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Help with a canon 814xls


Avery Grade

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So I really just cant catch a break when it comes to super 8 cameras, I have a Canon 814xls that i got off of Ebay non working, and I got it working perfectly by cleaning the dc jack contacts. However it sounded like a cement grinder at high speed so I had to take it apart and get to the mechanism. I eventually got to it and lubed it and put it back together and nothing, nada, kaput. and I know I put all of the connections in the right place. So the one thing I have not done is to check if i'm getting voltage, I kinda had to step away from it for the night in fear that I would in my sleep deprived state break it more. However I did check current from the battery to see if it was taking current, not even a uA was being taken from the battery. I tried to battery check and it did not work either. So I am kinda at a loss here, if anyone has a 814 xls and is willing to take it apart and compare wiring or even better a service manual that has wiring diagrams. It would be of great help. I will get pictures on here when i get home from school, the only pictures I have right now are my wiring reference pictures on my phone.

 

Thanks

 

Avery

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Spectra Film and Video may have experience with repairing these cameras. Wasn't it difficult to take apart the camera? I recall visiting with a technician who explained that there are dozens of soldier points that have to be unsoldered to get the camera open so one can analyze the circuit board and such.

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Spectra Film and Video may have experience with repairing these cameras. Wasn't it difficult to take apart the camera? I recall visiting with a technician who explained that there are dozens of soldier points that have to be unsoldered to get the camera open so one can analyze the circuit board and such.

It was very difficult to take apart and put back together, however I have many years of experience taking things apart like this (high quality photos is a must), but I failed to mention that the camera stopped working like it was getting no power, maybe 10min before i started taking everything apart, i had the handle hanging loose while i was working on it and it stopped working, I suspect it might be a broken wire in the handle but i cant be sure. I might have to ask spectra if they have seen anything like this before, or just send it in to get it repaired, however I want to avoid the cost of that, Don't have that kind of money for a camera i'm not going to use often.

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It's all about perspective. That camera cost around 800.00 back in the mid 80's, adjusted for inflation today that Canon Camera would be worth 3,500 dollars. So you if you bought it for 500 bucks, spending 300 to 350 dollars to fix might not be that bad of an investment.

 

Plus, once it is repaired by an actual Super-8 vendor, it pretty much means if you were to sell it, you may get serious buyers because you actually have proof you had work done on the camera.

 

You may also advise Spectra that down the road you might want to put it on sale and perhaps Spectra gets a call from someone looking for that camera. Just trying to give you some additional ideas on why it may be worth paying someone who can possibly fix the camera.

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Forgot to post, It ended up working perfectly after i jumped the dc power jack! The power runs though the jack to keep it from "charging" the batteries when its plugged in. After I lubed it it sounds so much better, I wish I had a before shot of the camera, it kinda sounded like this, https://youtu.be/t3V_lIT7I9k?t=35s, and it now sounds like this https://youtu.be/BnvhfZ4nuIw, I have film in it and i did not want to run it for long but you get the point, it sounds sooooo much better. only thing that doesn't work is the light on the front, the wires broke off of it, I did not think it was necessary to solder them back on for the stuff ill use the camera for. even if the camera did not work I wouldn't be really peeved, i paid $40 for it. https://www.ebay.com/itm/273074398095. Thanks for the advice on spectra, I was tempted to call them but ended up not needing to.

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even if the camera did not work I wouldn't be really peeved, i paid $40 for it. https://www.ebay.com/itm/273074398095.

 

Ha that's great! that's almost the exact same price I got my 814XL-S for! $35+15 shipping. Dead. BUT I cleaned out the corroded battery jammed in the handle and bought a new battery compartment cap since it was missing and she's been great ever since! $80 all in. Such a steal and SUCH a sharp camera. I probably would've snagged that one you bought if I had seen it haha.

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Great to see some cameras coming back on line without too much expense or pain. I imagine a few hundred spent giving them a good service would be a good idea, but I reckon spending that money on shooting film is a better idea.

People love watching YouTube clips of recent super8 being shot, people aren't as excitable about service receipts.

