Yet another fascinating episode presented by The Slow Mo Guys. This time, they used the Phantom Flex4K shooting 1000fps into the guts of a Super 16mm film camera. Why? Because this is the best way to learn how it works! Cinephiles, you must watch this one!
Filming inside a film camera with Phantom Flex4K
Have you ever wondered how film cameras operate? The geniuses Slow Mo Guys have decided to utilize the Phantom Flex4K which is capable of shooting beautiful 4K at 1000fps, in order to investigate how a film camera works. The video titled “How a Film Camera works in Slow Motion” is one of the best educational recourse out there that explains and shows the operation of film cameras. For the demonstration, the Slow Mo Guys took an old Super 16mm film camera from 1971, and with the help of a probe macro lens and a zoom lens, they filmed inside the film camera, in order to explore precisely how this apparatus works.
Running film at 1000fps
When shooting on a Super 16mm film camera at a speed of 24fps, the film stock is being exposed to 1/60 of a second. This was captured in 1000fps in 4K on the Phantom Flex4K, which is approximately 40 times slower. That allows us to reveal this engineering phenomenon. And it’s pretty amazing that a 1971 camera still working perfectly. The demonstration shows us the insanely precise mechanism of a film camera. The zoom lens was used to shoot the mirror, and the prob lens was employed to capture the moving film strip.
Film camera: An engineering marvel
Film cameras have a super precise mechanism that allows to move the film and expose the sensor accurately. Basic operation: When the shutter inside the camera is opened, the film is illuminated. When the shutter is completely covering the film gate, the film strip is being moved one frame further by one or two claws which advance the film by engaging and pulling it through the perforations. The mirror which is the shutter has to be maneuvered precisely, from exposing the sensor to mirroring the object to the eyepiece, and when the film strip moves to the next frame. The speed of the mirror depends on the frame per second. Although it’s simple and has very old mechanics, it’s extremely accurate and reliable. Watch the video below. We ensure you that this is one of the best educational demonstrations of film camera operation:
