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Author Topic: Focus Issues - Adrian Hauser Film Handler Posts: 44 From: Sydney Registered: Mar 2008 posted 12-11-2008 05:16 AM                        Hi Film Techers, Before I start I will say I have already done the alignment test as per the anamorphic procedure in the tips section. Im having problems adjusting my focus. It seems I can get the centre in focus but the sides are out. It is more noticable on the anamorphic but also minutely present on the Flat lens as well. This says to me it is a projector problem not "necessarily" a Lens problem. Probably both, yes, but Im keen to find out what checks can be done with the projector and lamp to eliminate what it may not be. Projector Cinemattica 12 . Lenses Isco . Open gate screen Luminance 14fl. 5600 Kelvin. Non Variable output lamp. Ive read on other topics that Lamps and radiant heat can also effect flat field focus. What can I do to test these. I have played with the gate tension rails and this has had no effect. It is very hard to tell if the film is bowing within the gate itself. Id prefer constructive help rather than people bagging my cinemattica Many thanks in anticipation, Adrian Hauser  |  IP: Logged Jim Cassedy Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1661 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Dec 2006 posted 12-11-2008 10:34 AM                     I'm not familiar with a Cinematacca Projector so I'm not sure this suggestion will be of any help but I had a similar problem with a Century projector last year. I could get the center of a scope image in in sharp focus, but the edges were soft, or I could focus to get the edges sharp and center was slightly out. In my case, it turned out not to be the guide rails on the film gate, but the side guides on the film trap, which somehow had gotten slightly out of alignment by several thousandths of an inch. This caused a minute 'cupping' of the film which was invisible to the eye when looking at the projector running, but very apparant on screen, especially in scope. I did not have a guage to re-set the width properly but I was finally able to do it through trial and error and I've had no focus problems since.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 12-11-2008 12:54 PM                     (is this a Cinemeccania machine?) Sounds like you've got a flat gate and trap machine there with bad runners that's causing slight film bowing in the middle due to heat from the bulb.  |  IP: Logged Benjamin John Doman Film Handler Posts: 35 From: Slough, Berkshire, England Registered: Jun 2007 posted 12-11-2008 01:02 PM                     I saw something similar many years ago on a DP75 with Peerless Magnarc conversion. We could focus one side or the other, but not at the same time. Worse on ‘scope. It had been a problem since the theatre had been twined. It turned out that the mirror mounting was not square in the lamphouse.  |  IP: Logged Adrian Hauser Film Handler Posts: 44 From: Sydney Registered: Mar 2008 posted 12-11-2008 04:33 PM                        Thanks For the Replies, Regarding the gate trap. Are the runners you are describing the little spring loaded guides down the inside edge of the gate? Are the side guides and runners the same thing? Adrian  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 12-11-2008 06:57 PM                     Sorry on that - runners are the rails that the flat part of the film is pressed against when the gate closes. If there is any wear in this area, the film will not lay flat between the two surfaces and can flex causing focus issues.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-11-2008 07:16 PM                     I am assuming that you are referring to a cinemcanica vic12 which is also the portacine my suspision is that you have several alignment issues optically the lens mount axis must align with the lamphouse axis and perpendicular to the film plane The vic 12/portable was less than exact in all of those issues  |  IP: Logged Adrian Hauser Film Handler Posts: 44 From: Sydney Registered: Mar 2008 posted 12-11-2008 10:23 PM                        Thanks Gordon and Benjamin. Yes it is the Vic 12. given your statement below how would I double check the alignment of these. When you say lamp house axis are you describing the Lamp itself, the mirror, or the entire housing? Im keen to make this the best Vic 12 there is..... because its the only one we got and were not about to invest in another. >my suspision is that you have several alignment issues >optically the lens mount axis must align with the lamphouse axis and >perpendicular to the film plane >The vic 12/portable was less than exact in all of those issues. Adrian Hauser  |  IP: Logged Jim Cassedy Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1661 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Dec 2006 posted 12-13-2008 09:17 AM                     quote: Adrian Hauser Regarding the gate trap. Are the runners you are describing the little spring loaded guides down the inside edge of the gate? I'm not sure what they look like on your machine, but here is the actual film trap I had the same problem with that I described in my post to you. The rails marked "1" and "2" had somehow gotten out of alignment & were causing a slight 'cupping' of the film. I did not have a proper gauage to re-set them but I was able to do so using a piece of scrap film and a bit of trial & error. Have had no focus problems on this machine since.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 12-13-2008 12:59 PM                       Those are the studio guides. The "alignment" for them is very easy; shove them apart as far as they will go. They're totally unnecessary. Film lateral alignment is taken care of, surprisingly enough, by the lateral guides.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 12-13-2008 02:14 PM                        Tim is right! Every unit shipped by ORC was wrong. Had huge "disagreement" with Jerry Kampbell who was their director of manufacturing. (Simplex XL, curved gate; you can see the edge of the film from the lateral guide roller to the sprocket.) Louis  |  IP: Logged Justin Gorka Expert Film Handler Posts: 174 From: High Wycombe, England Registered: Apr 2006 posted 12-13-2008 05:06 PM                     May seem a bit obvious....burnt lens?  |  IP: Logged Rob J. Buskop Expert Film Handler Posts: 111 From: Rotterdam, the Netherlands Registered: Aug 2005 posted 12-17-2008 09:58 AM                     This is a fairly common problem. If there is an area that simply will not focus there's one most probable answer to your problem: The lamp and mirror unit has to be perfectly realigned with the optical axis of the projector. To do this properly you need special tooling to get it really right. Alignment shortcomings are the most common cause for your problem. so I'd like to suggest getting a properly equipped technician around and have everything realigned. Also it's worthwhile to check the concentricity of the cathode- anode gap with the fitting end of the lamp. It is not uncommon to find that the arc is out of centre as well.  |  IP: Logged Jeff Else Expert Film Handler Posts: 125 From: Detroit, MI, USA Registered: Nov 2006 posted 12-18-2008 02:10 AM                     i have a newbie question out of curiosity... how is it that lamphouse alignment can affect picture focus? If the film plane is perfectly perpendicular to the lens, why should the image not be in focus (albeit poorly and unevenly lit)?  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-18-2008 09:42 AM                     The optical system is just not the lens but the optics of the illumination system as well In fact a projection system is a optical bench for all intents and purposes  |  IP: Logged

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