Kevin Olmsted

I haven't gotten my order yet but I didn't get the express shipping. I normally do on overseas orders but this time I was thinking about saving money; in the end it wasn't a big jump in price and I should have done it. I'm glad someone else here hada good experience. They do have exceptional photos on ther site.

Glad I could help! Just make sure you double check the shutter angle of the Quarz. I think it's 180 but I was mostly using that as an example for the math. Good luck in your Super 8 adventures! Kevin

I use a regular photo light meter and I've had good results. Mind you, this was only on cameras like the Quarz that require seperate batteries for the light meter. Otherwise I use the internal light meter on most cameras. You can use the external light meter by doing some simple math as long as you know the shutter angle of the camera. If the camera has a 180 degree shutter, I believe it's (been a while since I used it): 360 (degrees) divided by 180 (your shutter angle) times 24 (or whatever fps your shooting at) = 48 (which means 1/48th of a second). Then you plug that number and your ASA into the light meter (mine is an old dial-type Director) and you should be good to go. It's been a while since I shot on my Quarz. I hope this helps! Kevin

Are you referring to the film's ASA? That would be the notch-reading meter in the camera. If you look in the film cartridge chamber, look up and to the right of the film gate near where the top of the film cartridge would be. There should be a little button that can be depressed. Depending on whether you put 40 or 160 film in a notch would press that button in or leave it out. That's how the camera would know which film is in the camera. Some cameras had more than one notch-sensing pin but the single 40/160 notch pin was the most common. So if you put in 64T for example, it would misread it, I believe in the case of the Quarz it misreads it and thinks it is 40 and your film would overexpose by 2/3 stop. Conversely, if it misreads it as 160 it will underexpose by 1 1/3 stop. This is where the +/- dial comes in handy on cameraas that have it. Also, I've only shot 2 rolls on my Quarz (and I used an external light meter on both) but I believe that the particular battery that it uses is no longer made but an adapter is sold for it. Regardless, if the wrong voltage is put in it would also cause you to improperly expose your film. The cameras I do most of my shooting on derive their light meter power from the main batteries so I can't tell you much about this. Does this help at all? If any of my info is wrong here I welcome corrections. Kevin

Hello, Patrick! I'm no expert but I have the same Quarz and according to the manual for the Bauer 360 (which has the same +/- dial) that if you put in a cartridge and, say, dial it back one increment, it will dial it back 1/3 stop for everything you shoot. I need to look at my Quarz again, but I believe it goes to +2/-2, correct? Whether that includes manual exposure or just auto, I need to look at the book again. Kevin

Hey guys, Just thought I'd let you all know that I noticed super8arena.com went online, I think a few weeks ago. He used to have a store on eBay but I never ordered from him. I periodically would go to the website referenced on the eBay listings but there was just a user/pass request so I guess he has been building the site, but now it is online in all its glory. I have ordered from him previously when he sold on ebay, I believe under the name 'Neovaron', and had a pleasant experience and was happy with the camera I got. The super8arena.com site is very nice looking and well organized with very good photos of the cameras. It is similar to super8camera-shop.com with selection of merchandise and methods of payment but a bit more polished. Anyway, I just placed an order with super8arena so I will let you know how it goes. Time of delivery, quality of product and accuracy of description, etc. Anybody buy from him when he was on eBay as either name?

Here, here, Michael... I agree. About a year ago I bought a B-3 from ebay ($4... and that was $3 for shipping!) to see just how 'bad' this legendary camera was. It sat in the bench for a long while; I was nervous to waste a roll of film on it. Then a few months ago a friend gave me an Agfa 'Family' Super 8 camera he found at some antique store or swap meet. I loved the bizarre styling of it and it seemed in the same 'quality' league as the Bentley. So I shot half a roll on the B-3 and the other half on the Family. And guess what... the film didn't look horrible! Okay it wasn't fabulous, and I'm not a professional cinematographer, but compared to film I'd shot on my Bauer and other Super 8 footage I've seen posted on various sites, it wasn't the worst footage in the world. I think you summed it up perfectly: It is what it was meant and aspires to be. Just a simple cheap camera. I recently started seeing commercials on TV for a (I think Fisher Price) digital camera designed for kids. It was a tiny thing that had a big happy impact resistant housing and little viewer; couldn't be more than 2Mp, but it isn't setting out to be a great camera. Just a cheap, simple and fun way to get kids into taking pictures. Those ads made me think of this thread. Kevin

