David Nethery

Well, this may be of interest to other Bauer camera owners with broken or lost battery caps: http://www.cine-super8.net/index.php?pg=produits&prod=Pi%E8ces+Bauer-Nizo This French Super 8 website (run by a Mr. André Egido ) lists Bouchon de poignée de piles pour les caméras BAUER anciennes muettes de la série C1, C2, C2A, C2M, D1,D2, D2A, D2M (translated: Battery cap for the old silent Bauer cameras of the series C1, C2, C2A, C2M, D1,D2, D2A, D2M ) for 9.00 € . Battery caps are also listed for other Bauer series of cameras.

[ sorry, I know this is dredging up an old topic, but I think this problem afflicts many owners of the Bauer "C" line of cameras from the late 60's - early 70's , so this information will continue to be relevant . The Bauer C cameras like C2A , C2B are very nice cameras , but they do have this terrible design flaw in the battery compartment lid. ] I just read about a good fix for the Bauer battery compartment problem on the filmshooting forum. "Mercyboy" wrote: I have an otherwise perfectly functional Bauer C2A which has this exact problem (the screw on the battery compartment lid snapped off) . While I'm on the lookout for a cheap (not more than $5.00) "as-is , for parts only" C2A with the battery door intact on eBay or at a thrift store I am going to try this velcro strap solution.

Wow, that's great looking footage . Who was the DP ? Camera(s) used ? Stock ? I did find it posted on Vimeo , too : .

Richard, Thanks for the tip. I'll contact them. -D

The seller found a copy of the user manual for the Vario Switar 86EE 18mm-86mm f/2.5 Zoom Lens , so now I've got that. The reason the auto exposure did not appear to be responding is because it was set to manual exposure mode the whole time . The second smaller barrel (the galvanometer) to the right of the lens has to be pulled out and rotated to the correct position to engage the auto diaphram. When in auto mode you can then observe the needle move up and down the f-stop scale on the galvanometer which shows that the lens is responding to different lighting conditions . There is no f-stop scale seen through the viewfinder. The only indication in the viewfinder that the lens is opening up or closing down is that the viewfinder becomes visibly dimmer when the lens is pointed at a bright area (and it stops down to f/11 or f/16) , then moving it to dimmer area the viewfinder brightens somewhat as it opens up to f/4 or f/2.5 .

I've been given an opportunity to consider purchasing a Bolex RX4 with Vario Switar 86EE (18mm-86mm f/2.5) Zoom Lens. I'm being allowed to consider the purchase by testing the camera first, since the seller is local . (this is from someone selling their husband's equipment , but she knows nothing how it works. ) I've used a Bolex before , but never with the Kern Vario Switar 86 EE (18mm-86mm f/2.5) Zoom Lens. It's the zoom lens that is puzzling me. I've ordered some film to run through the camera (which looks and sounds like it's in good shape) , but I'm puzzled by the Vario Switar 86EE (18mm-86mm f/2.5) Zoom Lens. From what I can read about it this has an EE meter powered by one PX13 1.35v battery , the modern equivalent of which is Wein Cell MBR625 1.35v zinc air battery. I've already put a fresh Wein Cell MBR625 1.35v battery into the chamber of the Vario Switar 86EE (18mm-86mm f/2.5) Zoom Lens, but I can't tell if it is working or not. Is there any way to test if the battery is working ? If I set the ASA and the film running speed (24fps) with the longer , small barrel under the lens should I be seeing some change in the viewfinder when I move the camera from a light to a dark area ? I don't see any moving needle with f stop indications in the viewfinder. How do I know if it is working ? If the EE automatic diaphragm control with a cadmium sulphide photo resistor is DEAD can I just use an external meter and set the f stop manually on the Vario Switar 86EE (18mm-86mm f/2.5) Zoom Lens ? Does anyone know where I could download the manual for the Vario Switar 86EE (18mm-86mm f/2.5) Zoom Lens ? Thanks. .

Aw nuts :wacko: ! ... my eBay saved search email alert notified me of "Nikon R10 - Not Working For Parts Only" , and my heart leapt up , only to be dashed when I see this photo of the battery pack . Arrghhhh ... I don't know if this could be cleaned and restored . I'm afraid the corrosion has probably eaten through the springs and they'll pop off as soon as I start scrubbing with a toothbrush and baking soda . What a shame ... Well , I will keep looking . .

That does seem excessively high for a battery holder , but I guess it's about supply (rare) and demand . Since I got the camera for a very low price I would have to tell myself that purchasing the battery holder to get the camera up and running means I paid out around $70 - to - $100 (or slightly more) to get a working Nikon R8 , which sounds better than saying "I paid $70 - $100 for a battery holder" ). Of course that is ASSUMING it does work . Cosmetically it looks good , very clean , well cared for , stored in a nice camera case , but until I get the batteries in it I don't know if it actually runs. I could try Jörg's suggestion of attaching an external battery pack to see if it will power up , but I know nothing about electronics or soldering , so I'd be fearful of frying the camera's internal electronics if I messed up ...

Thank you for the helpful suggestions, Jörg .

"Serious premium" = $ ________ ? What price are we talking about for the battery holder ? $40 ? $50 ? You're probably right that a dead Nikon sold "as-is For Parts" on eBay is likely going to be my best bet , but if one like that comes up I'll ask the seller for a photo of the battery holder to see if it looks clean . .

