Bengt Freden

Hi Paul, I didn´t mean that I recommend people not to buy your fine camera, I just wanted everybody to be aware of all the facts and be able to compare. The Pro8mm 'Classic' MAX-8 camera with 24 fps crystal sync is a very good choice indeed for dedicated sync sound shooting, if you can get the camera to run quieter with a led/foam barney or blimp housing and a supercardioid shotgun mike. Peronally, I think Pro8mm and Phil Vigeant charges way too much for refurbished Beaulieu 4008 ZM cameras with the 1.9/Angénieux 8-64mm macro zoom lens. This is the only Super 8 zoom lens, to my knowledge, that covers the slightly wider frame of the 'MAX-8' format (or 'Super-Duper 8'). It is a construction from the early 60s, which isn´t quite as tack sharp as the Schneider Optivaron macro 1.8/6-66mm or the faster Angénieux T1.4/6-80mm. I know, because I have them all and I have tested them. Yes, the body is re-painted - I think this may be a must, when using old Beaulieu ZM cameras and selling them as 'new'. The widened gate, by the way (about 1mm wider/poened up to the left in the camera gate), gives you a ratio of 1.58:1, which is not as wide as 16:9. You still need to crop the top and bottom of the frame a bit to get a true 16:9 image but it´s of course a lot better than starting with a 1.33:1 frame. Refer to the picture (from Wittner Cinetec) below. A separate, long-lasting battery pack is great to have on long shoots on a tripod but I personally prefer the smaller batteries that screws directly into the camera - a spare one is easy to keep in a pocket. They are re-celled with 450mAh NiMH cells and last a day of shooting. I am thinking about widening a gate in one of my Beaulieus 4008´s but there are issues with the shutter and the perfect re-alignment of the lens vs. the gate and framing of the viewfinder. Furthermore, it limits the choice of really good zoom lenses with a good wide angle setting. I´d have to use good primes instead and longer 16mm zooms with a C mount. All in all, the lucky person who buys your Pro8mm 'Classic' MAX-8 camera will certainly get a rugged professional sync sound machine with a very good lens. All the best, / Bengt Pro8mm 'MAX-8' Beaulieu camera gate, widened/opened on the left hand side (picture from Beaulieu and Pro8mm dealer Wittner Cinetec, Germany).

G´day, Richard, Those are very good advice, indeed. My 'pre-scan' film editing set-up looks like this: A Minette S-5 viewer, with a metal gate and pressure plate (and a steady image) - small rewinds in 'up' position (or removed) A black cardboard 'hood' on the viewer, like the larger ones on computer displays (for reflexes and ceiling light) A pair of old Bolex 16mm rewinds, with large wooden handles, and Super 8 metal reel adapters (from Wittner Cinetec - not cheap but very high quality) - the rewinds are easily set up on the edge of the table at a comfortable distance from the viewer Extra-large Elmo Super 8 rewinds, on a side table, that take complete 1200 feet reels (for projection) 'Automatic' plastic film reels (Tuscan!), 200 or 400 feet, which I have prepared with soft velvet strings on the cores Plenty of Kodak celluloid white leader, with one matted side, for notes or sound start marks with pencils or thin markers A Hähnel cement splicer, which allows for splices from both sides (for a black one-frame 'invisible splice') Kodak regular film cement (rapid-drying) with a very thin applying brush A Bolex tape splicer (for polyester-based film), which punches holes in the perforation edge of the splice (two frames only) A Wurker tape splicer (spare set-up - haven´t used it yet) Several pairs of cotton gloves from the pharmacy A magnifying glass and an aspherical lupe (Calumet) A pair of sharp scissors A bright halogen table lamp A rubber dust blower with a brush Sharp, thin black markers (for painting the frame of 'invisible splices') Clean velvet cloths and film cleaner, anti-static cloth A start/stop lab clock for timing and a 25 frame ruler in front of the viewer Storyboard/ log notes, pencils and erasers Simple as that! All the best from Stockholm, Bengt

Well, Paul, The problem with selling a Beaulieu 'Pro8' camera for $2000 is that there are quite a few used Beaulieu 4008 cameras on eBay for a price that is significantly lower, that can be serviced to a top-notch, functioning camera for about $250-300, by for example Bjorn Andersson in Stockholm. They usually don´t have crystal sync but that could also be installed later for less money. Here are some examples - they usually sell for prices between $400 - $750, depending on model, state and the make of the zoom lens (Schneider or Angénieux): http://photography.search.ebay.com/Beaulie...gZ1QQsofocusZbs Best, Bengt

Hi Dave, I am doing an 'educated guess' here; according to a chart I have of camera shutters at 24 fps, the Beaulieu 5008_S Multispeed sound camera (which I have) has a shutter speed of 1/60 of a second at 24 fps. Reading from the same chart, the Beaulieu 4008 ZM II silent camera (which has a narrower guillotine sector shutter opening) has a shutter speed of 1/84 of a second at 24 and 1/87 of a second at 25 fps. I am taking a guess that your Beaulieu 7008 has the same shutter as the 5008 and 6008 - which would render you a shutter speed of something like 1/63 of a second at 25 fps. Regards, Bengt :rolleyes: