I could really do with some help widening the gate of my CANON 1014

[Jim Train]

Hello,

 

At the beginning of last week I decided to finally take the plunge and widen the gate of my Canon 1014 but I got nervous and stopped as I didn't feel that I had gained sufficient advice and info to do the job properly.

 

Has anyone here widened the gate themselves and if so would they mind passing on the information as to how to do it correctly?

 

Thank you kindly for your time,

Jim

[Pavan Deep]

Hi

 

I have the Canon 814 and have just widened its gate, I am assuming the 1014 is simialr. My Canon has a metal gate and the film compartment door is at the back of the camera making the access to the gate very difficult.. I decided not to take the gate out to avoid any other problems, as I widened the gate of my Bauer A512, [where film compartment door is also at the back of the camera and access to it is difficult], but for the A512 I took the gate out to widen it, in doing so I disturbed the little metal guides/feathers that are in the camera but wedged in the gate, I didn't want this to happen with this camera.

 

I placed the camera upwards so that when filing the debri would fall downwards on the floor, lille if any debri fell in the camera, I'm pretty that this didn't fall on the lens or any other important element within the camera. I used a very small file to widen, after I widened it I deburred the edges, the actual widening was not difficult at all. The great thing is that I've discovered that unlike most Super 8 cameras widening the viewfinder mask on this camera is easier too, I'm assuming the 1014 is similar so framing is a lot easier and more importantly I can now see when the camera starts to vignette and can avoid this. I used the useful information from http://canon-s8-repair.yolasite.com/ to open the camera and access the viewfinder.

 

P

[Jim Train]

Really? You widened it in the camera itself? I haven't got my camera to hand but I am not sure how I would feel about doing it in the camera and I believe the 1014 has a plastic gate so I am not sure if that would make matters worse or better. When you say you used deburring do you mean you sanded it down or used a cloth afterwards? I am not entirely sure what you mean.

 

I have never heard of anyone widening the viewfinder, that is interesting, it would be very helpful if I could do so. The instructions you uploaded on dismantling the camera are great.

 

Jim

[Pavan Deep]

Thanks

 

I must point out that the link I attached on dismantling the camera is not mine, someone else has done that, but I agree it is very, very helpful.

 

Yes I widened my Canon's gate without taking it out [shock horror], for this I secured the camera high on a sturdy shelf with the lens facing the ceiling, I opened the back door and pointed a light [which was on the floor] onto the gate so I could see the gate clearly and began filing [ it took a while] all the debri just dropped on the floor and everywhere except in the camera. It is impossible for any debri to fall onto the lens in the camera as on the otherside of the gate there is a small compartment where the shutter is blocking the lens [when the camera is switched off], I did have a very small camera mini vacuum/SensorVac to help keep the camera clean, photgraphic stores have these.

 

I remember seeing a Canon 1014 and I'm pretty sure the gate was metal like the 814, though I'm certain that the later XLS [sound cameras] versions do have plastic gates. A plastic gate might be easier, my Bauer has a plastic gate I used a surgical blade and just shaved the gate out the blade made a very smooth cut, it was much easier.

 

For filing the gate I used a very small file 3-5mm wide, when I had finished I deburred, by deburring [i may be using the word incorrectly] I mean I smoothed out any rough edges that I created as I filed out. For this smoothing out I used the tip of a screwdriver and brushed it along along the edges.

 

P

[Matt Stevens]

Brave man. Too bad you didn't shoot a YouTube video! That would be amazing.

 

But the question is, how many places can transfer film shot from such cameras properly? Aren't there only a couple places in the USA that are capable of doing such work?

 

I have two Canon 814 Auto Zooms myself, though just purchased. I am a complete novice.

Edited December 1, 2010 by Matt Stevens

[Pavan Deep]

I think there are a few places in the USA that will transfer the wider Super 8 frame, but I haven't come across any facility here in England with a high end transfer machine that is able to transfer the wider frame. I wanted things a little easier for myself and for others so I have built a frame by frame scanner and use it with a machine vision camera, with it I have transferred a lot of films that I had originally had transferred on a Rank and the quality is absolutely brilliant often better than the Rank transfers. You can see some stuff here, http://www.vimeo.com/12793339 . I'll be putting up more samples soon, especially of negative Super 8 film, as I have desgined my scanner specifically for transferring negative film.

 

P

 

 

[thomas scott stanton]

Pro8 in Burbank, California modifies the camera gates, rents them, and does HD transfers. http://www.pro8mm.com/

 

I used them to shoot videos for Beck's last album. I really liked the look. HD Super 8. :-)