Well, I got brave and dove deeper into my 715XL. The deepest I'd ever gone before was the main circuit board to modify the exposure control pot to make it adjustable. There was a bit of dirt on the front end of the viewfinder so I did some delicate cleaning. I had to leave her on the workbench last night so she'll get reassembled tonight. I'll update then. There was also discussion here about the 'angle of view' when looking through the viewfinder to get a clear view. I've noticed certain cameras have wider fields of view than others. Perhaps Michael can chime in here... is this true? My personal experience is that all of my Bauers have a narrower field i.e. I have to look more straight on into the viewfinder to get a clear image.I would say, though, that my 715 seems to have a narrower field than my 209XL; and my 209XL sees to have a slightly narrower angle of view than my C500. In contrast I look through my Nizo 116 and there is a lot more latitude. Same goes for an old Technicolor Super 8 I have. Comments?

Hello! While I'm not qualified to answer any of the technical questions you ask (I'm just starting to take Super 8 seriously after years of 'messing around') I can comment on the viewfinder issue. I also have a 715XL and I see the same thing inside my viewfinder. I have only shot one roll with it and on that roll the corner blur was not on the film. I believe this is an anomaly in the 715 veiwfinder. Does anyone else have this in their 715's? I also have a Bauer 209XL that had the same issue. I disassembled the veiwfinder tube and cleaned it out and it was clear after that. I haven't dove into my 715 that deep yet. Kevin

Thanks for the advice. I'm considering the first option. I recently took note of the C900 at Super8 Camera Shop. I'm seriously considering that one. I've purchased three cameras from the Camera Shop and have been pleased every time. I purshased my Bauer 209XL from Mr Uhmeyer as well as a little Nizo 116. Not a top of the line Nizo, but as you might have noticed I like Super 8 cameras with an element of portability and compactness. I actually found the C500 on ebay and got it for $12 including shipping and it is in mint condition! I think my good fortune was due to very poor quality pictures of the camera on the listing and I was the only one wiling to take a chance. On a side note: I've heard good and bad in the past about Super8 Camera Shop on these forums; my experience on three separate purchases has been nothing but pleasant. I have to confess my puppy love of Bauer cameras originated in the aesthetics. As I started shopping for a good quality Super 8 camera (I had owned a Zenit Quarz 1x8S-2 for 10 years which for a first-timer was fun to play with but yielded less than spectacular results) I was immediately drawn to the Bauer's look. Being an artist and designer first, the Bauer 107XL (the first Bauer I ever saw) really drew me in. It had a contemporary design that was hard to date. Like most things, cameras look like the time periods they were created in, but the Bauers (in my opinion) still hold up today in their elegant design and thoughtful ergonomics. Too bad modern digital video cameras can't have a better bybrid of features and elegant looks:) So I found the C500 and was pleased with my initial tests and have been a Bauer fan ever since. I have always wanted to purchase a Beaulieu; seems like almost everyone swears by them. But for now my preference is a decent lens and a well-constructed camera in a portable package. I've always kept my eye out for an A512, not quite in my price range yet. Maybe if I sell the 715 I can look into that one. What kind of cameras do you have and what drove you to buy/use them?

