Need Help with a Chinon XL555 Macro

[norman cooper]

Howdy All,

 

I found my dad's old super 8 camera and plan to shoot a short film during the semester break.

 

Now I've figured out pretty much what all the buttons and dials do except two and I'm still confused to which film speed it reads.

 

The first button is located on top of the casing, located near the lens barrel and is countered-sunk. Second button is on the back of the camera and when pushed a green light next to it lights up, dad believes that its a battery check but it only works when switched on.

 

In regards to the film speed, I've looked at the super8wiki to get some info but find it a little confusing. There is a small black pin located 0.5in above the centering pin and a large silver pin below it. I assume the camera shoots 160T/100D but really not confident with my conclusion

 

So if anyone could help out it would be awesome, hey even if the film can get off the ground you can have a technical credit :D

 

Peace

Norman

[Matthew Buick]

The camera will at least shoot 25D/40T/100D/160T. It may have +/- Compensation.

 

Norman, we will need your full name. I'm sorry, it's forum rules.

 

War

Matthew :P

[Fabrice Ducouret]

Hello

 

I've owned this camera and used it a lot. The green light is definitely for the battery check.

The other button near the lens I can't remember what it is, I can't really visualise because the camera is at my mom's so i can't really see. I guess if you have a photo of it somewhere it could help me. Isn't it the macro switch you're talking about?

Anyways, as far as the "speed" of the film I think you're confusing the speed of the film (the chemical formula that will make the film more or less reactive to light) and the rate of pictures per second (or FPS) which is the speed at which your camera is going to film (i.e., 36 fps would be slow-motion, while 9 fps would increase the speed of action). You can shoot at several speeds and thus make slow-mo shots, or else shoot at 1 fps and make animation films or timelapse. The other button, which is the one I think you say is silvery, is the timer. It only works when set on 1 fps mode with the trigger locked (maybe that's the mysterious button #2).

So, my answer would be: try to lock and release the trigger with the R - L switch near the trigger.

If that solves the mystery button thing, then fine. Put the FPS - frames per second - switch on 1 and lock the trigger in run mode. Now when you will switch the silvery button, the camera will click at different time intervals depending on how you set it. Basically what it does is that it takes just one image at a time, and then when you play the film at normal speed, the normal course of action is greatly sped up. It's mainly used for speeding up the way clouds move, or the sun, or the way a flower opens and closes, etc.

You can search "timelapse" on super8wiki as well as wikipedia they have an entry.

Be sure to use brand new batteries each time for timelapse though, and to place the camera on a tripod (and to be patient! sometimes 5 hours of filming will only reult in 5 seconds of film).

 

Hope this helped, feel free to contact me through my profile.