Patrick Wallace

Kevin - Once again, thanks. I was discouraged by a couple of other folks who take issue with using external meters with S8, & it's encouraging to hear that the external meter works adequately. Between your and Olex's responses, I think my Quarz questions are answered & I'm excited to take the camera out and shoot some film.

Thank very much for your reply Olex! I have seen your website before, and have found it very helpful. I understand the +/- correction on the camera now. I tried cleaning the battery contacts for the light meter & testing it again with fresh batteries, but it still does not work, so I shall just have to buy an external meter. I like the look and feel of camera very much, and don't want it to go to waste.

I did a bit more research, and I think I've got it. From what I understand, though, the Quarz doesn't read ASA via the notch, but defaults to a non-standard speed (100?); when shooting in auto mode, using the internal meter, one has to "dial in" the film's ASA with correction dial, as you described. I do have the correct batteries for the camera (the Wein-cell replacement for the now-unavailable PX625 mercury cells)... I'm pretty sure the meter's just plain broken. Do you have much success using an external light meter? From what I've read, there seems to be some debate about how well external meters work with S8, which is why I was concerned about the Quarz's internal meter... Thanks again.

Kevin - Yes, the dial does go from +2/-2, so that must be it. I've heard the same dial, though, is how one sets the film speed for the camera (the Quarz does not register film speed automatically), which is where I'm getting confused... I suppose if one was setting aperture manually, the correction would not be required, so is this dial just used in auto mode to compensate for different film speeds / lighting conditions? Thanks for your help!

Thanks for the feedback, Tim. I presumed I'd just have to use a handheld meter, but was concerned because I've heard mixed things about how well they work with Super 8; I've heard a lot of people say that it' better just to rely on the internal meters due to light-loss inside the camera that's difficult to account for, etc. Well, looks like I got a bit of shopping to do (as if the season didn't yield enough).

Very nice work with an excellent sountrack :) The footage looks great, and movement is captured really well. I wish the resolution of the video was a bit higher, as I'd like to watch it fullscreen, but meh... Cheers.

Hi folks - First time poster here. I have recently become completely obsessed with Super 8 filmmaking. I'm a film scholar (theory-head, that is) who wants to be able to play with film production on the cheap, and Super 8 seems to be the way to go. I recently purchased a Quarz 1x8C-2 camera from the Ukraine as well as a super-cheap Chinon XL-555, and I have a couple questions. I have some photography experience, so I can take reasonably simple jargon. Concerning the Quarz: 1: The built-in lightmeter on the camera appears to be broken; I've heard this is a common problem. With fresh batteries installed, the meter just stays near the 1.x mark and does not move, though it floats from side to side if the camera is tilted :) I installed Wein-cell batteries (air-ed out), and have tried resetting the meter by turning the dial to manual and back (as suggested on another site). Is there any way to fix the meter, and/or would it be worth it? Or, could something else be the problem? 2: I don't fully understand how the +/- correction on the camera is related to film speed and aperture. Could someone explain this to me? Is the +/- correction only used in auto mode? Concerning the Chinon: 1: The focus-ring is broken; it works, but if it is pulled backward (toward me), it seems to go off-track, and just spins freely and does not seem to put the camera out of focus. When applying forward-pressure, it works fine. Any solution? 2: There is a small, recessed button on the top of the camera body, near the front (lens-side). I have no idea what it does. Is it an aperture lock? An internal filter switch? 3: What does the backlight control button do? About Super 8 in general (super-newbie question): What is the best practice for handling film cartridges? Can a cart be switched between cameras midway through (e.g. in order to use one cartridge to test two cameras)? What is the best way to store cartridges if I have to wait a few days to drop them off at the developer?