Sean McHenry

Both are quite nice. In the second video, there is a sort of vignette of the image, especially when the young lady is lying on the ground with the deer like animal over her. Can you tell me something about the lighting for this video. Seems a bit like a high key lighting but softer. Reminds me a bit of the effect of the old Robert Palmer video where the coloring is a muted style but with interestingly blown out highlights. A very nice look on both. Sean McHenry

This will sound silly but a lot of cameras have a seperate off/on switch as well as the trigger. Sometimes labeled as R or R/L. You would want the R setting. If you get it to come to life, and battery corrosion is a lot of the issue on older cameras, open the area where you load the film. As you run the camera, look toward the front of the camera while aiming toward a bright light. Make sure you are in auto or manual with the Iris open all the way and you should see flickering light from right behind the lens. It should change speeds as you choose different camera film speeds. Common speeds would be 9, 12, 18, 24, 48, 54 and beyond. I am not familiar with your model. You might google around for a manual for it online. There are a few places with archived out of print manuals in PDF format. If you don't get it to fire up, don't toss it out just yet. Give it to a neighbor kid who is into electronics to see if the wiring on the battery box has become loose, corroded or just plain broke off it's connections. I would hate to see you toss out an otherwise nice camera for a broken wire. Good luck, Sean McHenry

2 options for you to consider. One is what I use, an M-Audio Mobile Pre. It is a USB plugable device with Phantom power, XLR and 1/4 TRS inputs as well as headphone monitoring. It basically replaces your laptop or PC audio card when plugged into a USB port. Pretty useful. I bought mine to keep out the digital noise from the inexpensive PC motherboard and the onboard audio card. You can see it here: http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MobilePreUSB-main.html Another option is a USB mic like the Snowball that was recently written about in one of the video magazines. Its a Blue Mic and they are getting a decent reputation. See it here; http://www.bluemic.com/modules.php?op=modl...6eeb090b66c6c86 Not as flexible an option as the M-Audio and something like a Behringer B1 but looks like waht you may be after. Sean McHenry http://www.DeepBlueEdit.com

Somnething I have always wondered is this, If i drop in a cart of ASA 50 film but my camera doesn't recognize the nothcehs as 50, how do I know it won't read it as ASA 250? Just because 50 is just bit over 40 doesn't mean it's actually being recognized as the nearest ASA does it? Not knowing how the notches work, I am unsure. Sean

I was just talking about this in another thread and we came up with rating the 500T at 320 ASA as there is light loss of 2/3 stop from the prism and glass. This is if you are using an external meter on the 814 series. Since those cameras only registers carts up to 250 ASA, it would be best to shoot on manual exposure with an external meter and rate the film at 320 ASA and live with that. At least that is the theory we came up with. Sean

My thanks to all for answering my questions here as well. It all makes sense and I am feeling more at ease now. I have a Kodak grey card and several empty carts for the purpose of checking the meter at various ASA ratings in auto mode. Now all I have to do is sit down and do it. Television and Photography (Old Photog major at OSU here) made use of grey cards back in the day. I'll try that tonight. On the other gentlemans question about reversal, I have heard reversal is right on and has little latitude. the overexposure issue I mentions was specific to 500T negative film where I had heard from a few different sources that a bit of over exposure was actually good in Super 8. YMMV so test it out. Maybe a slate with your settings and camera ratings? This is all just like 35mm still photography - except different. (that's a small joke) There is plenty of similarity but throw shutter angle in the mix. Shooting some 200 Tri-X now for a test. Should know next week how the 814 XLs is doing. I am looking forward to my first filmed short very soon. Using my Sony PDX-10 for the non-sync sound. Thanks again, Sean McHenry

Yeah, that and the new version of the flux capacitor! (The old ones tended to leak) : ) Sean (I had to)

The 8mm vs 16mm choice is the same as it is in everything we do. I am thinking of a small sprtscar for my next vehicle (Saturn Sky - Rdline Edition) but there are so many vehicles out there that are better suited to my life. Go for the speed and thrills or skip it and go for the practical stuff? If we always chose practical, we are going to miss a lot of fun in life. Sean

So, to get specific, I own both a Canon 814 AZ and an 814 XL-s. These use a prism as I recall and so have about 2/3 stop loss? Can't remember now but I think that was it. I just bought a Miniolta Autometer IV. So to use it correctly, withoug any extra filters over the lens, I would simply add 2/3 stop to my readings to get the correct exposure. I hit this in another forum but if I was to use 500T, realizing the camera only reads up to 250 ASA automatically, I would be OK to shoot if I just let the external meter readings go when set to 24fps at 500. I would be overexposing the 500 by only 1/3 stop as the prism is sucking up the other 2/3. I have also read that shooting a bit over is a good idea for 500. Is that all about right? All my years in television have hurt me in the film world. I suppose if the math is correct my only question is what does the camera see the 500 carts as? 250 I hope. Sean McHenry

