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beaulieu 6008 s questions


Coby Berger

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Hey I'm new to super 8 cinematography but not unfamiliar with old cameras that need repairs. for example in skateboarding videography the Sony VX1000 is over 20 years old but is still used by many professionals and can only be trustfully repaired by Kerry Edwards at Video Electronics. Lurking these forums before making an account it seems Bjorn in Seweden is the equivalent for Beaulieus. That being said I am already planning on sending a Beaulieu 6008 s that I buy to him. My questions about this camera I could not find searching the forums. They are:

 

- How long does a CLA last? when would I need to have it serviced again?

 

- I see on the beaulieu 6008 pro there is a switch on the back to change it from 24(ntsc) to 25 (pal), is there the same switch on the beaulieu 6008 s? if not what is it's native format and would there be a problem if it's 25(pal) since I'm located in the states? all footage i will be having scanned at 4k.. don't know if that makes a difference or if that's something I need to tell the lab?

 

- The stock I'll be using is kodak vision3 50D. on the asa dial of the 6008 s it goes from 40 - 80 with 2 notches in between. which one would be for asa 50? i've also read to overexpose the 50D by a stop or two. is this the common practice?

 

- Lastly is a Beaulieu 6008 s a good camera? or would it be better to invest in something else.. I would love to see footage from one scanned at 4k but I can only find footage from the 4008zm series. is that camera better for any reason? the batteries seem like a pain as opposed to just AA's

 

thanks for any help

 

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Beaulieu used to recommend a servicing every 3 years, about the same as BOLEX recommended. This of course is based on usage, as heavier usage might require such service. Alternatively not using a camera for years can often require servicing. The BEAULIEU 6008S is their first version of the later Lexon bodied design using newer electronics for it's functions as well as sound on film recording [previously also available on their 3008S and 5008S cameras].

 

The 24/25fps switch is only available on the Pro version of this camera, not the S. The Pro is a silent camera that will allow use of sound and silent cartridges since it shares the same body as the Sound version, and it uses a slide in module in the rear of the camera for quartz speed control. The 'native' speed of the 6008S is either 18 or 24fps. The difference between 24fps and 25fps is so slight it makes no significant difference in practical use and as far as film transfer goes in either NTSC or PAL, since virtually all transfers now are done digitally.

 

The 2 notches on the Beaulieu 6008S filmspeed dial are for the former KODACHROME 25/40 variation in which the Daylight Conversion Filter has to be moved into position. Even if you set it at ASA/ISO/EI 40, it's close enough to ISO 50 to work well, with technically slight overexposue which won't hurt. Exposure is relative to the subject matter of course, and all light meters are designed based on the 18% Gray Card standard, so you might want to adjust your exposure manually in various situations anyway. It's also really important to have the owner's manual for whatever camera you use, and these are readily available. If the manual helps prevent even one mistake, it's worth the cost to have it.

 

Unless shooting anamorphically or frame masked, the aspect ratio is 4:3 so transfers to 2K or 4K seem like overkill to me since it's still 4:3 ratio. Keep in mind that 2K & 4K are both a wider aspect ratio than even HD is, so why did we all settle on that 16:9 Television aspect ratio in the first place if films are still being made wider and thus now cropped on top and bottom to fit? Crazy. Anyhow, only you can judge what transfer results will work for your projects. I suggest a test at all three if possible and do a comparision; HD, 2k and 4k.

 

The BEAULIEU 6008S is a very good camera as long as it's working fine. It was the embodiment of Beaulieu's state of the art in Super 8mm, although there are many fans that prefer the earlier 4008 series for various reasons [largest viewfinder image of any Super 8mm camera made, dedicated manual film rewind option, frame & footage counters (although in the later 6008S there is an LED counter and in the 7008 and 9008 versions an LCD counter), the smaller compact size but then, the earlier camera is a silent film cartridge only model, and also the fine ground glass focusing screen which is removable to opt for the brighter aerial image view, and some other reasons]. The 6008S accepts both the newer Beaulieu breech-lock lens mount as well as the standard C-mount lenses. It can use both Double A Alkaline or Rechargeable batteries which is a plus over the previous design, but there are now a few options for those older cameras. The viewfinder is bright but much smaller than the 4008 models, and it has a fixed ground glass focusing circle with a black etched ring in the middle. Many found this annoying, and it was done away with on later models, and Beaulieu even offered replacement with a full fixed ground glass screen, but that is no longer to be, and most never bothered having it done due to the cost and shipping of the camera back to France. In practice, the camera works fine as it was designed and many have had fun using it. The Hall Sensor Speed Control though, is really only for the former Sound Film Cartridges, not the Silent ones, but even so, the speed runs well via it's onboard circuitry if all is well with the camera.

