nizo 6080 Nizo

[PaulIVX]

I vaguely remember that when using rechargable batteries for the Nizo 6080, I had to watch out for a specific type or else the camera wouldn't run smoothly or the lightmeter wouldn't work properly. Can some one help me with this?

 

thanks

 

Paul

[Chris Burke]

I vaguely remember that when using rechargable batteries for the Nizo 6080, I had to watch out for a specific type or else the camera wouldn't run smoothly or the lightmeter wouldn't work properly. Can some one help me with this?

 

thanks

 

Paul

 

I own that camera but have only used non rechargeable batteries. Give Duall camera a call in NY, they are very knowledgeable about Nizos.

 

chris

[Jean-Louis Seguin]

I vaguely remember that when using rechargable batteries for the Nizo 6080, I had to watch out for a specific type or else the camera wouldn't run smoothly or the lightmeter wouldn't work properly. Can some one help me with this?

 

thanks

 

Paul

 

 

 

This question has been answered many times before in this forum and elsewhere.

 

To avoid potential damage to your camera, use only 6x NiCd or NiMH rechargeable cells.

 

5x Alkaline cells + one dummy cell is also acceptable.

 

I have a feeling that filmmakers who report no problems with using 6x alkaline have a later version model which resolved the voltage sensitivity of earlier versions.

 

Since it is not possible to distinguish the two versions from the outside, it is safer to follow the above recommendations.

 

Cheers,

Jean-Louis

 

P.S. I owned a 6080 and then a 6056 in the 80s and both had light meter circuitry wrecked by wrong batteries.

Edited June 17, 2010 by Jean-Louis Seguin

[Jim Carlile]

The question's never really been resolved, though.

 

If you want to use rechargeable batteries, get old-fashioned Nicads at 1.2 or 1.25 volts each, and rated at 500mh. That was the stock battery.

 

Alkalines work OK, and if you're worried about the extra voltage just run them down a bit before putting them in the camera. A fully charged set of NiCads will run at about 8.5 volts anyway.

 

NiCads were chosen because the old sound cartridges drew lots of current, and regular alkalines would poop out after about one or two 200-foot cartridges.

[Rudy Velez Jr]

Do they still make 200 ft 8mm cartridges?

[Andries Molenaar]

Do they still make 200 ft 8mm cartridges?

 

Nope, not for 15-20 years or something. Be glad there are still 50ft cartridges. :)

 

There were 200ft with Ektachrome inside. Sometimes these show up at astronomical prices. Despite what sellers say don't expect them to expose and process. The emulsion will be completely unreliable and E-4 has been discontinued for 40 years.

 

The Kodachrome 40 in 200ft have remained usable much longer but unfortunately there is no Kodachrome processing left since 3 years.

 

I have exposed split DS8 Fomapan in a refilled 200ft. It is a bit of hassle.

There is one guy in Slovenia who did the same and used them on projects. I am not sure if he stil does..

 

Wittner sells 200ft reels for the Beaulieu SD-8 magazine. So if you find a Bealieu 9008 with a magazine you are in :)

Edited February 5, 2013 by Andries Molenaar

[Martin Baumgarten]

I agree, it is best to err on the safe side with the NIZO higher end sound cameras. They were quite expensive when new back in the day, as I did buy one new, and other used. The risk of having the light meter go out when using 6 Alkaline batteries is true, and it is a costly repair....IF you can even get it done correctly anywhere. I paid to have it done once since if I purchased the circuitry and did it myself, there was no warranty, so despite being a repair tech as well, I had Leitz in Luton, England do mine at the time. The early Cmos technology on these NIZOs has not had a good track record for longevity. The previous sound models which did not have the elaborate lap dissolve/double-exposure provisions often seem to hold up longer, but not by leaps and bounds. They are great when they are working though. If you have one, and the automatic light meter doesn't work but it will still function in manual mode, you can still use it. I have also made use of one with a totally dead light metering system, just using it wide open and using Neutral Density filters to adjust exposure........only did that a few times though, and mainly without any filters, since it a lot of it was inside, Tungsten lighting, with EKTACHROME 160A Sound film. Camera still ran ultra quiet and the sound recording system still worked fine.

