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Author Topic: DCR print quality
Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted December 16, 2011 04:56 PM      Profile for Winbert Hutahaean     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
What do you think guys the quality of DCR prints (a UK based company)?

Is this very common that DCR released B/W film with green/blue tint?

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Winbert

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Alexander Vandeputte
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 243
From: Belgium
Registered: Nov 2009


 - posted December 16, 2011 05:55 PM      Profile for Alexander Vandeputte     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I have a couple of DCR prints and they all are great. The green/blue tint is off course because they printed some of their b/w stuff on LPP color stock and that way you can never get a neutral b/w image. But it doesn't matter to me since all of the DCR prints I have are sharp and with a nice contrast range. So I value them quite highly.

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted December 17, 2011 04:45 PM      Profile for Steve Klare   Email Steve Klare   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I have a few of them and the worse that I can say about them is they are sometimes a little grainy. Then again I really like the subjects of a lot of their films so when I see a DCR film I don't let that stop me for a minute.

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Pasquale DAlessio
Film God

Posts: 3523
From: Bristol,RI, USA
Registered: May 2010


 - posted December 17, 2011 05:20 PM      Profile for Pasquale DAlessio     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Does DCR have a website?

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Thomas Smith
Master Film Handler

Posts: 313
From: Barking, Essex, UK
Registered: Dec 2009


 - posted December 17, 2011 05:40 PM      Profile for Thomas Smith     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
pat i dont think so they closed down years ago [Razz]

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t.smith

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Adrian Winchester
Film God

Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004


 - posted December 17, 2011 08:44 PM      Profile for Adrian Winchester     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I'm sure that quite a high proportion of the DCR b/w prints in circulation are on b/w stock, as I expect that applied up to the point that b/w stock seemed to 'disappear' in relation to UK releases - which must have been around the mid 1980s. In fact I ran my 'Great Expectations' a week ago and it's quite impressive and on b/w stock, albeit not quite a sharp as the 8mm prints that were being produced a bit later. And the sound is exceptionally good. Incidentally, although DCR released plenty of colour shorts, I wonder if anyone can recall a colour feature; they all seemed to be b/w.

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Adrian Winchester

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Lee Mannering
Film God

Posts: 3216
From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006


 - posted December 18, 2011 04:33 AM      Profile for Lee Mannering     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Quite right Adrian most DCR B&W films were printed on black and white stock mainly. Incidentally Dave produced all his sound prints from reel to reel tape down to super 8 recorded in what amounted to a garden shed. In general DCR prints were OK but you did often find a shift in print quality between reels with features. In later years some B&W DCR films were printed on colour stock hence you sometimes found a bit of a tint.

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Thomas Smith
Master Film Handler

Posts: 313
From: Barking, Essex, UK
Registered: Dec 2009


 - posted December 18, 2011 06:32 AM      Profile for Thomas Smith     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
hello adrian hope you are keeping well i have a d.c.r colour
feature the 39 steps with kenneth more great colour and picture

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t.smith

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Luis Caramelo
Master Film Handler

Posts: 494
From: Funchal
Registered: Feb 2011


 - posted December 18, 2011 06:43 AM      Profile for Luis Caramelo     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
hi! Winbert,i have verry good references of DCR,films,i do get
my self a couple they are:-scrooge ,with good black and white
-the heroes of telemark in color
both prints are full lenghts,and verry good,i hope this information can help...
regards:

luis caramelo

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Mal Brake
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 591
From: Neath, South Wales, UK
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted December 18, 2011 08:22 AM      Profile for Mal Brake     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
A high proportion of my railway (railroad) films came from DCR. I also had a very good copy of 'Green For Danger' which had a great soundtrack.
The proprietor of DCR Dave West, passed away a few years ago. A friend of mine traveled from Swansea to the Isle of Wight and back in a day to buy a job lot from DCR shortly before Dave died, having lost his eyesight due to diabetes. It was a sad end for a decent and honest gentleman.

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I'm gonna live forever or die trying

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Alexander Vandeputte
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 243
From: Belgium
Registered: Nov 2009


 - posted December 18, 2011 03:20 PM      Profile for Alexander Vandeputte     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I have from DCR:
OLIVER TWIST on b/w, fine but a bit dupey looking
GREAT EXPECTATIONS b/w on LPP: nice and sharp
THE PICKWICK PAPERS on b/w: fine print
IN WHICH WE SERVE b/w on LPP but a stunning print !

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Allan Broadfield
Master Film Handler

Posts: 452
From: Bromley, Kent
Registered: Nov 2010


 - posted December 18, 2011 04:12 PM      Profile for Allan Broadfield   Author's Homepage   Email Allan Broadfield   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I used to work in the control dept of a London lab., and it could become tricky when the powers that be decided to print a black and white job on colour stock, as it required some pretty off standard grading (timing in the US), or an off standard printer set up. This isn't the worse problem, as a slight change in the developer characteristics will give it a bias in whatever direction the bath may have shifted, losing the neutral black and white image. Some labs may start off with, say, a green bias in the first place to lessen the effect. Later, off course, the print layers can fade, too. Not good news, fortunately we didn't do a lot. End of boring lecture - happy new year!

[ December 22, 2011, 07:45 AM: Message edited by: Allan Broadfield ]

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Graham Sinden
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1131
From: Kent, UK
Registered: Aug 2005


 - posted December 23, 2011 05:53 PM      Profile for Graham Sinden   Email Graham Sinden   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Has anyone ever printed a list of DCR shorts on the forum ?

I have several DCR shorts and in general the print quality is quite good and very happy with them, although not quite derann's sharpness but there are some rare films out there DCR released so always on the look out for them.

Graham S

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Bill Phelps
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1482
From: USA
Registered: Jan 2009


 - posted December 23, 2011 07:27 PM      Profile for Bill Phelps     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I borrowed a print of the Kenneth Moore "39 Steps" super 8 feature off a friend last year to screen and it was awesome. Very sharp and spot on color. I'm not sure if it was a DCR release...if it was it looked great. Seeing it mentioned earlier I thought I would post.

Bill [Smile]

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Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted December 24, 2011 11:11 AM      Profile for Winbert Hutahaean     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Thanks for all inputs.

I have decided nt to buy the DCR prints were offered, simply because I couldn't stand for blue/tint on B/W prints.

Just my curiosity why they just didn't ptint those films in colour if they were using LPP stock anyway. It would be gorgeously beatiful if they did that!

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Winbert

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Graham Sinden
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1131
From: Kent, UK
Registered: Aug 2005


 - posted December 27, 2011 06:51 AM      Profile for Graham Sinden   Email Graham Sinden   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Has anyone ever printed a list of DCR shorts on the forum ?

Mabye I will just have to look for those ads in movie maker

Anyone got a list of shorts?

Graham S

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