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How well do ARRI cameras hold sync while off?


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If the camera department has refused to put a timecode box on the ARRI, then how well will it hold sync if at all while switched off? (or if they do any other funky things like going off speed then back to normal, I remember the C300 mk2 for instance would get TC messed up if you did that without a TC box)

 

 

I'm asking about ARRI cameras in general, but interested to hear if specific ones such as an AMIRA etc are worse/better.  

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The Alexa is the only Arri with Ambient TC goodness in it. All other Arri cameras will drift with prolonged power downs and going off speed.

 

I have never had an issue getting a sync box on an Arri. With how light and small they have become there is no excuse not to have a sync box on the camera.

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23 minutes ago, Nate C said:

The Alexa is the only Arri with Ambient TC goodness in it.

Is this all of them, the Classic / XT / LF / etc? But not the Mini and the AMIRA?

 

It would of course drift if left switched off overnight? What if left off over lunch break?

 

 

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I had Alexas blow their jam when switched to non-sync frame rates and back or over battery changes, which was why we left them hooked up to a TC box.  TC boxes are so small and so light nowadays that camera depts who refuse them are doing so out of pure hubris, there is really no excuse.   In the era of all the wireless video and focus etc gak being attached to cameras, WTF?

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6 hours ago, IronFilm said:

Is this all of them, the Classic / XT / LF / etc? But not the Mini and the AMIRA?

 

It would of course drift if left switched off overnight? What if left off over lunch break?

 

 

 

I believe all the iterations of the Alexa have Ambient TC in them but I could be wrong on this. The Amira and the Mini definitely don't. 

 

It could possibly drift over lunch, how much and if at all, I don't know. I would be re-jamming after lunch. In fact I would recommend re-jaming evertime they go off speed and then back to a sync rate. This is when the camera is more likely to drift or completely reset it's TC. Do this a few times and the camera dept will quickly demand you "just leave the F@#king sync box on the camera". I am assuming the camera dept are being difficult twats.  

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  • 1 month later...

I’ve experienced  Arri cams to hold sync throughout the day after being powered down; and I’ve seen them drift after coming back from off speed. Like the others have stated the size of modern sync boxes pales to the amount of real estate all the shit camera dept. puts on them these days. Time for a meeting with DP, Editor, Producer, Director and have DP explain why he/she feels a sync box is unnecessary.

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On 6/16/2019 at 7:51 PM, Mike Westgate said:

Just keep a tc box connected - simple!

 

I agree!

Except not every DoP/AC agrees....

 

23 hours ago, edward chick said:

Time for a meeting with DP, Editor, Producer, Director and have DP explain why he/she feels a sync box is unnecessary.

Practically speaking this is often not possible for me in the moment.

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Previous experience as a sound mixer for 10  years with Arri's before getting a lockit / using them.

 

- Jam in the AM

- Check TC every battery swap because I enjoy knowing its OK ( with mixer in hand ready to jam again) - Never had an experience where it changed, only from full reboots. 

- Jam after lunch

 

Talk to AC's and monitor shot list for variable frame rates.  Arri's TC is rock solid.  Its up to you/me/us to monitor and be the perfectionist to keep getting hired.  

 

If there is no budget for Lockits , there is room for error and that is understood and Ok.

Perfection lies within the budget holder.

 

 

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Always sync and change batteries at lunch.  Check after battery changes to make sure it wasn't a full reboot and after variable frame rates.

 

To not, is to leave room for error and wasted time later.  RTM for specific cameras TC descriptions for your own personal peace of mind. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/20/2019 at 4:41 AM, Stillweii said:

 

Talk to AC's and monitor shot list for variable frame rates.  Arri's TC is rock solid.  Its up to you/me/us to monitor and be the perfectionist to keep getting hired.  

 

If there is no budget for Lockits , there is room for error and that is understood and Ok.

 Perfection lies within the budget holder.


With TC boxes being so dirt cheap to rent, it seems penny wise and pound foolish to go to that extra hassle/stress/distraction of not using them.

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On 6/20/2019 at 4:41 AM, Stillweii said:

Previous experience as a sound mixer for 10  years with Arri's before getting a lockit / using them.

 

- Jam in the AM

- Check TC every battery swap because I enjoy knowing its OK ( with mixer in hand ready to jam again) - Never had an experience where it changed, only from full reboots. 

- Jam after lunch

 

Talk to AC's and monitor shot list for variable frame rates.  Arri's TC is rock solid.  Its up to you/me/us to monitor and be the perfectionist to keep getting hired.  

 

If there is no budget for Lockits , there is room for error and that is understood and Ok.

Perfection lies within the budget holder.

 

 

Particularly when they have to spend more money on manual syncing!

 

mike

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  • 3 weeks later...

They hold TC quite well when turned off for a good long time ie. all day. As long as there is a battery connected.

The concern is when there is no battery connected. That's when you will lose TC sync.

 

I personally jam the boxes then make the AC's act like adults and own their responsibility for THEIR gear.

They should know how to jam the cameras and deal with frame rate changes and the like.

End of story.

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  • 3 months later...
On 7/20/2019 at 7:48 PM, S Harber said:

I personally jam the boxes then make the AC's act like adults and own their responsibility for THEIR gear.

They should know how to jam the cameras and deal with frame rate changes and the like.

End of story.

 

Absolutely.  I hand my tentacle to the camera team and make sure I've provided the correct cable.  After that it's on them, we shouldn't have to know how to set up every kind of camera out there.  This is clearly a camera dept task.

 

Then again, I have noticed a lack of TC right before rolling and came to find out that the tentacle was plugged into the wrong camera port, so there's that.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 4 weeks later...
  • 7 months later...

Hey, everyone here replies to years-old threads, right?

 

Did an Amira job in Feb. 2019, no boxes on the two cameras. The eyeball test said they held jam over every battery change I directly witnessed. I tend to check TC whenever I get the opportunity, and don't recall any other eyeball-visible drift or big jumps during the course of a five day shoot. Re-jammed at lunch nonetheless.

 

Small sample size, but they looked pretty trustworthy based on it.

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