1) Always use fresh film stock of the type you are using - ideally from the same batch.

2) Always make first pass at 24fps regardless of what speed you want to test at. This will reduce wear on perforations to insure fair test.

3) Always put on test camera serial number, magazine serial number and lens focal length and serial number. This is in case when viewing test, there is a question about any of these pieces of equipment.

4) When offsetting chart for a second pass only, offset slightly so the lines will be close together making the test easy to read.

5) Test more cameras than you are going to use in case there is a problem you won't have to test a second day saving a lot of time.

6) When testing cameras with the pressure plate in the magazine such as Arriflex 16SR, any Aaton, Eclair N.P.R. or the Photo Sonics Action 500, shoot the test with more than one magazine as these magazines have a major effect on steadiness. If you are going to be super critical, then every magazine of this type needs to be steady tested. While it is very very rare, a defective BL magazine can effect steadiness. As you do with cameras, test more magazines than your are going to use so you can reject a bad one and still have enough magazines. Also, with this type of magazine, you are concerned with focus because of the pressure plate. Use a hi-speed 35mm focal length lens with iris wide open on a 35mm format camera. On a 16mm format camera, use a 16mm focal length lens also hi-speed with iris wide open. I suggest these lenses for steadiness test as that will give you a nice working distance from our field chart. A very critical focus test would require a wider lens.

7) Clairmont Camera had Century Precision make a special optical device that attaches to the camera in place of the lens. It has a grid inside of it and a built-in light source. The advantage of this is you don't need to have the camera mounted on a special rigid base since the device is mounted onto the camera. Sometimes you need to shoot tests on location and this device makes tests quick, simple and is not effected by camera movement or chart movement. This device is called a "Steady Tester" and can be rented from Clairmont Camera or purchased from Century Precision. With this device when you make a second pass, you will remove it from the camera and turn it 180 degrees and re-install onto the camera and make the second pass.

I would expect any camera with a registration pin to be perfectly steady if it is in proper working order. For normal filming slight movement can be tolerated. It is optical effects and composite shots that require cameras to be very steady. Cameras without registration pins will not be perfectly steady. You could shoot a double exposure test with an Arri 2C or an Aaton and get results that are perfectly steady if all conditions are perfect, which they rarely are. Steadiness can vary on cameras without registration pins from one roll of film to another. On these cameras, only expect to get an image that is steady on a single exposure. If you shoot a double exposure with a camera without a registration pin, have at least 30 seconds of a single pass to help you decide if the camera is usable as the double exposure will show some unsteadiness.