Very cool. I wish I had that much vision. I read a bit about Stuntman in Super8 Today. Nice work. Glad to see people are getting good stuff from Super 8. I'm part of a film group here in Columbus, Ohio and I will be spreading the word about your work. Sean McHenry

So from reading other forum Q&A here, did you use the built in light meter on the 814 XL-s? I am looking to shoot a short at dusk very soon and am wondering about either the 250 or 500 stocks. Did you compensate for the camera as I believe the 814XL-s only registers 64 through 250 ASA films. Please give a quick rundown of what you did to shoot with the 500 on the 814 XL-s. Thanks, Sean McHenry

Note that it would be tough to get a professional blow up or even video transfer to beta or other video format at 18. I am sure a few places can do it but the accepted norm is still 24 for released theatrical films. It would be like expecting a PAL video to be accepted here in the US. It can be converted to our US NTSC standard but why not just shoot it right in the first place. Sure, it can be cool or you can use it for an old time hand cranked feel, like the really old Chaplin films or something. Unless you want higher speed playback, the opposite fo Slow-Mo, it is more a bother than it's worth I would think. Most NLE programs aren't set up for 18fps either. Some can do PAL native (25fps) but all will be looking for 24, especially if you are converting to NTSC on the way in or out of the NLE. You really won't save all that much film if you are going 18 vs 24 anyway, at least for a short. Would make a big difference of you were doing a feature, but if you were doing a feature, you would want to shoot the accepted norm of 24 fps. Sean

Note that on their web site they mention they cannot process any K40 film pre-2005. So, I just received 9 rolls of Kodachrome - SOUND film. Yeah, it's 15 years out of date but I wanted to run a roll just to see what it came out like. Is there anyplace that will do K40 sound left? Sean McHenry Sean@DeepBlueEdit.com

For 12v batteries, any of the Batteries Plus type stores will sell 12v Gel Cells. You can also take the easy route and buy one with connectors in a nice shoulder bag from bescor.com Sean McHenry

Something to consider when doing transfers "on the cheap"... If you will be capturing with any modern video editing NLE, try what I tried recently, rear screen projection. Simple method is like this; shoot the projected image on a piece (sample - hint, hint) of rear screen projection material from a projector screen company, like Drapper or other screen company. You can now put your nice 3-chip DV, or in my case, a Sony PDX-10 camera directly square on to the reversed image using a tripod, etc. You will have no keystoning in your image this way. You could also try scrim materials as a screen. Get some heavy opal, it's a cheap screen, staple a section of it to a small wooden frame to hold it steady. Use the NLE software to flip it horizontally, otherwise the image is backwards. Something to watch out for, if you make the image smaller, it will be much brighter - however - if your screen material is a textured material or worse, glass beaded, you will see the beads as "grain" in your video image that doesn't move or change. I am thinking of a smaller circular spinning screen to keep the "grain" of the screen from showing up. Sort of the opposite end of the spectrum but the same idea as a 35mm adapter for video. They use a spinning glass disc to focus interchangable lenses on and the camera picks up this image (usually flipped also) to tape. Just better cheap alternatives. Sean McHenry

Google has been doing pretty good with their Flash codec lately. Take a look at my goofy digital short "Cat Fight at OK and Corral" to see a decent conversion. For Google, it all starts with a good clean encode in a format they can easily convert. http://www.DeepBlueEdit.com/Portfolio.htm I think it looks fairly good but it's B&W from a 24p Canon XL-H1 in MiniDV mode encoded originally as a high level WMV file to send to Google for conversion to Flash 8. As I recall, by the time it had finished uploading, it was ready to watch. Very fast for that particular upload. I just watched it on a Dell Laptop here at work and I admit, it looks pretty bad on this laptop so your settings may vary. It really looks good on my home PC and my personal HP laptop. Maybe some good stills posted someplace? Sean

IF it's for one shoot, try black gaffer tape. I have never seen the 814 or 1014 AZ in anything other than the raw aluminum style. Another thought photographers have used for a logn long time is to put a larger black foamcore piece right in front of the camera with a hole only big enough to push the lens through. You won't likely see any really noticable reflections in set objects of the camera or operator that way. If you hang on a bit, I may end up with an 814 AZ for sale. Looking at an 814 XL-s right now. Should know by tonight. Sean

Final tally on the camera from last night, went for $414 as I recall. Too much for me right now. buying a light meter and film stock for now. Might grab one of the nice 814s folks offered me, sell off the AZ and recoup a bit and apply that to film stock. Thanks again everyone. If 814 XL-s or 1014 XL-s units pop up someone is willing to part with for a reasonable amout, if you think of it, point them my way. Thanks, Sean

