first time shoot with a Canon 514 XL-S

Temenuga Trifonova · January 15, 2009

Hi,

I just bought a super 8mm camera (Canon 514 XL-S). I want to test it this weekend. Can I use Black and White Plus-X Reversal Film 7265 with this camera? How does the light meter work? Is it built into the camera? (The camera didn't come with an instructor's manual).

Thank you in advance!

Will Cummock · January 15, 2009

plus x should be fine, exposure meter is ttl. been too long since i handled one of these and can't remember much about it. the manual is here:

http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/garage/...on_514xl-s.html

will

Larry Wilson · January 16, 2009

Hi,

I just bought a super 8mm camera (Canon 514 XL-S). I want to test it this weekend. Can I use Black and White Plus-X Reversal Film 7265 with this camera? How does the light meter work? Is it built into the camera? (The camera didn't come with an instructor's manual).

Thank you in advance!

You're going to like working with it. I used one as my primary camera for three years before it finally gave out last year. The only thing I know of that you should watch out for is that E64T gets underexposed. You have to goose the exposure by metering something about 1 stop darker than your subject, then you hold that exposure with the EE lock. It's a hassle, but it's the only way to shoot E64T. Other than that, it's a very solid camera with sharp optics and it's also very quiet. I'm going to see how much it would cost to get mine fixed.

Dan Salzmann · January 16, 2009

I strongly suggest using an external light meter with the camera set to manual operation.

That way you avoid in-shot exposure changes which looks really bad.

Will Cummock · January 18, 2009

I strongly suggest using an external light meter with the camera set to manual operation.
That way you avoid in-shot exposure changes which looks really bad.

you'd actually be much better taking a reading from the internal light meter and using the ee lock to avoid this. external light meters aren't a good idea with most super 8 cameras for reasons explained in earlier posts.

also, in shot exposure changes can look great...

Dan Salzmann · January 18, 2009

How can you say that a reflected light reading from a 30 year old TTL light meter is more useful than a reading from an external digital incident meter in the majority of situations?

And when the exposure changes because the camera pans to a point where the TTL is reading off a darker object and suddenly overexposing the whole image that can look good?

I don't think so.

david savetsky · January 18, 2009

Assuming your sound camera is working,i have sound 50ft carts which will expose perfectly with your camera let me know if interested

dave

Will Cummock · January 19, 2009

How can you say that a reflected light reading from a 30 year old TTL light meter is more useful than a reading from an external digital incident meter in the majority of situations?
And when the exposure changes because the camera pans to a point where the TTL is reading off a darker object and suddenly overexposing the whole image that can look good?

I don't think so.

in answer to your first question: because of the way that super 8 cameras were made the indicated aperture reading does not correspond precisely with the practical amount of light that reaches the film.

in answer to your second question: I merely said that exposure changes in a shot were a usable device, not always the way to shoot.

Edited January 19, 2009 by Will Cummock