Edited by Gareth Blackstock
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  • 1 year later...

Hello Avery Grade,

Recently read your post about repairing the Canon 814 XLS and thought I ask how much work did you put into getting the camera running? I'm thinking of picking one up off eBay, at a reasonable price, but the seller doesn't know what the problem is. Just says that the camera is not working. Camera looks in great condition though. With your experience, would you suggest purchasing the camera and sending it off to a repair technician? I know this might be a gamble, but haven't had any luck finding a working 814 XLS at a fair price. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOT-WORKING-CANON-814-XLS-Super-8MM-MOVIE-CAMERA/233336948872?hash=item3653f74888:g:dTUAAOSwUiZddpnn

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On 11/2/2019 at 12:07 AM, Michael P Honold said:

Hello Avery Grade,

Recently read your post about repairing the Canon 814 XLS and thought I ask how much work did you put into getting the camera running? I'm thinking of picking one up off eBay, at a reasonable price, but the seller doesn't know what the problem is. Just says that the camera is not working. Camera looks in great condition though. With your experience, would you suggest purchasing the camera and sending it off to a repair technician? I know this might be a gamble, but haven't had any luck finding a working 814 XLS at a fair price. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOT-WORKING-CANON-814-XLS-Super-8MM-MOVIE-CAMERA/233336948872?hash=item3653f74888:g:dTUAAOSwUiZddpnn

I can't answer your question, but in my book a dead camera is worth nothing like $275. You can't tell much from the outside- it could have lain unused for decades, with components and drivebelts and the like quietly decaying.

Edited by Mark Dunn
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Never thought I would see anything from this thread again, but here we are. The camera I got was not that much money not by a long shot. Mine I think was about $40 and the only thing wrong with it was the battery contacts and the external battery switch. For $250 you are taking a big risk. There could be so much more wrong with it. Those things are a nightmare to work on. I just had to take mine apart again because the daylight filter was fogged up. Now I have to take it apart again to get the switches lined up correctly. These cannon cameras are so complicated here's some pictures: https://imgur.com/a/HygjKJS I would wait to see a cheaper one to come around. As one of my friends say "With time and eBay you can get anything."

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On 11/2/2019 at 11:07 AM, Michael P Honold said:

would you suggest purchasing the camera and sending it off to a repair technician? I know this might be a gamble, but haven't had any luck finding a working 814 XLS at a fair price. 

As Avery has indicated, Canon Super 8s can be a real pain to repair. They require a lot of time just to get access to the areas that need attention, and there are no circuit diagrams or service literature that I'm aware of to help. The last time I worked on a Canon Super 8 cam - a 1014 Autozoom -  it took me over 6 hours to get it working. (I won't be taking those jobs on any more!) 

I'm not sure what you're expecting to pay a technician to do a repair, but if you're starting at $275 for the dead camera, I doubt you're going to end up paying less than the $300 - $500 these cameras can sometimes sell for if you're patient.

If money is tight, why not go for the only slightly earlier Canon 814 XL Electronic, which tends to sell for much less than the XL-S model, and apart from missing a few features like the intervalometer, macro lens function and 24fps speed option, is in many people's estimate just as good.

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Thank you to everyone who responded to my question, I really appreciate the information you guys have provided. I'll hold off getting the Canon 814 XL-S until I find one for sale in working condition, and at a reasonable price of course. I know this will take some soul searching, but didn't want to take the risk if the camera was not going to pay off in the end. Because of this, I recently decided to purchase the Nizo 481 Macro Black Edition, with the Schneider Ultra Wide Lens from Super 8 Arena for €300 euros! Not a bad price if you ask me and the 481 Macro definitely has more features than the 814 XL-S I believe.

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Ya I think especially with the description saying the battery compartment is clear... there's really no telling what the issue could be and it's most likely buried deep. Definitely not worth that. If you're sharp, you can sometimes get an 814XL-S for around that price on eBay. My broken one with a corroded battery was much cheaper as I said, and I was willing to risk the $50, not $275!! Nizo's are great. I have a beautiful 801 Macro I love. The black model is quite sexy. haha.

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