Jean-Louis Seguin

Try this site: http://www.mondofoto.com/manuals/canonautozoom814electronic/ You will get tons of information there. Good Luck! Cheers, Jean-Louis

What camera were you using it on? This lens is designed to work optimally on the Bolex H16 Reflex series of cameras only. On any other camera you can expect poor results, especially wide open. If in fact you were using a Bolex RX, then you must have a malfunctioning sample. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Please PM me if you have one for sale. Thanks. Jean-Louis

The score by Bernard Herrmann adds tremendously to it also. Jean-Louis

Like Chris says, the type of lubricant used on the tightening ring will greatly affect the feel and amount of play in the parts. It would appear that one is not lubricated the same as the other. If you want it nice and tight, you should have looked at by a Bolex tech. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Not all pressure plates are the same. Some have a sharply defined edge and these can work fine with some lateral position adjustment. Others have a rounded edge that does not rest properly on the narrow super16 guide rail and allows the film to buckle. These have to be replaced with the new design. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Hey Saul, Long time no see. Didn't know you lurked around this forum. Saul knows all about the glory days of super8 filmmaking (roughly 1973-1983). Actually my opinion is based on two separate Pathe 16mm cameras I had a close look at many years ago. Maybe I shouldn't generalize. I did examine a DS8 once but I do not recall how the viewfinder was. I'm pretty picky about viewfinders as you can see. Cheers, Jean-Louis

My personal experience with Pathe cameras is that the viewfinders are not very good. The frame has indistinct fuzzy borders with lots of internal reflections and the pellicule system gives a faint double image that makes accurate focusing difficult. Cheers, Jean-Louis

If nothing is taking up the film in the mag, the film will pile up in the camera's film chamber possibly causing scratches or worse, a film jam. You could maybe get by with very short shots, one second or less, and manually take-up the slack after every take. Very tedious. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Most of the the Carl Zeiss Compact Primes CP.2 are specified to cover 36x24mm. http://www.zeiss.com/cine Cheers, Jean-Louis

Olex's mount is for 7D not 5D. 7D is 22.3 x 14.9 mm (APS-C size) 5D is 36.0mm x 24.0mm (35mm Full-frame) I doubt PL cine lenses would have sufficient coverage for 5D. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Is there anything with the features of Avisynth that works with Mac OSX? Cheers, Jean-Louis

I know this is not practical, but the only full-proof way to know is to try each piece of equipment yourself under the conditions you usually use. Otherwise, gather as much information as you can from as many sources as you can on the merits of a particular piece of equipment before deciding on a verdict. Try to search for professional evaluations on brand new samples of the lenses as were done in the trade magazines of the 70s such a Super8Filmaker, Movie Maker or Filmmaking. Too often, an opinion is based on a maladjusted or otherwise defective sample of the lens and then it gets generalized to all such lenses. Talking about equipment made in the 60s and 70s, it's a safe bet that a fixed focal length lens from a reputable manufacturer will usually perform better that any zoom. Depth of focus is extremely critical in the super8 format and zooms and very wide angle lenses are often prone to back-focus errors that can seriously impact on sharpness. This accounts for many instances of poor performance reported by users. Not to mention dirty lenses, lenses with internal fog, poorly seated lenses, maladjusted groundglass, etc... If you're using one of the Beaulieu models with built-in gel filters (40 years old now!), I would seriously consider having them removed and the flange-focal distance re-adjusted. Use glass filters in front of the lens for any corrections. Just my two pence. Cheers, Jean-Louis

For lenses with a focal length shorter than 50mm, you might have to obtain separate lenses for each camera system for best results. Do a search for previous posts on the effects of the Bolex prism on sharpness. Cheers, Jean-Louis

I guess you can reframe the image in post-production if necessary. I'm from the age of the dinosaurs when you had to get the framing right while shooting! Cheers, Jean-Louis

Hi Bernie, Interesting. I stand corrected then. I never really investigated it in depth but I would not have thought it possible based on my experience in repairing them. Can you also provide full coverage on the groundglass? This is where I anticipated there would be problems. Cheers, Jean-Louis

You can forget about converting a Beaulieu R16 to Ultra; can't be done. Also there is no problem handholding the Bolex; you probably just don't have the right technique. Or get yourself the proper pistol grip if you have one; might help. Cheers, Jean-Louis

If you have a single black dot, you have the older version which has just a plain viewfinder without any kind of focusing aid. The later models have a split-image focusing aid and inside the lens you can spot three of these black dots. For best results, always focus at the zoomed-in position and do it quickly before your eyesight accommodates and causes uncertainty as to what is exactly in focus. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Just run out all the film onto the take-up core. Then, in the dark, loop the end around the two stationary rollers and reinsert back into the cross-over drum. Then reattach to the feed core and wind back the film by hand. This way you are completely bypassing the sprockets and the gate. Then rethread normally and do your second exposure. Cheers, Jean-Louis

This is normal. It is a tiny round mirror that sends the image to the viewfinder. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Obviously your number one problem is the bulb. You must get the proper bulb; they are not hard to find. It available from multiple sources and I see them on eBay all the time. Cheers, Jean-Louis

This question has been answered many times before in this forum and elsewhere. To avoid potential damage to your camera, use only 6x NiCd or NiMH rechargeable cells. 5x Alkaline cells + one dummy cell is also acceptable. I have a feeling that filmmakers who report no problems with using 6x alkaline have a later version model which resolved the voltage sensitivity of earlier versions. Since it is not possible to distinguish the two versions from the outside, it is safer to follow the above recommendations. Cheers, Jean-Louis P.S. I owned a 6080 and then a 6056 in the 80s and both had light meter circuitry wrecked by wrong batteries.

Check with wittner kinotechnik in Germany. Cheers, Jean-Louis

Can you post a few pictures showing where this nut comes from and what stage of disassembly you are at? That'll help. Cheers, Jean-Louis

I would say set it completely manually if you can. The preset mechanism is not reliable. Cheers, Jean-Louis