Greg Britting

Thanks. Yeah, that's what I thought... probably a dumb question but the box saying "load in total darkness" caused me to question this notion. In regards to my Bolex--I just checked it out and it seems like the door seal is fine. It does seem like light leaked through there somehow on my first two reels. I'll have to rewatch my footage, but I seem to remember this happening often towards the end of a take--which originally had me wondering if the shutter somehow was hanging open after I had released my finger from the trigger. I just had a look with the door open while holding down the trigger, but I cannot see the shutter past the plate so I am unable to verify if this is the case. I did however just have another thought... I looked down the lens while I adjusted the f stop but I cannot see the iris opening/closing... Now this is the huge Vario Switar 86EE (18mm-86mm f2.5) and my house is dimly lit, so I might just not be seeing it (I'll have to check it out in the sunlight). But when I got this thing and shot my first two reels (like 8 years ago), I didn't know much about it and am only now realizing that this lens features auto exposure. There is a knob to select the f stop and it turns freely, so I had always set it manually (and I hope I didn't mess up the mechanism since it is apparently supposed to move on its own). But the fact that I can't see the iris open or close when I adjust the f stop makes me wonder if it is stuck all the way open at f2.5... which could explain parts of the film being way over exposed, especially the outdoor daylight shots. In fact, the latest reel that I shot (which was MUCH later--just this past fall) incorporated an exposure test where I started the scene outside of a house and walked inside, all the while running the camera. I set it at f2.5 from the beginning thinking that the beginning of the shot would be way over exposed having started the scene outside in the daylight... Actually, the beginning outdoor part of that scene looked very much like the rest of the footage I shot outside on varying f stops between f8 and f16--that is to say, over exposed to the same degree as most of the other outdoor shots on that reel--not nearly as bad as the footage I took 8 years ago on those first two reels, but I think only because it was fairly overcast that day. I don't even know where the PX-13 battery goes in this thing, but I'll have to figure that out next to see if there's an old corroded battery in there. Perhaps I'll have better luck with it after a good cleaning of the battery terminal and a fresh PX-13 (or whatever modern equivalent). But until then, my next test will be with a much simpler lens so as to eliminate any possible faults of my current lens--it's a 10mm prime that's set manually--I'm still waiting for it in the mail (with much anticipation). I got it super cheap too, so if my camera is having any other issues, at least I'm not out a whole lot of money. Ideally, I would like to post some video examples to show you guys exactly what I'm talking about with my older footage. Unfortunately I don't really have a suitable video camera at the moment, but I'm hoping to borrow one this weekend for some very home-brew super 8 transfers. So I'll see about transferring those 16mm reels while I'm at it.

I got a Bolex H 16 (Rex 2 I think) several years back, but I haven't had the pleasure of using it much mostly due to the cost of 16mm film and the fact that I've been very happy shooting super 8 (which is expensive enough though slightly more economical). I've always held on to it though as I knew someday I'd want to get more serious, and now with the absence of color reversal film, I think the time has come to give this format another shot. Just a very basic question before I get started though... As far as Kodak Vision negative film is concerned--do I have to load that in the camera in complete darkness or just subdued light? I thought I had heard once that "daylight spools" could be loaded in a daylight environment--that is to say, slightly shielded within a camera bag or something, even if outdoors (in other words, no special trip to the dark room required every time you load a spool). But I notice on the label of Kodak Vision film it states "load in complete darkness"...? This could be a problem for me as I've used the thing so infrequently that every time I open it up I have to ask myself, "okay how does thing work again"! On a side note: I've only exposed three rolls of B&W film though this camera before, I believe it was all Plus-X. The first two rolls had quite a bit of exposure problems. It was weird--the exposure was locked on manual and the picture would be fine at first and then just wash out bright mid take and then go back to normal again, and so on. The third roll came out much better (which has helped renew my interest) though the exposure still flickered slightly in some of the outdoor daylight shots. Oddly, that roll had the worst storage of the three as I had kept it unrefrigerated in my closet for at least 5 years before exposing (the other two rolls had always been refrigerated before loading in my camera, yet much poorer results). I loaded all three rolls in my light subdued (but far from totally dark) bedroom. Should I have done this in total darkness?

Whoa, guess I spoke too soon... took them a few days but Pac Lab finally got back to me. And their prices are quite reasonable too, as they were when I last used them. Good to know there are still multiple options for those of us who don't develop our own film!

Thanks! Hmmm... that's strange about Pac Lab not seeming to care about maintaining their website and not answering emails. I just saw a recent (July of this year) yelp review for Pac Lab saying what a great job they did (and even taking the time to answer all kinds of "neurotic" questions for the customer), and yet I notice in my old emails that I tried twice unsuccessfully to contact them back in 2008. Guess I should have just picked up the phone. Oh well, I like how Cinelab's site is very clear and obviously up to date. And the pricing is reasonable, so I think I'll just go with you guys! I'll be sending a package out tomorrow. Thanks again!

Shot some Tri-X on super 8 and 16mm in the past couple of months and was wondering what labs in the US process this film? Last time I shot Tri-X was several years ago and I used Pac Lab in NYC... I get the feeling they don't exist anymore (their website hasn't been updated in 13 years and they haven't responded to my emails since 2007)--anyone know if they still exist and an email address I could reach them at? Otherwise, I was just wondering what other labs offer processing of Tri-X movie film?? So far, I have only found Spectra Film & Video and Yale Film & Video... any other options? Thanks!

