Eclair Cameras: "Ultra 16" - Huh?

[Ian Marks <ianmarks@lycos.com>]

There's a guy on Ebay selling the second of two NPR's converted to what 
he is calling "ultra 16." Here is his explanation of the format:

"just so people stop writing and asking me about it...Ultra 16mm is a 
revolutionary new gate size that allows older, 16mm cameras to have a 
new lease on life, making them compatible with today's HDTV and Super 
16mm productions, without having to spend thousand of dollars for the 
costly modifications to Super 16mm.

The System is simple. Rather than recentereing a new mount to adjust for 
the extra 2 mm on the super 16 side of the frame from reg 16mm, having 
to get new lenses or current ones retooled, modifing Mags and on and 
on...Ultra 16 is a centered, widescreen format, true 1.85:1 aspect ratio 
that when finished is only 3% smaller than the finished (for 35mm blow 
up ) cropped image of super16 as opposed to the 20% crop nescesarry to 
conform reg 16mm. Ultra 16 allows you to continue to buy and use reg16mm 
lenses and equipment by staying a centered frame, the only modification 
being an equally widend frame on both sides. The gate is machined out by 
.7mm on both side increasing the width a total of 1.4 mm. How does that 
work? Doesn't that mean that you are going into the Perf area in at 
least one side of the frame and worse still the Keycode area? YES...and 
no. The finished frame vertically cropped to fit between the 
perferations and just inside of the key code area. This means that you 
can modify almost any older 16mm camera to shoot this format and use 
either dual or single perf film. I have personally modified both my 
NPR's with great results and several old Bolex cameras. The footage that 
I shot on "hooligans" in Ultra 16 as with the S16 was transfered to HD 
for a digital Blowup. Ultra 16 is an inexpesive way to revitalize older 
cameras and equipment, with no other modification needed then the gate 
widening. There is also no problem with labs and posting this format. I 
hope that this has been informative and interesting to those that wanted 
to know. Thanks Oliver. "

Anyone have any thoughts on this approach?

- Ian Marks

--^----------------------------------------------------------------
This email was sent to: elroro@propagandaindustries.org

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84xYK.bdbHPA.ZWxyb3Jv
Or send an email to: EclairACL-unsubscribe@topica.com

TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE!
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html
--^----------------------------------------------------------------