Gordon Nelson

I used some slip on crimp connectors that are fully shielded, again from radio shack. Not the best fit, but they work. They remain in place in the battery compartment once the battery cap is screwed in place. I used a radio shack 4 pin microphone screw-on connector so I can easily remove the cable without upsetting the contacts with the camera. I'm satisfied with the race car battery, because it also works with my Beaulieu R-16 (my favorite camera) and keeps going and going... If I can find the time, I'll post some pics of the set-up.

The focusing screen ALWAYS gets junk on it. There's no way to avoid it in a world that has dust. Fortunately it is not in the film path. If you really need to clean it, you can get enough access to squirt some canned air from the front of the camera if you remove the C-mount- the screws are under the thin black plastic ring. Indeed, Bernie is Super 16, Inc. He did fantastic work on the fleet of troublesome Eclair NPRs which were part of our fleet at the film school I worked at. My 4008 servicing cost $200 and took only a week. Yes, the 4 screws will remove the zoom-iris device. The lens is fully manual without it. The only drawback for me is that the iris turns very easily. It's easy to replace, just note the position of the macro lever. For the battery I'm using a 7.2v NiMH race car battery connected via a cable. I stick it in my pocket when shooting. I made a camera body connector using parts from Radio Shack and an M-42 threaded camera body cap, which is the same thread size as the 4008's battery compartment. I first tried rechargeable AA's and they didn't have enough juice for my 4008, tho they worked on a 5008. I have had NO luck getting any old Beaulieu batteries open, including the 16mm ones.

RE: Opening the body: Opening the side with the controls is easy, but the side with the door is a big challenge- I'd get a pro to do that. When I opened mine from the control side, I used a squeeze blower to remove dust & De-Oxit (applied with a Q-tip- DON'T SPRAY INSIDE THE CAMERA GUTS- it will end up in the VF elements) to clean & lube the fps dial and put a few drops in some of the gears, to remove some squeaking. RE: the auto exposure problem- I removed my zoom/iris motor and suggest the same for anyone wanting to get the most control. It just gets in the way most of the time. This would eliminate that odd stopping down issue, which is likely a contact problem. Contrary to many others, I find the internal meter useful & fairly accurate when in manual mode. RE: focus- make sure your lens isn't set in macro when trying to focus. Remove the lens and set the diopter to focus on the ground glass. If your image looks soft at wide angle, you may have a back-focus problem (another pro-job requiring a tool for collimating). I've heard that Beaulieu bodies were matched to their lenses at the factory, so you may have a mis-match. RE: the 24 fps detent- I sent my 4008zm to Bernie O'Dougherty for a more serious servicing and he offered to change mine from 18 to 24 fps (I declined), so he can do that. So again, another pro job because a way to measure 24fps precisely is needed. What kind of battery are you using?

If you are experimenting and not too concerned with professional standards, I suggest using inexpensive fish-eye adapters on a zoom. I've tried this with my Angenieux 8-64 with a Spiratone fish-eye adapter and I really love the look. It's not extremely sharp, though.

I have a few Kern lenses that are all great, though some are better than others. I'm pretty sure Yvars were more budget oriented than Kern Switar lenses and are generally slower and have fewer glass elements, but it's still a Kern and Swiss-made (quality!). If it is marked "RX", it is designed for a Bolex Reflex camera and you will have focus issues at certain f-stops. http://www.bolexcollector.com/articles/07_03_21.html You say it's wide angle, but you don't mention the focal length. I'll assume it's probably 15 or 16mm focal length (since Kern's 10mm is a Switar), which is a moderately wide angle in 16mm format, but not too exciting in super-8 (marginally telephoto, if you consider 12mm to be normal). That said, it will mount to the 6008 with the only conceivable advantage being that it's more comfortable to carry than the larger, heavier, very high quality Schneider or Angenieux zoom lens that the 6008 is usually seen with (assuming you have a zoom). Regarding my own experience with prime lenses, I find a 10mm to be a more useful focal length in super-8, so I wouldn't pay too much for the Yvar because you probably don't need it.

Offering online PDFs of manuals for free strikes me as an act of kindness. I wish more people would do it. Charging money for a photocopy seems less ethical to me.

Aside from looking like a Hasselblad, what's cool about it? To me it looks troublesome. How is that lens?

Here's an explanation of why you use RX lenses: http://www.city-net.com/~fodder/bolex/truth.html "RX RULE: STANDARD C-MOUNT LENSES WILL WORK WELL THROUGH THE BOLEX PRISM PROVIDED THAT THEY ARE STOPPED-DOWN PAST ABOUT F/3.2" I would get a Switar 10mm RX. I think its a better lens that the Som-Berthiot or Angenieux.

If you want to look cool while filming, get a Beaulieu 4008. If you want a reliable camera that won't cause frustration, get a Canon 814 or 1014. I work at a film school and these are unbelievably tough cameras. Despite the impressive-looking lens, the Nalcom is going to cause you grief.

I think you mean a Eumig 610D- That's a nice machine. The variable speed functions are great, standard & super switching & a bright halogen lamp. I wish I had one & I'd snap up one of those if it's in good shape & a fair price. They command high prices on ebay. You can see one here along with an Elmo K-110SM: http://www.blackandwhitefilmfactory.com/pr...rs_for_rent.htm It's easy to confuse it with the Elmo K-110SM (top of the page). It has similar features. I have one that I found in a thrift store and I don't like it too much. It has really poor registration in Super-8 mode. Maybe it's just mine, but it seems to be something to do with the design compromise made in allowing dual formats.

http://shop.criscam.com/product.php?productid=2 This $29.00 MR-9 adapter from C.R.I.S. camera reduces the voltage of common silver-oxide 1.5v 386 batteries to 1.3v. I've been using these in my Nizo 560 and Gossen Luna-pro for over a year now. I've always had bad luck with wein cells- they seem to die fast. Probably because they sit around waiting to be sold for too long. Gordon

Hi- I'd have to say Elmo beats Eumig. They are both good machines, but the Elmo's film path is more accessible, therefore easier to clean and save your film if it jams. I have a Elmo 1200 that I love, however my favorite super-8 projector is the Bolex 18-5 "toaster" model with an adapter to use a halogen bulb. Gordon