Many, many thanks to all who had the patience to kindly respond to my obviously involved question. Especially to Michael Lehnert; yes, it was a college lecture but a much needed and much appreciated one! Thank you! My college involved more graphic design and art so my college photo courses were pretty basic. But speaking with friends, I got the impression that even most current college photography didn't get that deep in to the optomechanics of photo/cine, but I can't personally attest to that. Sadly, in the digital age, it is mostly megapixels/CCD's and zoom power that is the selling point for digital photo/video equipment. I know younger photographers/videographers that when asked about shutter speed and aperture, couldn't actually give me a physical description of a shutter or aperature on a film still/cine camera. To them they are just numbers on a digital readout; you adjust them up and down to get your desired result...(Kevin steps down from soap box) Anyway, it was those experiences and a desire to really understand fundamentals that led me on this quest. I have had my most fulfilling Super 8 experiences with my 209XL. Not one to use the zoom or microcomputer functions much, I found the 715Xl clumsy and awkward for travelling and 'shooting on the fly.' The C500 is nice but as you said the picture is not the same, although it is superior for travel. I have been looking into finding a C900 as it also has a 1.2/6-51 lens, which I suppose would give me the best of both worlds. Again, thank you very much for the lesson and for the references to the books. I am currently on the hunt for all of them. I am hoping that learning these essentials will lead to better pictures, moving and still.

Hello all... the (old) newbie here again... I've mentioned before that my Super 8 love is more hobby than anything else. So I confess there is a lot of technical knowledge I lack. I am trying to learn more about film everyday. I have been doing a lot of film photography as well; hoping to learn from that as well and apply what I learn from photography to Super 8 cinematography. At any rate, I have a Bauer 209XL as well as a 715XL and a C500XL. I acquired the 500 first then I got the 209. I stepped up because now I had 24fps and a wider, larger lens. I have never been one to use the zoom a lot (I prefer to frame my shots wide or get close up) and figured the smaller number on the lens (the 8.5-40 Vs 6-51) meant a wider angle of view. I eventually got the 715 mainly because of its universal praise. Having a 6-90 lens I wondered if I had really gained anything picturewise other than a much nicer zoom which I don't really take advantage of. I've only shot one roll on the 715 in rather poor conditions so I haven't really compared the 209 and 715 well. Can someone explain some of the fundamentals here? I know the 715 lens is physically larger but also a great deal longer so am I getting more image/light into the lens or less than, say, the 500? I've bought a lot of (film) photography books and researched on wikipedia but a lot of the books assume you know the basics and go right into taking pictures. I know the basics of how a lens works regarding light passes through the elements and the shutter then the film plane but I guess don't understand the light passage or there's something here I don't get or am missing. What makes the 715 6-90 lens better than the 209 6-51 lens other than zoom? Is glass quality different? How can that be measured? Both lenses are crystal clear. And what exactly does the '6mm' represent in both cameras, how does it calculate my field or angle of view? Does the lens' physical determinte how much light is lost getting to the film? I know this is enough questions to probably fill a college seminar and if no one wants to explain these things here, I understand, but if anything please point me to a resource that will fill in these fundamental blanks for me. Thanks for any help you can offer, guys.

Hello all... I am primarily involved with video cinematography but I have been a Super 8 hobbyist for the last 9 years or so doing travel documentaries, experimental projects and other personal-type projects. I have recently decided to try my hand at 16mm. I've been researching the less expensive cameras available so I can dip my toe in the water without going broke. Ebay has been my primary source of pricing information and comparison and I'm pretty sure the Krasnogorsk 3 is the camera I want to start out with. Most of the people selling them on ebay are from Russia and are selling them in the $200 range. Has anybody bought from these foreign sellers? Are any of them more or less reputable than others? Is this a good price? Most of the domestic retailers that offer them through their websites start theirs at around $500 and some have modifications that I think a newbie like me may not need or want. Also, some cameras on Ebay have a baynet mount lens and some have an M42. Does it matter which one I get? Advantages or disadvantages? I really appreciate any help or advice anyone here can offer. Kevin

Here's my little guy. Bauer S209XL 18, 24, 40 fps interval timer 1.2 / 6-51mm lens real nice macro I also have a Porst 1500 (Bauer 715 XL). I prefer a nice wide lens to a deep zoom, as well as portability, so in those regards this camera beats out the 1500 for me.

Forgive my ignorance; what's a nabob?

I'll be the 'amatuer's voice' here. 70% of the Super 8 I shoot is documenting travels, the flora and fauna of the local park, etc. So I agree more with Michael's 'easy to handle' statement. I'm too young to have used Super 8 in its prime but I always thought it was meant to be an 'on the go' sort of format. Pros used 35mm and 16mm while home movie enthusiasts used Super 8 and 8mm. As a personal preference, carrying my light meter and a whole bunch of gear kills the spontaneity of shooting on the go. I shoot handheld (I saw an earlier post complaining about handheld Super 8), I use my internal meter, and rarely zoom. I find it more challenging to treat my lens like a prime lens and find a good shot that way. I imagine if I was shooting a short film, though, I would be metering every scene to make sure everything was just right. Personal preference. So that is my home movie enthusiasts side to the debate.

Aside from the Poloroid photography method mentioned by Michael, Kirian photography is the other most popular method for getting 'aura' photographs I can think of. It involves having the subject touching conductive metals which connect to the camera somehow and the electrical current from the body affects the film. I think both methods are bunk. It is superstitious people who don't understand the chemical, technological and sometimes environmental processes that affect photography (motion or still). They see an anomaly on film and assume it HAS to be something supernatural. These are the same folks that photograph dust particles in the air and swear they are seeing orbs or spirits. The fact that the woman in Michael's post had to alter the process of the film development only proves further that the resulting 'aura photos' are likely the result of a chemical, not supernatural, anomaly. Mind you I'm only hazarding theories here. I've had occasional odd halos appear on my Super 8 film but subjects were usually backlit or had a variety of gelled lights on them.

To be fair, the lovely woman charged with running the cameras back through was VERY careful with them. I don't think she'd ever seen a Super 8 camera and treated it like it was fine china. It gave me a small laugh. I agree about the security being an illusion. Of the 15 employees at the x-ray area (3 per line, 4 lines, one manager-type and two security gaurds) only one had a weapon. I respect authority and want no trouble but I'm sure a determined individual wouldn't be stopped by that. Yeah, the inconsistency is bad as well. Louisville, Kentucky I get everything short of a strip search and in LA I fly through. And a reminder I had two Super 8 cameras that were thoroughly inspected and a large bag of dense digital electronics goes through no question at either airport. Your right about letting through what they recognize. I has seriously considered shipping my film to a friend in LA and doing the same coming back. Maybe next time I will.

I remember a month or so ago someone posted a thread about taking film through airport x-ray machines. I read the post thoroughly, taking to heart all the advice various posters wrote. I flew from Louisville to Los Angeles on a business trip (my first time in LA) and decided to take my Super 8 camera for a little documentation of my trip. I took a total of 4 rolls of Super 8 and a few rolls of 120 for my Holga. I got to the x-ray bag check area and mentioned to the bag inspector that I had a bag of film (I already had it out, seperated from my main bag, ready to be inspected) and kindly asked if it could be hand expected and not put through the x-ray machine. The bag inspector's attitude immediately changed; he was almost rude. He asked if any of the film was higher than 800 speed. I said no and he unceremoniously chucked my film bag onto the conveyor belt and through it went. Not even a chance to say never mind and take the film back to my wife, waiting nearby, if I wanted. Mind you earlier, when asked, the woman who checked my luggage was very sweet and said yes, they would be happy to hand inspect the film at the x-ray machine. Not to mention that the prescence of the two Super 8 cameras in one of my carry-ons caused a huge stir. The x-ray inpector had to go through the bag, take out both cameras and run them each seperately through the machine. Nevermind the fact that my OTHER carry-on was a Canon backpack full of a few thousand dollars worth of digital camera gear! And it didn't get a second glance throught the machine! My trip back from LA was the same experience, save for the camera inspection. I nicely asked and instantly I felt as though I was the 152nd person asking a favor of the inspector that day. The film passed through the x-ray without even a second thought. Well, that's it. Don't mean to be a downer but after hearing all the great stories I was looking forward to a good airport experience. I hope my film is fine. I'm sure the inspectors know what they are doing but they were both quite rude and I was nothing but nice. I ended up shooting 3 of the 4 rolls but I shot everything with a hesitancy. I'm going to send it off for processing next week. Wish me luck. Kev

Well, don't I feel a fool... Thanks for the link and for not openly mocking me... I still think it's strange that when I enter 'super 8' into Kodak's search bar I only get the 'history' link. Thanks again.

Hey guys, since I'm a casual (but avid, I shoot about 3 carts a month) Super8er maybe I missed out on some news. I went to Kodak's website (as I do about once a month) and couldn't find any references to Super 8 film. Their 'cinematography' section is now called 'cinema & television' and I couldn't find any references to Super 8. Not in the product catalog and a search only turned up one link which went to the 'History Of Kodak' section. All the Super 8 resources seem to have disappeared... Am I panicking for no reason and missing something or is there news about Super 8 I missed? Worried hobbyist, Kevin

I'm still a relative newbie to Super 8 but I thought I'd add a comment here to help balance out the negative testamonial. I've sent two orders to CineLab and had very pleasant experiences on both occasions. I sent out three rolls of Tri-X for process on a Monday and got them back on that Friday. I also mistakenly sent them 64T on another order (which they don't process) but they were very helpful in getting my film processed AND telecined. About 10-day turnaround on that order but it was my fault. As I called around to the big processors around the country (before deciding on CinaLab), I got the dinstinct impression that Super 8 is a somewhat lower priority for them when compared to the volume of 16mm or 35mm they probably get in much larger quantities and make more money on. Compare that to the hobbyist sending 1 or 2 rolls or filmmaker sending a test roll. Plan for something to go wrong or be delayed because it will.

Hello, Bjarne! I found the instructions on super8wiki.com. Go to 'Manufacturers', then 'Bauer', then find the listing for the 715XL. Scroll down a bit and you'll find the link. You can also go to 'Repair' from the main page and find the same link there. There are some pretty good quality photos that accompany the article. You can just change the existing pot or if you're comfortable with a soldering iron and wiring, you can make it variable, which is what I did. Works great and helps me when I'm shooting a little more spontaneously and can't stop to meter each shot. I was actually looking for a 715XL manual for some time and found it here as well. Didn't want to pay the $30. Here is the page; go about 2/3 the way down: http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/in...hl=bauer+manual I don't know if I copied that link right but that was the search I did. Good luck with it and Happy Shooting! By the way, where did you get your camera? I got mine from Super 8 Camera Shop. Bauer Pauer! Regards, Kevin

Hello, I am new to the forums here. I work in television and do a lot of freelance design and amatuer films. I have a few Bauer Super 8 cameras that I use mostly for experimental films. I typically shoot in a controlled environment of some sort, so I take time to use a light meter and manually adjust my aperture, especially because most 'modern' Bauers won't properly expose 64T. I did, however, successfully adjust the meter trimpot inside my S715XL and it now exposes 64T properly. Instructions for this were pretty easy to find on the net. I now want to shoot a travelogue of sorts; I will be travelling back to my hometown soon and want to document the trip. I would like to shoot on a smaller, easy-to-carry camera than the 715XL and would like to shoot spontaneously, without stopping to adjust my aperture and just use the auto. I have a C500XL silent and a S209XL sound. I opened up the 209 and found 10 different trimpots on the internal circuit board! 4 on the top board and 6 on the side board. I don't want to maladjust some other important function so I don't want to go tweaking every little pot. Does anyone out there have experience with this sort of thing? I would greatly appreciate any sort of advise offered or point me in the right direction. Thank you very much. Kevin