beaulieu super8 camera shaft

July 15, 2006

hey there, i dont have a beaulieu super8 camera at the moment. i beleive the shaft used to rewind film on it is a 1:shaft. can anybody confirm this? when running does the camera run clockwise or counterclockwise? anybody ever try to runn the camera with the shaft instead of the internal motor?

sonyrelic · July 15, 2006

It is a 1:1 shaft. The setup you see here is a 4008 ZM II on a rod support and then a "motor mount", with a Tobin TXM-20Ba crystal sync motor. Mr. Tobin added a knob to the motor allowing me to bring the shutter back to the closed position.

Due to the precise measurements and proper alignment of all components, there is no sloppiness, shaking, or noise caused by the motor. Obviously you still have the noise from the camera's internal mechanism, just because of it's shutter design.

This has been a great setup for me, and because I have 3 cameras, I can slap it on any of the three and go with no issues.

ken wood · July 17, 2006

It is a 1:1 shaft. The setup you see here is a 4008 ZM II on a rod support and then a "motor mount", with a Tobin TXM-20Ba crystal sync motor. Mr. Tobin added a knob to the motor allowing me to bring the shutter back to the closed position.

Due to the precise measurements and proper alignment of all components, there is no sloppiness, shaking, or noise caused by the motor. Obviously you still have the noise from the camera's internal mechanism, just because of it's shutter design.

This has been a great setup for me, and because I have 3 cameras, I can slap it on any of the three and go with no issues.

I have a pristine Beaulieu 3008S and it, too, has the 1:1 drive. I thought it was for use with sound. Are you saying that this mechanism can be fitted with a crystal sync motor in place of the internal motor drive?

BTW: If you don't mind what did the total cost of crystal sync set you back?

sonyrelic · July 17, 2006

I have a pristine Beaulieu 3008S and it, too, has the 1:1 drive. I thought it was for use with sound. Are you saying that this mechanism can be fitted with a crystal sync motor in place of the internal motor drive?
BTW: If you don't mind what did the total cost of crystal sync set you back?

Yes it can. With accurate measurements and properly mounted components, you can mount any type of motor to the camera and run it's internal mechanism. I tried to build my own crystal sync motor, but quickly realized it was alot more difficult than I'd thought. So I went with a Tobin motor. Obviously you lose the electronic features of the camera, unless you build a special battery to only run those components.

The price of the motor and battery belt was around $750 from Tobin Cinema Systems. The rod support and motor mount are of my own design and made in my machine shop.

July 18, 2006

i have that exact same motor. did you send the camera and motor to clive to get him to build the fitting? do you have to remove the original motor first? id be worried that there was too much friction from the electric motor...a mechanical version would be great to convert over.

sonyrelic · July 18, 2006

i have that exact same motor. did you send the camera and motor to clive to get him to build the fitting? do you have to remove the original motor first? id be worried that there was too much friction from the electric motor...a mechanical version would be great to convert over.

I got the measurements and made the fitting in my shop. I haven't taken out the original motor yet, but I plan to. There isn't any friction from the electric motor, it just spins with everything else.