tim quince Posted February 19, 2005 Share Posted February 19, 2005 Hi there! I need help (mentally) and i really need help with my new camera. I've just bought a canon 814 camera on ebay for £46 on ebay. No lens cap but it looks a beaut! However, before even putting in some film (not to mention not having nothing to view it on or cut it up) I've seen the light meter doesn't seem to be functioning. :blink: Altho i'm finding looking thru the viewfinder harder to see thru than i thought i would (i used a 16mm bolex in college and that seemed fine) the light meter doesn't seem to be working whatsoever. I'm wondering if this is because i haven't put film in yet ( i doubt it but you never know...) - i've set it to manual but the needle just stays to the side. If i move the O-C dial it just carries the needle along with it like a dog on a leash! I think it's broken, but i'm hoping i'm just being silly and haven't thought of something obvious. Any help would be greatly appreciated because i wanna get this baby in action! Many thanks and hope you are all doing superfly. tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim quince Posted February 19, 2005 Author Share Posted February 19, 2005 Make that faulty light meter. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S8 Booster Posted February 19, 2005 Share Posted February 19, 2005 What is the exact model you have? E A AZ or XL-S? R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim quince Posted February 19, 2005 Author Share Posted February 19, 2005 Hi there! It's the normal 814 auto zoom. I was a bit gutted because the fellow i bought it from said it had the slo-mo of 36 fps, so i kinda hoped it was was Electronic version, but alas... (no macro or slo-mo for me!) Do you think i've bought what will be a beautiful but expensive paperweight?! tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S8 Booster Posted February 19, 2005 Share Posted February 19, 2005 I do not know your model but I believe it uses separate batteries for the lightmeter. Check if you find your model here: http://filmshooting.com/manuals/canon.php download a manual and you may find it there. Those special non mercury 1.35v replacement batteries are avail from: Battery, WEIN Cell PX625 Replacement R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim quince Posted February 19, 2005 Author Share Posted February 19, 2005 I've just checked the manual and the camera - It has a battery tester built in and so i thought that that wouldn't be the cause the problem, but i took the batteries out and the battery level (for the rest of the camera) is still fine. I think you have hit the nail on the head! Thank you. I'll buy the batteries and will see if they do the trick. I feel a bit of an idiot to put up one of those silly amateur posts now, but i'm greatful i still might not have bought a turkey! One silly additional question if you might be able to help - are there ever cases of people selling lens caps? Reading some of the posts (and you're one of the home-run hitters! woohoo!) the canon lens has a special coating which should really be protected. Mine is in a Bolex box and wrapped in big bubble wrap! Anyhows - many thanks for your help dude tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S8 Booster Posted February 21, 2005 Share Posted February 21, 2005 One silly additional question if you might be able to help - are there ever cases of people selling lens caps? Reading some of the posts (and you're one of the home-run hitters! woohoo!) the canon lens has a special coating which should really be protected. Mine is in a Bolex box and wrapped in big bubble wrap! Anyhows - many thanks for your help dude tim <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yup that lens coating is one of a kind. :D I have tested mine against about every hyped competitor around and the best of the rest is a bleach charicature compared. Regarding the lens cap I have occationally seen some on eBay for various cams - as far as I remember also for some Canon cams. Do a world wide search. R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim quince Posted February 21, 2005 Author Share Posted February 21, 2005 Hi R! Thanks for that - I do do the occasional search but normally to no avail, but just been on ebay and there's a faulty one on ebay going cheap (with a few days left), so if it stays that way i'll go for it for the case and the lens cap! I love it when a plan comes together! (to be said with cigar in mouth). My camera does look like a good 'un - all i have to do now is save up for some film and some batteries! yours cinematically tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brian Danin Posted February 21, 2005 Share Posted February 21, 2005 Hi there! I need help (mentally) and i really need help with my new camera. I've just bought a canon 814 camera on ebay for £46 on ebay. No lens cap but it looks a beaut! However, before even putting in some film (not to mention not having nothing to view it on or cut it up) I've seen the light meter doesn't seem to be functioning. :blink: Altho i'm finding looking thru the viewfinder harder to see thru than i thought i would (i used a 16mm bolex in college and that seemed fine) the light meter doesn't seem to be working whatsoever. I'm wondering if this is because i haven't put film in yet ( i doubt it but you never know...) - i've set it to manual but the needle just stays to the side. If i move the O-C dial it just carries the needle along with it like a dog on a leash! I think it's broken, but i'm hoping i'm just being silly and haven't thought of something obvious. Any help would be greatly appreciated because i wanna get this baby in action! Many thanks and hope you are all doing superfly. tim <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The 814 is specified to take two 1.3 Mercury batteries (the kind like from a watch). They don't make these anymore, and chances are they're not in your camera or dead. You can buy the 1.5v batteries at any camera store that will work for allowing you to set your appature manually. However, because of the voltage difference, the build in light meter should read incorrectly. Your best bet is to always use a handheld light meter and set your f-stop manually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S8 Booster Posted February 21, 2005 Share Posted February 21, 2005 The 814 is specified to take two 1.3 Mercury batteries (the kind like from a watch). They don't make these anymore, and chances are they're not in your camera or dead. You can buy the 1.5v batteries at any camera store that will work for allowing you to set your appature manually. However, because of the voltage difference, the build in light meter should read incorrectly. Your best bet is to always use a handheld light meter and set your f-stop manually. