Eclair ACL

[Spoon boy]

I was told "apparently" the
camera was designed to take
a 200 ft mag which Later they
came out with a 400 ft mag which
is said to dwarf the camera and
require its own motor. I was told
that the mags have a reputation
for falling off the camera due
to this.
I was also told that the camera
has a reputation for loosing
the loop.

Is this true Games Master!
Erm... sdchown.

Thanks for the help lay-deez
and gents.

Burping!

[sdchown]

Yes the camera has a 200ft and 400ft magazine. The original motor was a tiny crystal-sync motor that ran at 24 or 25fps and pulled the 200ft magazine (approximately 5 minutes of film).

People wanted bigger mags, so the 400ft was introduced. Unfortunately it put too much strain on the little motor and they were prone to burning out. So a larger motor was introduced that ran at other speeds too.

FACTS:

The bigger motors are hard to find (and expensive)

The 400ft magazines made in England have a different pull-down claw (or something) that takes torque off the motor so are more reliable with the mini-motor.

The 200ft magazines are much of a muchness between the French and english versions.

The 400ft motor does look a little big on the camera body, but who cares. It doesn't matter what it looks like. Its what it does that counts.

The camera can be modified to super16 (A Big bonus if you are planning to blow up to 35mm - saving you $$$). Also the ideal aspect ratio for 16:9 TV work.

Yes, some magazines did fall off. The magazine is made to be clipped on and off for ease of use. This clip wasn't too good at first, but some later magazines were made with an extra safety clip to fix this problem. (Gaffer Tape works great too).

This camera is not from the Arri school of hard knocks. If you bang it around, it stops working.

It has a reputation for loosing the loop. But if you take care you can work round this.

Now where the camera really scores is that despite the weaknesses it has, it is a small compact sync sound camera that can do (at a push) what a camera like the expensive Arri's can do (the ones that cost 10s of thousands of dollars)

And if you shop around and are patient you can get them at a good price (as low as 1200 pounds or $1700).

It took me over a year and a half to complete my kit. I got a camera with a burned out mini-motor and no eyepiece. The eyepiece I got from a camera shop in New York (by post) and the motor I got after a LOT AND LOT AND LOT of searching on the internet, every single bloody day! I eventually found a cheap Eclair ACL that was regular 16mm and had a Multi-Motor. I puchased it and sold it off without the motor.

I have since got all sorts of lenses, a Glidecam and am about to get a video assist for it. All for less that ?3000. A bargain, when you consider what I will have at the end of it.

A good book to get is

The 16mm Camera Handbook

Look on Amazon.Com. Its great. It will tell you all this stuff and more on a vast range of 16mm cameras.

Good places to get an ACL are
www.themoviehouse.com
Blue audio visual in London
Lee's Cameras (expensive)

Search on the net. Lots of places have them.

Keep the faith.
Stephen

(excuse any typos - that was a long message)

[Spoon boy]

"The 16mm Camera Handbook" Sounds interesting I'll look into it, thanks for your help.. and yes you have restored my faith in buying a ACL The PROS certainly drown the CONS.

I take it's a good beginners camera in the world of 16/s16mm.

Cheers for the help!

[Spoon boy]

The guide done by Douglas Underdahl, right?

[sdchown]

Correctomundo.

Later
Stephen