"finicky" is an overwhelming understatement in regards to the ACL 1.5 and II. I have come to hate these cameras as I'd imagine one might hate a drunken step-father who touches them in the "bad place". Except, I think I'd prefer the uncle, considering the amount of grief our two ACL's have caused. Do yourselves a favor, and save yourselves ridiculous amounts of money you'll end up spending on service, endless tests, and ruined projects...buy an SR/II/III. It will work out much cheaper in the end.
I did my best to follow your video, but our footage turned out to be useless. The people at Kodac said it was a 'lost loop' something about it wasn't loaded properly, even though I did my best to follow your instructions.
@RichardDuryea sorry to hear that. see my other video about "checking your timing" to rule out a mechanical problem with your camera. if the timing seems ok then keep testing until you get the loop just right. If you "lose loop" then it means the film is being dragged through the gate by the motor instead of the claw and it will not be moving in sync with the shutter - which results in streaked (useless) footage. If all else fails, have a camera tech look at your camera. Good luck!
I just picked up an Eclair ACL Super 16. Is it ok to load film in light like I see you doing, or was that just for demonstration purposes? Also: What do you recommend for indoor lighting? Film type and lighting bulbs and such. Thanks for th tutorial, I appreciate it!
@Rock123 congrats on the camera! If you have daylight spools like in the video then you don't need a changing bag, however it is recommended to not change them in direct sunlight or to leave them out in the light for an extended period of time. With film on a core (ie 400' rolls), it is not shielded from light so you never want to expose the film to light.
As for lighting you can use anything you want but read up on daylight vs tungsten film as well as CTB and CTO lens filters for more info
@thouston314159 awesome - glad to hear it. I was lucky enough to have a tech in town initially show me how to load film, then Bernie gave me some of the advanced tips. If you know these simple tricks the camera always runs really smooth.
hi again, thanks for the feedback, really appreciate it. i'm still working out some issues...like where do i get a take up spool for the 400 ft film? should i just reuse the little white core from a used reel? also, if anyone has the time and knowledge to post a video about loading a Beaulieu R16, that would be great!
@donnythecat yep, you just keep the core from the film you shoot and you use that as the take-up spool for the next roll. of course you need one empty spool to get started. if you have a local lab, they'll probably give you some. otherwise search ebay for "16mm film core" and you can usually find them. You want the 1" kind (not the 3" kind)
hey great stuff! i'm curious, with normal film (not daylight safe) once you switch over to looping the take up side, do you no longer have to use the changing bag? and are you just supposed to get a feel for it with your hands, with the changing bag? do u recommend practicing with a dummy reel (do they even exist?) i'm a total amateur and i need to load an ACL II w/ the 400 ft reel....
oh, also yes it is highly recommended to practice loading! you can just use some film that was already shot, or get some really cheap film on ebay. you only need about 10 feet of film because then you can run it through in just a few seconds and re-load again.
is this camera quiet? does it have crystal sync?
altermann1ify 2 months ago
"finicky" is an overwhelming understatement in regards to the ACL 1.5 and II. I have come to hate these cameras as I'd imagine one might hate a drunken step-father who touches them in the "bad place". Except, I think I'd prefer the uncle, considering the amount of grief our two ACL's have caused. Do yourselves a favor, and save yourselves ridiculous amounts of money you'll end up spending on service, endless tests, and ruined projects...buy an SR/II/III. It will work out much cheaper in the end.
eggbertsmith 11 months ago
I did my best to follow your video, but our footage turned out to be useless. The people at Kodac said it was a 'lost loop' something about it wasn't loaded properly, even though I did my best to follow your instructions.
RichardDuryea 1 year ago
@RichardDuryea sorry to hear that. see my other video about "checking your timing" to rule out a mechanical problem with your camera. if the timing seems ok then keep testing until you get the loop just right. If you "lose loop" then it means the film is being dragged through the gate by the motor instead of the claw and it will not be moving in sync with the shutter - which results in streaked (useless) footage. If all else fails, have a camera tech look at your camera. Good luck!
eclair16mm 1 year ago
I just picked up an Eclair ACL Super 16. Is it ok to load film in light like I see you doing, or was that just for demonstration purposes? Also: What do you recommend for indoor lighting? Film type and lighting bulbs and such. Thanks for th tutorial, I appreciate it!
Rock123 1 year ago
@Rock123 congrats on the camera! If you have daylight spools like in the video then you don't need a changing bag, however it is recommended to not change them in direct sunlight or to leave them out in the light for an extended period of time. With film on a core (ie 400' rolls), it is not shielded from light so you never want to expose the film to light.
As for lighting you can use anything you want but read up on daylight vs tungsten film as well as CTB and CTO lens filters for more info
eclair16mm 1 year ago
Hey man thanks for uploading this. Really great and you have actually just helped me (maybe!!!!) get a job x x much love
ctoan1 1 year ago
@ctoan1 awesome! good luck, hope you get the gig!
eclair16mm 1 year ago
This is one of the most helpful videos! Thanks again for posting. I haven't had a single issue loading my ACL since I watched this.
thouston314159 2 years ago
@thouston314159 awesome - glad to hear it. I was lucky enough to have a tech in town initially show me how to load film, then Bernie gave me some of the advanced tips. If you know these simple tricks the camera always runs really smooth.
eclair16mm 2 years ago
hi again, thanks for the feedback, really appreciate it. i'm still working out some issues...like where do i get a take up spool for the 400 ft film? should i just reuse the little white core from a used reel? also, if anyone has the time and knowledge to post a video about loading a Beaulieu R16, that would be great!
donnythecat 2 years ago
@donnythecat yep, you just keep the core from the film you shoot and you use that as the take-up spool for the next roll. of course you need one empty spool to get started. if you have a local lab, they'll probably give you some. otherwise search ebay for "16mm film core" and you can usually find them. You want the 1" kind (not the 3" kind)
eclair16mm 1 year ago
hey great stuff! i'm curious, with normal film (not daylight safe) once you switch over to looping the take up side, do you no longer have to use the changing bag? and are you just supposed to get a feel for it with your hands, with the changing bag? do u recommend practicing with a dummy reel (do they even exist?) i'm a total amateur and i need to load an ACL II w/ the 400 ft reel....
donnythecat 2 years ago
you only have to load up the first side in the dark. the take-up side you can do in the light.
after you shoot the film, though, you have to use your changing bag to put the exposed film back in the can.
good luck!
curiousthree 2 years ago
oh, also yes it is highly recommended to practice loading! you can just use some film that was already shot, or get some really cheap film on ebay. you only need about 10 feet of film because then you can run it through in just a few seconds and re-load again.
curiousthree 2 years ago
Comment removed
thouston314159 2 years ago