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Ultra 16 Conversion
Regular 16, Super-16 and Ultra 16 all use the same film stock, the only difference is where the image is exposed within the frame of the film. Ultra 16 is a newer format that has some advantages. Eclair ACLs are great candidates for both Super-16 and Ultra 16 conversion.
Note: Technically, the camera records the images upside-down. In other words, Super-16 extends the
right side of your image. The illustration above is only to show the area of the film stock that is exposed.
A Super-16 conversion widens the frame by shaving off one side of the gate so image extends into the part of the film that was originally intended for audio. Ultra 16 widens the frame by shaving off a little on both sides of the gate so the image extends into the perf area. A great article illustrating the difference can be found at marylandfilms.com. R16 has a frame ratio of 1:1.37 which is compatible with NTSC. Super 16 has a frame ratio of 1:1.66 which is compatible with HDTV. Ultra 16 is a newer format and has a 1:1.85 ratio which is convenient for 35mm blowup. Ultra 16 is almost as wide as Super-16, but also a little shorter which is why is has a wider aspect ratio. As far as “resolution” though, Super-16 exposes the largest area of film.
Ultra 16 is a more affordable camera conversion because, unlike Super-16, it does not require re-centering the lens mount. The total labor required and cost is considerably lower. Ultra 16 is backwards-compatible with R16, meaning you can shoot either format after the conversion. Additionally Ultra 16 is compatible with all R16 lenses, whereas not all R16 lenses will cover the Super-16 frame. If you have a collection of R16 lenses, that can make a compelling case for Ultra 16. Lastly you can use double-perf film, although that is probably not a concern for most.
If it’s so great, why isn’t everybody going to Ultra 16? Probably the strongest argument against Ultra 16 is that it requires special handling and not all labs support it. For digital transfer, the gate does need to accomodate the Ultra-16 frame, but more importantly the lab need to use processing equipment that does not have gears which could scratch the perf area of the film stock.
If your preferred lab already supports Ultra-16 (or you don’t have a preferred lab) then it’s a great way to shoot higher resolution film for little investment. Ultra-16′s popularity is likely to grow as more cameras are converted which should lead to more labs supporting the format as well.
7 responses to “Ultra 16 Conversion”
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Dear Sir/Madam,
I would like to convert my Eclair NPR camera to Ultra 16mm. What lab process this type of film. Like to know more about ultra 16mm.
Thanks
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admin May 2nd, 2010 at 15:29
hey jawaid, one place you can check out is http://www.cinelicious.tv/?page_id=39
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Shai Drori October 25th, 2011 at 19:56
I know a place in Israel if that helps. The scan is of the whole film at 3.5k and you can crop later to what ever size you want.
Shai
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Marty Hamrick December 10th, 2010 at 22:58
I have a question about camera conversions. If I already own a camera, say an Arri S or Beaulieu R16,do the magazines need to be specially polished down to accomodate the widened frame are (avoid scratches)as they do in super 16 conversions?
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I only know about ACL cameras. The mags do get serviced for Super-16. I believe some of the rollers may be milled down and/or polished to prevent scratching along the edge of the super-16 frame. But some mags may be ok as they don’t necessarily scratch. I would check with your tech.
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That Cinelicious link is out of date. The Ultra 16mm page is now here:
http://cinelicious.tv/we-love-film/small-formats
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[...] diretor de fotografia Frank G. DeMarco , inventor do “Ultra 16 mm” (formato mais aberto da imagem [ ]) e um admirador do minimalismo, deixou [...]
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JAWAID AKHTER May 2nd, 2010 at 15:15