Rick Palidwor

Funny how so many of the comments veer off into "why send it from UK to LA?" and "find local services" when clearly Naren has alternate and perhaps local services. How else could Naren make award winning films? The only time Naren used Pro8 was when Naren thought he/she had received a "prize".

We calculated about 13% for our super-duper 8 mod. That's approximate. Some photos here: http://www.friendlyfirefilms.ca/superduper8.html Rick

Set the control ring to "2" as this informs the internal light meter that you want to shoot in that shutter mode. It's a nice feature as it allows you to do a shutter fade without the meter trying to compensate by opening the iris. Rick

For myself, since I rarely shoot in auto, all of this is a non-issue. What matters most is to know what your camera meter "thinks" the stock is and to then compensate accordingly. And for the record, I don't think I'd go with that Nizo. I could be wrong but it might be part of a Nizo series that had rubber belts, so it would run quieter, but the rubber disintegrates. Since money seems to be an issue I would consider any of the mid-range Canons, like the 814 auto-zoom (plain AZ or newer "E" version) or even something in their 518 model range. Nice optics and reliable. Also, Nikon 8X super zoom is a personal favourite. Nice optics, reads many film speeds and most importantly, if the internal light meter breaks you can strill control the aperture (just use an external meter). Rick

Miguel is correct, don't worry about it, but to answer your question so you understand that control for future use on different stocks: If you leave it at "0" the film will be slightly over-exposed so you would set the compensation dial toward the minus side. But note, this dial is intended for automatic exposure shooting only. If you are shooting in manual it is assumed that you have made necessary adjustments. Rick

Yes. Some of the old mics have 2 pins and if it's not a sound camera (like 814E) there will only be one jack. In this case I believe you can simply cut off the smaller of the two pins so you can get it into the jack. Rick

Hi Andy There are two types of remote control: electronic and manual, both readily available in a decent camera store. Electronic version is a small pin (looks like a mini jack) and you simply press button to make contact. Mechanical version has a threaded tip which screws into the socket and when you press the button it pushes a long thin pin into the whole. Re: the camera, I think you mean 814 Auto-Zoom. There are two models. Tapping into my memory (I don't have any in front of me) the older 814 AZ uses an electronic remote to run and a mechanical remote to shoot single frame. The later model 814 Autozoom Electronic (or simply "E") only uses a electronic remote. Bottom line, all electronic remotes are interchanageable and all mechanical remotes are interchangeable and both are readily available. Tip: old microphnones, even if not working, can often act as an electronic remote and they tend to have long (up to 20 feet) of cable. An electronic remote you'll find in a store will likely have a very short (1 foot) cable. I collect old microphones to use as remotes. Rick

Absolutely. Here is a link to some frame grabs from a feature I shot in super (duper) 8 with Mitch Perkins: http://friendlyfirefilms.com/sleepalwaysframegrabs.html Rick

Good news. Got an email from Chris Cottril the editor of Super 8 Today with a proof of my contribution. So it's very close to done and should be available soon. Rick

I submitted a lengthy interview with Guy Maddin to Super 8 Today magazine but since it appears that will never see the light of day I have posted it on my blog: http://www.harthouse.ca/blog/interview-guy-maddin There are many interviews with Maddin but none that I have seen that really dug into his use of super 8, so that's what I did, including adapting his filmography to show the super 8 usage in detail, based on the information I could pry out of him. Not that he wasn't forthcoming, but in some cases he simply could not remember the particulars of this stock or that and how much was used in the final cut. In short, there is a lot of information here that simply does not exist anywhere else. If you have never heard of Guy Maddin, all the more reason to read the interview. If you are familiar with Maddin's work, you already know what I am talking about when I say he is a super 8 Super-hero. Rick

I know he was planning a finale issue but I guess he ran out of steam. It's disappointing because I contributed a nice interview with Guy Maddin and if it doesn't come out I feel like I wasted Guy's time. Rick

These days (if ever) it is not practical. What theatres have the projector? If you attempt to fill the large screen it will look like crap. If you're shooting super 8 you are most likely finishing on video or some digital format which is what they would use in a theatrical release, which can look okay if all the steps, from shooting to telecine to finishing are handled well. Look at Guy's Maddin's work (on a big screen if you can). Rick

Yes, use it with an external meter. Do a few tests before shooting anything important as you may have to adjust from the reading a little. For example, if your light meter says f4, you might need to open a bit toward 2.8 to account for light loss in the lens etc. Rick

You can also try www.photoplays.ca in Toronto. Reasonable prices and fast turnaround. This is the same outfit that transferred our super-duper 8 feature Sleep Always. Personally I would avoid Pro8 as they are over-priced and generate too many customer complaints. Rick

All the other suggestions are good. In addition, assuming there may be corosion in the battery compartment, see if the camera has a 9v wall-power option - it might. Try powering it that way. Rick