’ve collected over the years. I had to see which ones actually work, which ones are repairable, and which ones are so damaged they just need
Reviewing Our Motor Inventory Read More »
I know I said it was going to be a couple of weeks before I reported back on the problem with this Fries VistaVision camera, and at the time, it seemed it was going to take a lot more detective work. It turns out that the problems were simpler than I feared. The first problem
Revisiting the Fries VistaVision Camera Read More »
Recently, my friend and long-time client Ben Ziryab asked if I could diagnose a rough spot in the drive of this Fries Engineering-built VistaVision camera. This camera is based on a Mitchell VistaVision movement that has been installed in a custom Fries camera body with custom electronics. When this camera arrived, it had a profound