Thanks for your replies. Yes, the 1014 XL-S is a very fine camera no doubt. I certainly plan on owning one someday... but it's something I don't mind working up to... especially with so many fine highend cameras of other makes that sell so cheap comparatively. Not just cheap compared to the Canons, but cheap by any standards. I mean $100 isn't very much to pay for a nice camera--you'd probably pay more for a very lowend digital camera. And I've seen many top end super 8 cameras sell for less. At those prices I wouldn't mind owning a variety of nice cameras... besides, having a variety of quality tools to work with makes the hobby much more fun! (I think) On that note, it seems Bauers can be found at bargain prices these days. The Microcomputer seems so cool, but I'd like to keep maintenance to a minimum as I'm not very technically inclined--and shipping it off for repairs probably wouldn't be very cost effective. I imagine it's only a matter of time where those little rubber belts are concerned. Not to mention potential "microcomputer" issues... For these reasons I decided to go with another model I'd been considering--the Elmo 1012S-XL. It was pretty cheap--cheaper than the Bauer and probably a 3rd the price of a 1014 XL-S. Plus it came with accessories and a quality flight case, so I was sold. Like the Bauer, it too cannot auto meter 100D--but this is ok because it has manual override (Microcomputers have that too BTW). And I'm using it mostly in lowlight situations where the iris is wide open anyway. I did shoot some film in broad daylight using the auto meter though, just to test--I have seen 100D footage shot in a 1012S-XL using auto exposure by daylight that came out just fine (to my eye anyway). I have yet to develop any film I've shot with it though, so I'll just have to wait and see.

I've been shooting super 8 for a while now, but recently I've gotten a bit more serious about my film projects and find myself in need of a good low light camera. The initial thought was a Canon 1014 XL-S, but I already have a 1014E and I figured if not just for the sake of variety, I could at least save a reasonable amount of money by selecting some alternative highend model. Then I started really getting into these more exotic European cameras the more I read about them, particularly the higher-end Bauers of which the S709XL/S715XL seem to be top of the heap. So I found a very reasonably priced S709XL, but before I take the plunge I figured I'd check up on it here. My main question: is the motor reliable? I'm concerned as I read that they are belt driven, like those later model Nizos that are known to break down. I assume that belts are likely to snap in these late model Bauers as well... has anyone found this to be the case? Is the repair difficult--are replacement belts available? Also, I was just kind of wondering how the S709XL compares to the A512... I basically hear the A512 is the most unsung classic ever but I can find little info on it. I realize the A512 is a silent non-XL model, but I'm just wondering about it's other features compared to the Microcomputer features. For instance, the time exposure which I believe the S709XL does not have... any other special goodies on the A512? Thanks!

Cool--thanks!

Wow, thanks a lot guys! Obviously, I know very little about the mechanics of film, though I've filmed in super 8 for years. I must confess, I had to reread your replies a few times before the information started to click but I think I got it straight now (for the most part)-- So it seems V200T will act "natural" in the Canon 310XL because it will meter it at ASA 100, which is exactly what Kodak intended for this film. At least this should be true in a low light club environment--I can understand this being too fast a combination for outdoor daylight without a neutral density filter. Luckily, I only paid $5 for this camera so I'll probably only use it in extreme low light situations and stick to another camera otherwise. My question now is: is the V500T just too much for the Canon 310XL, where it reads it at ASA 160? Is this too overexposed (I don't know how many stops that would be), or does it depend on the lighting--like Will said, if it's dark enough and the iris would be all the way open anyway? Or is it just a better bet to use a camera that can read ASA 400 (which would actually meter the film at ASA 250 because of the filter pin being pushed in (if I'm understanding this correctly))?

Hi Everyone, I'm new to this forum and also new to shooting negative stocks... Up until this point, I've only used what was immediately available to me--first Kodachrome 40, then Ektachrome 64T and a couple cartridges of Tri-X/Plus-X in between. I'm planning on filming a show this Friday in a small darkened lounge and was thinking of using some negative film as I've heard it's much better suited for low-light situations. I just recently purchased a Canon 310 XL that I was thinking of using for this because of it's extremely fast lens (f1.0) and compact design. Infact, I have to use either this specific camera or my old Elmo Super 103 T because they're the only super 8 cameras I have that I can conceal in my cargo pants pocket. I figured the Canon 310 XL would be best for it's low light capabilities. However, there is no manual exposure control and the camera can only read film speed notches of 40, 160 and 250 ASA for artificial light... I'm wondering: what will the camera meter Kodak Vision2 200T at?--160 or 250? Will this over/under exposure be critical or should it still produce fairly acceptable results?--I hear an over/under exposure on negative film is much more easily corrected anyway, usually done during the rank transfer process... On the other hand, I could use that old Elmo Super 103 T, but that also has no manual exposure control--it supposedly can meter film speeds of 40, 64, 100 and 250 ASA. If this camera were to meter Vision2 200T at 100, what results could I expect?--would it be way over exposed? Personally, I've only shot indoor scenes before on slow reversal and was lucky to have them come out at all, dim as they were, so I can't imagine overexposing film in an indoor low light situation--but then I've never shot negative... Any insight on this would be extremely appreciated--thanks! (Sorry for the long read!)