ARRICAM Lite Quick Guide 01/2004, Page 10 of 20
Power on/off switch
This is located at the back of the camera, above the Camera Accessory Connector (CAC). Characters should
be visible in the displays when the camera is on.
Inching
To manually inch the camera, open the camera door and turn the inching knob clockwise. This will rotate the
movement only, not the mirror shutter. To electronically inch the camera, hold the PHASE button down while the
camera is in Standby – this will rotate both movement and shutter at about 1 fps.
Checking the gate
To check the gate, briefly press the DUST CHECK button while the camera is in Standby. The mirror rotates out
of the way, the shutter opens fully, and the FPS display shows DC. The movement will not move. To move the
shutter back into the viewing position, briefly press the DUST CHECK button again.
Note:
The DUST CHECK button does not transport the film, but does rotate the shutter. If the shutter angle was
reduced, it opens to 180° for the duration of the DUST CHECK, then returns to the previously set angle. The PHASE
button however, transports the film and rotates the shutter, leaving the angle unchanged.
Film Gate and Spacer Plate
• The surfaces of the Film Gate must be meticulously clean. When inserting the Film Gate in the camera, be sure
that the locking lever completely returns to its correct resting position, which is flush with the surface of the gate.
• An Aperture Format Mask and a Filter Holder must always be inserted in the Film Gate.
• When removing or installing the Spacer Plate, the movement should be in its rear position. Handle with care.
Camera heating
The camera and magazines are equipped with automatic heaters that switch on in very cold conditions. The
heaters can be temporarily de-activated to save power by holding the PHASE button down while switching the
camera’s power switch on. To activate the automatic heater control again, switch the camera off then on.
Camera Control Panel
On both Studio and Lite cameras, most of the functions can be controlled and monitored by means of the
Camera Control Panels. Each camera is fitted with either a Standard or an Extended Camera Control Panel.
The Standard Control Panels are equipped with FPS selector switches. On the Extended Camera Control
Panels, fps and shutter opening is set by means of buttons. These require the UNLOCK button to be pressed
to set the fps or shutter angle.
The remaining raw stock film length will be displayed when the RAW STOCK button is pressed.
What controls fps?
All frame rates are crystal controlled. Six preset fractional rates like 23.976 fps can be set with the Extended
Camera Control Panel. Reverse running and 0.001 fps increments can be set with the Speed Control Box, the
Wireless Remote Control and the ARRIMOTION.
When the camera is in standby, the FPS displays show which component controls the frame rate. A minus sign
in front of the characters means that the camera is set to reverse run. The following messages might be shown:
FPS
Controlling item
FPS
Controlling item
0.0
Standard Camera Control Panel
-SCB
Speed Control Box (reverse run)
24.0
Extended Camera Control Panel
WRC
Wireless Remote Control
Basic Camera Operations