Beaulieu R16
Beaulieu's light-weight 16mm camera. Apparently there are a lot of version of this camera are made, including the ones with an electric motor. Mine is spring-wind version with the reflex viewfinder and semi-auto exposure system.
The Body
The body is made of some kind of thin, light-weight, metal matrial. I love it!! I believe there are older versions with different body matertial.
The C Mount
The Three-lens turret. Since mirror reflex is used on this model, any regular C mount lens can be used. The turret locks at each position.
The Mirror Reflex Viewfinder
As I mentioned earlier, mirror reflex is used on this model. So there is no need for the annoying calculation for the light loss that happens with beam-splitter prism.
My version is also equipped with the semi-auto TTL exposure system. Basically it measures light through-the-lens and tells you the correct exposure. But you do have to set the aperture manually. To use the feature, two PX-13 batteries are required.
The photo above shows what you would see in the viewfinder. You have the correct exposure when the needle stays at the center in the frame. Ground-glass.
The ASA range is 10-400. There is no on-off switch for the light meter.
The Oscilating Shutter
The Spring-Wind Motor
I could run the camera for about 15 sec. at 24 fps with the fully wound motor. It's considerably short, but it could be just mine.
The frame rates are variable from 8 to 64fps.
The Single Frame Exposure
The Timed Exposure
The Rewind
The rewind handle lets you hand crank the camera although it's not designed for the purpose.
The Frame Counter
The Gate
The Handling
Single frame is useful for animation, stop-motion, time lapse, etc. A release cable is required for this feature.
As long as you press the trigger the shutter will stay open. With this feature you can use, for instance, a cigarette in a nice dark place to draw a letter like "Stop smoking!!" You need a release cable to use this feature.
The feature enables certain in-camera effects such as multiple-exposure. Combined with customized masks, you can create unique effects.
In addition to the fact that Beaulieu is really light compared to other 16mm cameras, it's a perfect candidate for handheld work with this ergonomically designed grip.