 

This was their flagship model when it was introduced and I've had great results with it. Another reason many favor the older metal bodied versions is that they tend to be serviced in more places around the world. But since in most cases this requires packing a camera off with expensive shipping costs back and forth as well, it really doesn't matter as they can still all be serviced when needed, albeit the costs involved. Keep in mind, typically servicing such a camera can easily cost as much as the camera these days, unless already being sold by a vendor that serviced the camera with a warranty. In the end, it really comes down to how you like any given camera, since after a certain build quality, they will all give great results if used correctly. So it often comes down to how it feels, sounds, ease of use, and especially how easy the viewfinder is to use. I wear eyeglasses so always have to factor that in on any camera, film, cine, or digital. If I can't see to compose thru the darn viewfinder, I'm going to have an issue with any camera.

 

Hope this helps.

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Even if you set it at ASA/ISO/EI 40, it's close enough to ISO 50 to work well, with technically slight overexposue which won't hurt.

 

Should this be indicated to the lab for processing that i've pulled the film? or is it such a small amount it doesn't matter? I have read on here kodak vision3 50D should be overexposed by a stop or two for tighter grain. Thank you for answering my other questions too. Definitely helps.

 

Should this be indicated to the lab for processing that i've pulled the film? or is it such a small amount it doesn't matter? I have read on here kodak vision3 50D should be overexposed by a stop or two for tighter grain.

 

EDIT: as for the 4k I had seen super 8 scanned at 4k in this video mixed with 720p and mistook it for 16mm. I asked the filmer what 16mm camera he used and he said it was super 8 scanned at 4k and cropped to fit the 16:9 timeline. He used a Nizos56 on what I imagine was kodak vision3 50D

 

example at 1:07 and scattered throughout the video:

 

http://www.thrashermagazine.com/video/most-recent/sebo-walker-s-eight-days-in-nyc-part?jwsource=cl

Edited by Coby Berger
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BEAULIEU is pronounced Bowl you....although Brits tend to say Bue Lee, or something like that, at least back when I lived over there in the 1980s for 4 years.

 

Slight over or underexposure won't affect lab processing, and if you really want a film Pushed or Pulled in processing, there is an extra cost and the few labs that might offer it do it in 1-Stop increment. That slight variation in the 40 or 50 ISO is too mini to make a difference and no lab other than a manual processing lab running tight control strips could even compensate for such a tiny amount.

 

As for over exposing to tighten the grain, you really really need to conduct some tests on your own and compare your own results to determine what works best for you. One cartridge can teach you many things, just slate each shot with the data of how you're shooting it, then this roll of film will be your reference to refer to for future filming. The only Color Negative I have shot in Super 8mm has been for setting up transfer parameters, and also testing how the film does in Reversal Processing since it seemed for some time that we might not get a Color Reversal film stock, but now we have EKTACHROME 100D back. It yet remains to be seen if Ferrania will bring back their own Color Reversal film in time.

 

As for transfers, I prefer to project film. While I do transfers for customers, I still have yet to get all my own films digitized here eventually. As they say, the cobbler's children go barefoot. It'll take me the rest of my lifetime to get all my images and films digitized and organized, if I ever get to it. Anyhow, again, only you can determine which quality level of transfer suits your needs. I had thought that Blu-Ray was going to be the end result, but no one has requested that format, it's been either DVD or the Digital Files themselves. It's quite possible that a physically moving media such as DVD, CD and Blu-Ray will fade away in favor of storage on chip type media anyway. Those disc formats have a short lifespan anyhow.

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How is Beaulieu pronounced? I always wondered. Now's the time!

 

 

If you seek to hear and use the original French pronunciation – and you should, as this name seems to get butchered in American English and British English even more than "Porsh" at an English-language Porsche Driver Fan Club – I recommend to click here :) :

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Thank you Martin and Michael. Sorry to briefly divert this thread. As a teenager working in film largely on my own I started pronouncing it "burr-low" with stress on "burr." Pronounced it that way ever since, but now that I think about it, not a very likely pronunciation at all. In the video it almost sounds like "bull you".

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Found a link to a .pdf to the 6008 s manual online posted below:

right click to download

http://mrelmo.co.uk/manuals/8mm/beaulieu6008user.pdf.

I got my 6008 s today from Bjorn. I filmed a few clips in 24p then wanted to get one on 56fps and now that is the only setting that it will record on. It won't film on any other setting. I know the motor isn't broken/fried because of this but was wondering how I can get the camera to film in 24fps again? Has anybody else experienced this problem?

Edited by Coby Berger
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  • 4 years later...

Hi!

According to the manual, Beaulieu didn’t repeat the design flaw of the 4008. (On the 4008, switching to „manuel“ disables both the automatic exposure and the electric zoom as it „turns off“ everything that is located in the lens.) So on the 6008S, it looks like turning the exposure to „man“ doesn’t have an impact on the zoom. (BTW: On both the 4008 and 6008S, you can always manually zoom.)

But it would be great if anyone could confirm this who doesn’t only have the manual, but also the real camera. ?

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On 4/12/2023 at 12:06 PM, Janis Lionel Huber said:

Hello, can the zoom be operated when the 6008 is in manual mode or how can the zoom be operated when light is measured via a sekonic and aperture is set fix?

Thanks for the help! 

Can confirm the 6008 S still has the power zoom enabled in manual exposure mode.

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