Having just been seriously outbid on a 1014 XL-S model, I can say a few things about it. First, you can't do sync sound in camera anymore, you probably know that already but sound film carts don't exist anymore. It's npt so much about whether you can do sync sound in camera but for me it's about how quiet the camera is. I want to shoot free running sound (wild sound) but my current 814 AutoZoom is a sewing machine sounding device. In a quiet room, there is little escaping it. You can also look at it this way, you can frighten people and attract lots of attention if you fire one of the non-sound cameras up in a coffee shop. On the other hand, you can draw lots of attention. It's a 2 -way street in some instances. At least everyone knows when you are rolling. Sean (Looking for a cheap 814 or 1014 XL-S)

More pricing oddities: Here are some samples of prices that show the market is all over the place on Super 8 cameras; Canon 814 AZ - $92.51 Canon 814 AZ - $26.00 (I bought mine almost a 10 months ago for $125) Canon 1014 AZ E - $88 Canon 1014 AZ E - $190 Canon 1014 AZ E - $61.50 Canon 1014 AZ E - $273.77 Canon 1014 AZ E - $127.50 Canon 814 XL-S - $305 Canon 814 XL-S - $495 (didn't sell - 0 bids) These are all from this week. Lot's of Nizo and a few Bauers as well out there. I have about topped out on the 1014 XL-S Bidding at around $335 for now. The seller want's about $60 US for shipping from overseas so that puts me about $400 and at my limit for this time. If it goes for more, I'll buy some lighting and film stock, build a Barney and move on I suppose, or maybe take one of the folks that offered me an 814 XL-S up on thier offer and still buy some film. Thanks for the info folks, Sean

Odd you should mention this. I have been careful not to divulge my source for the camera at this time as I want to avoid creating a rush. I don't want to blow it by saying anything else but I would ask, if anyone reading this chunk of forum would please NOT work against me, this budding young(ish) future filmmaker would love to buy that camera. : ) See you all in 24 hours with the news one way or another. Keep offering suggestions and all. I'm listening. Also, as I mentioned before, folks have been e-mailng me offers of their Canons. I appreciate that and may very well be taking someone up on that. If anyone else has an 814 XL-s or 1014 XL-s they might want to part with please let me know. These are my first choice for my next camera. Likewise, I will offer my 814 AZ here if anyone wants it if I pick up one of the above for waht I paid for it. Details tomorrow - maybe. Sean

And I'm a sneaky "top poster" to boot... Still interested in what you folks think. Did I somehow indicate I wasn't? Sorry about that. Still am interested. On the sniping - yeah, I have seen people pay WAY too much for things just because they get carried away or don't realize what things are really worth. I'm trying to avoid paying too much and artifically inflating prices for the next poor slob that want's to find a bargin. There is a nice looking Bauer S 209 out there right now I could go with as well. I just want something quieter and always heard the Canon s were the work horses. I will also keep my eyes open for Nikons and other "sound" cameras but want to explore the Canons first. Thanks again for all the input. It isn't going to waste. Sean

Somehow $500 seems steep to me on the 1014 XL-s. Looking at previous prices I have followed, $200 - $250 seems typical for the 814 XL-S while $300 or so seems to be where the 1014XL-s units have been in the past but yes, it is a sellers market so anything goes. I am still interested in the 1014 XL-s but hear the 814 XL-s may be the better buy as it is lighter but still has great optics, etc. Just not exactly the same zoom range as the 1014, from what I hear on various web sites. A few folks have e-mailed me with offers on their cameras, I appreciate that and will be letting everyone know what I go with in the next 2 days. I may stick with my 814 AZ and just build a Barney, saving the cash for film stock. Saw a Canon 1218 go for around $150 the other day. Interesting looking camera. Got to go, taping a television game show today and tomorrow. Sean McHenry Sean@DeepBlueEdit.com http://www.DeepBlueEdit.com

Topic says it all. I have found someone with a Canon 1014 XL-S with the original WA adapter. Looks pretty clean. How much should I expect to pay for a very good condition 1014 XL-S? While we are at it, how much cheaper should the 814 XL-S be? I know it's a hard number to pin down but what is the max you would pay for these is really the question. I have an 814 AZ now but am looking for a quieter Canon to shoot a piece with. I am expecting to get away with a 1014 XL-S for say, $250 or so? Sound about right? Trouble is, shipping will run me almost $60 (so I am told) Opinions? Anyone have a good working 814 XL-S or 1014 XL-S they would let go for near this amount? Thanks folks, Sean Sean@DeepBlueEdit.com

I'll be standing in line with a few smaller projects for you. I am shooting a short piece in Super 8 this fall. Should be half a dozen rolls or so needing transfered to DVCam or MiniDV. Let us know what system you are going with. Sean