Re: Film cutter questions

[P3D Michael Kersenbrock <michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I haven't seen this exact question posed before:
> Are there any 35mm 5p cutters available besides the Realist?  
> 
> I have never seen a 35mm film cutter (though I admit I haven't been
> keeping my eyes open for them until now.)  I've gleaned enough from 
> watching the list to know that the Realist film cutter has a 5 sprocket 
> advance so I know if I find a Realist cutter for a reasonable price, it 

What's really cool about the Realist film cutter is that it isn't a 5-sprocket
device.  It works "differently" than more modern cutters.  I've a 
modern one that's much more glitzy and flashy (esp if a Dr. T. halogen is
put in it... although it's now removed and in a viewer) and more cool 
looking than the simple mechanical Realist cutter, but I like the Realist 
cutter better anyway.  Because it works better (content.. content.. content..).

The Realist cutter is good for any format that:

 	1) Has images that are adjacent to each other on the 35mm 
           film (one cut cuts left of one and right of another)
and
	2) Advances an integral number of "perfs" per image in the
           camera.

The cutter cuts a (manually) calibrated distance from a perf-hole. You
then advance the film by that integral number of perfs and cut again.
It assumes that the cutting point will be the same distance from the perf
each time. In the case of realist format, one advances 5-perfs.  One can
count or just kinda "see" the right amount.  Should work for any format 
that meets the two requirements above (advancing the proper size of course).

There can be some "jitter" in the accuracy due to alignment slop in
either the cutter (not much, it's pretty tight fit in the perfs) or
in the camera when it advances.

Of course, if a camera consistently advances 4.98 perfs per image, then 
there will be an accumulated error toward the end.  Cameras may vary.


> will be mine, but since those don't seem to be all that common, are there
> other cutters that will precisely do the Realist width cutting?  I've

Certainly, but with the others, there is an eyeball alignment process for
every image.  Either to scratches or visually to the images themselves.  
Not too hard, but requires attention.  Ones that cut a particular length
off is subject to accumulated errors though.  This is why I (used to) 
cut-to-image with the glitzy one.

So, you might try any of the 35mm cutters you might get at a camera
swap meet or in camera stores.  Or get Reel-3D's which is already
scratched if you want to do it that way.  You can 'scratch' one of
the others yourself if you're careful and don't mind it not looking
terribly neat and "kewl".

Of course, the tricky part is keeping the left of one with the correct
corresponding other-half... and the right way.  Especially if someone
is trying to talk to you at the same time.... :-)

Lemmeee see, which way is left....  ?

Mike K.


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