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Inorrect. The WEIN cells listed above are 1.35v units - direct replacements. Battery, WEIN Cell PX625 Replacement WeinCELL is a revolutionary new custom zinc/air battery designed to replace environmentally-unfriendly (and increasingly banned) mercury batteries. Alkaline replacements don't do the trick. Only WeinCELLs deliver exact voltage and stable output consistent with mercury batteries. Not to be confused with the hearing aid batteries that only last 1 month, the WeinCELL batteries last 1 year in the camera under normal use. Compatible with any camera or meter specifying the respective mercury battery Voltage output more stable than alkaline replacements. No camera/meter adjustment or adapter required. Up to 10 year shelf life. Special dealer prices available. R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim quince Posted February 22, 2005 Author Share Posted February 22, 2005 Yep - I'm reading the same thing when I'm doing a bit of research on the internet. Mercury batteries are banned and alkaline one's give an uneven supply. There's a few going on ebay which I'll go for (The Weiner ones(!)). I don't really have the option of even thinking about 1.5v batteries as I have no seperate light meter with which to manually set the aperature. even though the manual says that this can be done. I'm gonna get me some MRB625's! (I just hope i don't get them shipped all the way from the usa to find that the light meter is actually broken!). Thanks to both of you for helping me out! Tim ps - this site is class! I came on to get some help with my camera and i've found out there's a massive super8 community out there! It's like a big universal family! :) (I feel like singing a song but i'll refrain) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Salzmann Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 Always use an external light meter. If there is no indication of the filter thread size on the lens, just bring the camera to any good photo camera shop and they will be able to provide you with an adequate lens cap (It might not say "Canon" on it but it will fit.) Should be either 62mm or 67 mm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Alessandro Machi Posted February 23, 2005 Premium Member Share Posted February 23, 2005 You can become one with the internal light meter on your super-8 camera. I have found that by zooming into the part of the frame you care most about properly exposing, you get an excellent starting point as for how to set the f-stop manually. Caucasian faces you should open up one f-stop from what the reading is, darker flesh tones you may want to stop down 1/2 to 1 stop. If you don't have people in the shot zoom in halfway towards telephoto and simply guage what may be "tricking" the meter into an incorrect reading such as a bright sky or dark background, you then determine whether to underexpose, stay the same, or overexpose. Usually you are best off switching to a manual f-stop after you have determined what f-stop you think is appropriate. After shooting and developing and reviewing Super-8 footage you have shot you can become pretty confident on how to use your internal camera meter as a starting point for figuring out the desired f-stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim quince Posted February 24, 2005 Author Share Posted February 24, 2005 Cheers for that - good stuff to know with the f-stop changes. I know it's a case of trial and error, and i will actually take it serious and log the f-stop used with each shot to know how it looks and where it went wrong. I'm gonna use the internal light meter as much as poss (i do the same with my slr camera in pointing to area that need to be lit correctly). My only problem with this camera is that when it's a dark area it's virtually impossible to read what the light meter is saying, as the needle bit of the view-finder gets the light from the front of the camera as well. I think for this an external light meter might be an investment for the future. Thanks for your help here. tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Marks Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 By all means, invest a few dollars in an 18% grey card and use that in combination with your in-camera meter. Your camera's meter is designed to render scenes "correctly" exposed by averaging everything out to 18% grey. By zooming into a grey card to fill the frame and setting your f-stop to the recommended setting, you're pretty much assured of correct exposure whether you're shooting a scene that's predominantly dark or light. Once you grasp this principle and practice a bit, you'll be a better shooter than the 99% who simply rely on their automatic metering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim quince Posted March 3, 2005 Author Share Posted March 3, 2005 Hey dude - i've not even heard of this grey card, but thanks for the info - i'll keep my eye's out for one. I'm trying to get the cash to give my little fella a runout, and will wait and see how the lighting goes. I was hoping to get a dark, grainy, badly lit image but so you can still see stuff, and i've gotta wait and see what the original footage looks like, and then work from there. I'm sure a grey card is cheaper than a light meter tho! cheers tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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