Dave Schwartz

I had some switch (I don't know what was for) near second chanell, that caused many problems, and he removed it. The system is much more precise now. Wow, I just came across this post nearly a year later. The switch was used to change between normal two-channel mode and slave mode, where two motors could be used simultaneously to turn a sticky or cold lens. If you were set in slave mode and used only one motor in Channel 1, it would behave as Igor described. One other subtle feature of the Seitz amplifier is that the two channels have two different "personalities." Channel 1 is optimized for focus, providing maximum speed and long travel. Channel 2 is optimized for iris, providing slower speed over shorter travel, but with a smoother response. I used my Seitz for many years before migrating to a BFD. It's still a damn good system and worth looking into for a budget-minded operator just starting out. David Schwartz d.a.schwartz@verizon.net

Hi Ari, I used an Elaine this summer. Don't know the exact weight, but without a doubt it is the heaviest 16mm camera I have come across. Felt more like a Moviecam Compact. The videotap is built-in and worked fine, and with the eyepiece removed there were no serious side-to-side balance issues. I'm not sure what questions you have about the lenses, but there is a full set of Panavision primes available and they all work fine, with no size/weight issues. Go for the clip-on matte box, of course. All in all, the camera worked like a charm, so I don't see any reason to avoid it. One thing that you should be aware of is the power connector. I called Panavision LA and asked them whether the power connector was the same as on the 35mm cameras and they said yes. It is not, at least on the camera that we had. It looks like a smaller version of the Panavision connector, so be prepared for some possible splicing. David Schwartz d.a.schwartz@verizon.net By the way, does anyone know the genesis of this camera's name? I heard that it was named after a Panavision receptionist, possibly as a prototype title only that somehow took hold, much to PV's chagrin. When I called to inquire about the connector, I was corrected with a somewhat sniffy "The Elaine? Oh, you must mean the Panavision 16."