Jump to content

Jacek Zagaja

Recommended Posts

  • Premium Member

Not sure that a service manual exists, apart from Bolex I've never seen service manuals for any Standard 8 cameras. The Beaulieu MR8 and TR8 models are among the trickiest Standard 8 cameras to disassemble and service, with their tiny shuttling reflex mirrors and variable shutter angle mechanisms. The springs are a weak point, or specifically the winding arm mechanism, which can easily be overwound and broken. I would recommend just buying another one if you want to use these delightful cameras for filming.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Premium Member

Assuming the problem is the back side of the focussing screen, you have to remove the mechanism from the housing to access it. But it might also be at the eyepiece end, the internal surface of the diopter will also show up dirt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

I had a look over my notes on this camera again.

 

You need to remove the cover plate under the lens port that is held by 4 tiny screws and undo the screw beneath, plus the exposed screw above the lens port. Then inside the camera you need to pull out the pressure plate, remove the plate above it (2 screws), the lower film guide (1 screw) and then the large plate with the 2 pressure plate posts that covers the pull down and variable shutter arms (2 screws). Under that plate, parallel to the gate, are 2 similar screws that you undo to remove the front. Don't undo the other 2 screws, or any of the screws on the gears.

 

You can now access the mirror and viewing screen.

 

When you reassemble, seat the gate into the front properly and do up the front screws first, so the flange depth is correct, then do up the 2 screws inside.

 

Good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

The user manual covers questions like that, easily found with google:

 

http://www.apecity.com/manuals/pdf/beaulieu_r8.pdf

or

http://www.marriottcameras.co.uk/instructions/beaulieu_r8/with_pictures.htm

 

The round indicator on the door is a frame counter, you use it to count individual frames when doing stop motion or lap dissolves.

The footage counter is on the other side of the camera, 2 windows in meters and feet. It is directly connected to the spring loaded arm that rests against the film winding on to the take-up spool, so it tells you exactly how much film you've shot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

If you want the best image quality for standard 8 probably use primes.

 

That 9-36 K1 zoom is historically quite important though, it was the first zoom Angenieux produced, back in 1956, and ushered in the era of the modern mechanically compensated zoom that is Angenieux's contribution to cinematographic history. It led directly to the 17-68 for 16mm in 1958 (sometimes mistakenly cited as Angenieux's first zoom since little 8mm is so often overlooked). The mechanically compensated zoom design breakthrough led to the possibility of greater zoom ranges such as 10x and more, eventually leading to zooms like Angenieux's 24-290 which has dominated feature film sets for the last decade. A direct line from your little D mount lens!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 6 years later...
On 1/23/2015 at 2:21 AM, Dom Jaeger said:

You need to remove the cover plate under the lens port that is held by 4 tiny screws and undo the screw beneath, plus the exposed screw above the lens port. Then inside the camera you need to pull out the pressure plate, remove the plate above it (2 screws), the lower film guide (1 screw) and then the large plate with the 2 pressure plate posts that covers the pull down and variable shutter arms (2 screws). Under that plate, parallel to the gate, are 2 similar screws that you undo to remove the front. Don't undo the other 2 screws, or any of the screws on the gears.

Hallo to everybody.

Dom, I read this old post of yours. I have the some problem: very dark and very dirty groundglass. I followed your instructions, but after undoing the 'similar screw', under 'that plate, parallel to the gate', which I think they are the 2 in the red circles in the picture, the front doesn't come out. Am I undoing the wrong screws?

Another problem is on the 6,5-52 Angenieux zoom: the focusing ring is quite wobbling: any way to fix it?

Many thanks

Livio

MR8Innards.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Simon

but can you tell which are the right ones?

1 hour ago, Simon Wyss said:

In caso di emergenza prenderei la presa.

I'm afraid I can't understand what you mean with this italian phrase. Literally it means something like: "In case of an emergency, I'd take the power socket"... 8-|

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

Forgive me, I thought you’d speak Italian judging from your name and location. Presa is the abbreviation of cinepresa. Camera cinematografica. The right screws are these. Maybe it’s better to give the Beaulieu to an experienced person.

MR8Innards.jpg.2cf117a324a2da6943e9e08ef1286c04.thumb.jpg.be768fd55a49e692a19e5fd17b6e7d50.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Simon
but I'm afraid there's no screws where your yellow arrows point (see pic).

Unfortunately the really reliable "experienced persons" here around (Milano) are getting rarer: Franco Pezzoli (also a Bolex authorized repairman) was the last, but he retired, and we really miss him .

You're right, I'm italian indeed, but is the first time I heard using the word "presa" for "cinepresa".MR8Gate.thumb.jpg.d3f950492107be6bb5b0e46cc60088ef.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...