 

As for any old ME-4 process film, even if kept frozen, processing is rare and expensive, and those films can have odd emulsion cracking, despite maybe having tolerable color....often random in the films....could be due to storage changes, thawing etc. Anyhow, I would only use such ancient film and process it as B&W Neg, unless you have a small batch of a film type that had all been stored together, and can actually just test one to represent the others results-wise. Even then, consider the costs versus the results.

 

Regarding KODACHROME, IF the film has been well stored, and/or isn't older than 10 years, it will usually still look fine with the Black & White processing options: as a continous tone B&W Negative, as a High Contrast B&W Negative, as Black & White Reversal, or as Sepia Tone Reversal (this looks pretty awesome, since the Kodachrome film yields some tinges of yellow and orange in there with the deep rich sepia tones). So, it's not worthless film, and I'd rather use it as B&W Reversal and have sound as well, than none at all.

 

Regarding the KODAK 200ft cartridges; they were a valiant idea and worked okay 75% of the time, as some tended to jam occassionally. It's a complex design with a large spring maintaining the balance of the two co-axil 200ft rotating film reels, one supply and the other the takeup. Reloading these is a complex frustrating process, and not worth it in my opinion since the components are so cheaply made. The sprocket is a flimsy plastic one, and the film path a minor nightmare to deal with by hand in the darkroom. I had heard that someone had remade a metal reloadable version of this, with high quality parts in Michigan at a filmschool, but never saw any photos of it, or the unit itself, so that idea remains a mystery along with some other oddball Super 8mm related topics over the years that never saw the light of day. Frankly, I would stick to the 50ft cartridge, and of the two 50ft designs, the sound version is the better one since it has a reversal film core rachet. In the end, the uniqueness of Super 8mm filmmaking, for the most part, is that the cartridges only hold 50ft (those few mylar film ones which had 100ft in them notwithstanding). The same can be said of the Regular 8mm (aka Double 8mm, Normal 8mm, Standard 8mm, 8mm) and FUJI's Single-8 cartridges. A few years ago, a technician/enthusiast even produced a 400ft Super 8mm magazine, which was problematic, and production was limited to a few and was discontinued. NOTE: Everything I ever mention, unless I state that it was something I heard, is because I first hand experience with having used it or done the task, or used the camera etc.

 

As Andries stated, "be glad there are still 50ft cartridges"!

[Rudy Velez Jr]

Ok so when using this camera, the general consensus is to use 6 NiCad Batteries or NiMh batteries

 

regular double AA'S = trouble... is this correct? I just got my hands on one and tried loading regular double a batteries in it and I went to hit the battery check button and nothing happened....

[Bill Rodgers]

NEVER USE 1.5v AAs!!!

 

 

Stick to six 1.2v rechargeable batteries. I've had over a dozen 6080s pass through my hands recently and two had to be repaired due to their owners using regular 1.5v AAs.

[Rudy Velez Jr]

Got it! Thanks Bill!

 

Speaking of that! Since I am always worried my camera is gonna malfunction and die, (my Bolex 5120 just stopped working :( everything seems to be ok but when I hit the trigger the film will not advance. I am taking it to the shop today to see whats what, I really champion the camera, a bit heavy but its a beauty,anyway I digress.)

 

Whats the deal with the belts inside the Nizo, I have read on some forums that these can cause the camera to malfunction and poop out, can they be replaced?

[Bill Rodgers]

I LOVE the Bolex 5120 (manufactured by Chinon in Japan), I've shot over a dozen shorts on one over the years.

 

http://www.twitpic.com/926o9b

[Bill Rodgers]

The 'belts' are rubber black bands, as found in lots of Super 8 cameras and projectors from the 70's & 80's.

 

They can deteriorate with age, can go brittle, get loose and even snap apart or simply disintegrate.

 

Best option is to try to find kit that's been well maintained and preferably used regularly.

[Rudy Velez Jr]

I love the Bolex 5120. Did you ever use the intervalometer on it?

[Bill Rodgers]

LOADS!!!

 

It's that feature and the HUGE (but still sharp) 72mm lens on the 5120 and 5122 that I adore so much. Weirdly the similar Chinon models aren't quite so refined.

 

I also really enjoyed shooting K40 sound on the 5120, despite the fact it's quite loud. The Braun Nizo 6080 whispers in comparison to it's very audible clicking.

[Rudy Velez Jr]

Is there a good brand of Ni-Mah or Ni-Cad batteries, I went to radio shack but I feel the brand they were pushing was crap, Can anyone weigh in on this?