Krosnogorsk/16mm question

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Aleksander Solum

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2004 8:22 pm

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I¹m making a 16mm short for the second time in my life J and I imagine
ninety percent of the problems that give me a headache would be easier to
solve with advice from people with more experienceŠ

The first movie I filmed was done with a Bolex, and for some of the shots
I didn¹t have a lens to fit the subject, so I tried using the converter
that makes it possible to film with a standard Nikon camera lens.

These shots came out very badly! I would assume it¹s because my Nikon lens
is a cheap amateur thing, but somebody told me camera lenses are specially
designed to be used for either 8, 16 or 35mm film, and that the results
will be inferior if you use the wrong kind of lens.

A.
Is there any truth to this?
The issue is that there are several shots in a car, and besides the
obvious difficulties inherent in trying to do that, there is also the
problem that the K-3 lens is not exactly very wide angle. If I decide to
borrow a wider lens from somebody, will it specifically have to be a lens
that is constructed for use with 16mm film? I think this sounds very
strange!

B.
If I do try to use the Krosnogorsk lens, the manual claims it¹s possible
to use a ²diopter² to allow focusing on reasonably close distances.

Does anybody know precisely what this means? As far as I knew, diopter was
a measurement of the curvature of the lens, which has an influence on the
closest focusing distance, but in that case it would be an inherent
property of the lens is it actually possible to attach something to the
lens to make it better at focusing on close distances?

C.
Is there any way to disassemble the Krasnogorsk in such a way as to not
have to continuously push the annoying button at the front to film
something. I¹m afraid it¹s going to make the image even more wobbly to
have to keep my hands on the camera while filming during static shots. The
K-3 seems so elegantly designed in all other aspects that it surprises me
it¹s not possible to take your hands off the camera while filming.

D.
The fastest F-stop on the lens that comes on the Krosnogorsk is painted
with red ink. Does anybody know the significance of this is it somehow
unsafe to film at this setting?

Hopefully the answers to these questions are so obvious, that it would be
ridiculous not to ask for advice.

Thanks for your attention!
Regards
Aleksander Solum

Clive Tobin

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2004 11:23 pm

Guest

"Aleksander Solum" <aleksandersolum@everyday.com> wrote

I tried using the converter

Quote:

that makes it possible to film with a standard Nikon camera lens.

Nikon made camera lenses are very fine. A good lens is a good lens. Maybe
the adapter focus (length) was off or it was a bit crooked?

.. If I decide to

Quote:

borrow a wider lens from somebody, will it specifically have to be a lens
that is constructed for use with 16mm film?

The K-3 uses Pentax/Practica thread lenses unless it is the bayonet model,
in which case I don't know what mount this is equivalent to. I think someone
makes wider lenses. It will have to be made for 16mm since a wide lens by
still camera standards is a normal or telephoto when fitted to a 16mm movie
camera.

Quote:

B.
the manual claims it¹s possible
to use a ²diopter² to allow focusing on reasonably close distances.

A diopter measurement is used for expressing the working distance of a
closeup lens. A +1 diopter has a working distance (focal length) of 1 metre.
A +3 diopter has a working distance of 1/3 metre. And so on. Unless the
adapter is achromatic etc. it will spoil the sharpness of the lens.

Quote:

C. not > have to continuously push the annoying button

Use a locking cable release. (Or does it take one? - I don't remember.)

Quote:

D.
The fastest F-stop on the lens that comes on the Krosnogorsk is painted
with red ink.

I don't have a manual but I suspect this is because the lens has many
elements and none are multicoated, so there is a great light loss. It is
traditional for zoom lenses to underexpose badly wide open, as the marked
f/1.9 may be equivalent to f/2.8 with a normal lens. If using the built-in
light meter you may see no change in needle position between these two
settings. You should be able to count on getting adequate exposure with the
f stops that are marked white, green or whatever. They seem to be a
compromise between F stops and T stops.

Clive Tobin
www.tobincinemasystems.com

Filmman35

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2004 5:05 am

Guest

Quote:

C. not > have to continuously push the annoying button

Use a locking cable release. (Or does it take one? - I don't remember.)

Like Clive said, use a locking cable release. There is a threaded socket on the
front trigger button, (at least on my K3) for a cable release as well as the
one on the rear of the camera for the single frame shutter release.

Richard,
(Fat, bearded cinematographer in Los Angeles)

Robert Morein

Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2004 2:43 am

Guest

"Aleksander Solum" <aleksandersolum@everyday.com> wrote in message
news:aleksandersolum-2402042322250001@192.168.1.37...

Quote:

Half true.
At 24mm and above, the Nikkors perform very well, especially when stopped
down two stops.
The shorter focal length Nikkors are in my experience softer.
If your Bolex is a reflex model, there is another issue -- subject to
debate -- that the prism causes a spherical abberation that requires
correction by the use of "RX" type lenses.

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