Recently acquired a Nikon R8 at an estate sale , seems to be clean and in good shape , but NO BATTERY HOLDER so I can't power it on to see if it works !!! :o Does anyone have a spare battery holder for sale ? This is it: I'm thinking I may need to watch eBay for a non-functional Nikon R8 or R10 being sold cheap -- as-is "For Parts" to salvage the battery holder as long as it's clean and not corroded. .

Recently acquired a Nikon R8 at an estate sale , seems to be clean and in good shape , but NO BATTERY HOLDER so I can't power it on to see if it works !!! :o Does anyone have a spare battery holder for sale ? This is it:

So I picked up another Kodak Instamatic M2 camera from eBay ($5.00 ) It runs and the battery terminals are clean , no corrosion. Lens surface looks clear , no scratches . I'd like to lube it just to be safe before trying to put film through . When you posted : "I'd put a small dollup on every gear contact, especially that gear interface by the motor." are these the areas you meant to put a dollop of lube ? Dollop of lube on the actual nylon gear or where the gear connects to the metal shaft ? I was also able to pick up a Kodak Series V slip-on filter adapter ring which fits on the front of the M2 lens , so now I can use neutral density filters or other filters in Series V size. According to the M2 user manual that I was able to find online this also allows the use of a Kodak "Portra" Lens to allow focusing on a subject from 3' ft. or closer . [ by default the M2 manual recommends staying 3 1/2 ft. away from subject in "sunny 16" lighting or 8ft. away if it's overcast (f 5.6) ]

I saw the Kinetta transferred Super 8 footage on the Nixon show that aired on CNN. The footage looks great ! I caught a few glimpes of what looks to be Canon 814 or 1014 camera being used by the Nixon aides. http://vimeo.com/45079849 .

Freddy Van de Putte ("Video Fred") who wrote the AviSynth script has some pretty amazing results with grain reduction, increased sharpness, and image stablization . http://vimeo.com/user678523/videos .

Read his first post. I beliieve his proposed camera has a viewfinder , but not the traditional squint through a tiny rubber eyecup type of viewfinder like on most Super 8 cameras. Lasse wrote: "Featuring oscillating mirror shutter for the best optical path through the lens towards the film (no glass or filters in between lens and film) when the shutter is closed the image is projected towards an integrated CMOS camera which acts as a digital viewfinder. " .

Looking for leather cover that fits on the K-100 three lens turret model . If you have one in good condition please list photos and price. Examples:

I disagree. (and I say that as someone who works almost every day in digital animation programs , drawing with a Wacom Cintiq tablet ) . Not easier, not necessarily better , but sometimes digital is the right tool for the job . Sometimes traditional media is the right tool for the job. In animation production you save time on the back-end by not having to scan hundreds or thousands of drawings , but for ease of use and accuracy it's hard to beat the precision of the human hand drawing with pencil or ink on paper. Pencil on paper isn't broken , it's not a 'problem' that had to to be overcome with digital drawing tools. My experience is that students learn foundational principles better with traditional media , then when they truly understand what it takes to get a good image in pencil, pastel, oil paint , or watercolor, etc. they can adapt to using digital apps like TVPaint, ArtRage, Photoshop, or Sketchbook Pro to accurately mimic that look in digital . But you can't really do a good job imitating the look of paint on canvas if you don't KNOW what real paint on canvas is supposed to look like . In animation much of the push towards totally digital paperless production (for drawn "2D" animation) is being driven by the agenda of production managers and producers who find it easier and more expedient for them to track and store digital images (and share those files with artists working in out-source service studios overseas) . Companies like Wacom want to sell hardware so they are also pushing the idea that digital is always faster, better , cheaper than traditional drawn animation . But that's not necessarily so.

For the record, the school I teach at , The Academy of Art University , still uses film (Super 8 mm, 16mm , 35mm) in the School of Motion Picture & Television . They use HD digital cameras, too, of course. http://www.academyart.edu/webcheckout/equipment.html (by the way, I'm not in the MPT dept. I teach in the Animation dept. at AAU. We teach traditional drawn animation/digital drawn animation, stop-motion , and CG animation (character animation and VFX animation ) .

All the features you list in your first post would be on my List . First on my list would be the pin-registered pressure plate . Second would be the ability to use standard C-mount primes and zooms. If it were "self-blimped" (QUIET) that would be a big plus. The lack of a 200 ft. magazine would not concern me . I just thought I'd throw that up there as a possiblity since you were asking . Similarly, the upper limit of 54fps for the slow-motion would be fine. I just thought I'd ask if 80fps or 96fps would be possible . I understand the issues with over-taxing the motor and battery supply at the higher frame rates . (even with my old Nikon R8 I'd only use the 54fps in short bursts, usually not more than 15 or 20 ft. Never tried shooting a whole cartridge at 54fps continuously. If I recall correctly the Nikon manual warned against running it in 54fps mode continuously for an extended time.) Would a compromise of 60fps be feasible ? (scanned and interpolated to 2x at 120 fps that would be 5x 24fps slow-motion ! Although I'm not sure if the interpolation would affect the sharpness of the slow-motion footage too much ?) On the low-end of the frame rate I'd prefer 12fps to 16fps, if possible. So , in your response you refer to running stress tests at 80fps , so am I right to think you have a working prototype already made ? I'd definitely be interested in supporting a crowd-sourcing effort (Indie GoGo or whatever) for something like this. Good luck to you in this effort ! .

That's interesting . I have a Canon 814 Autozoom (the model before the 814 AutoZoom Electronic ) and I have the exact opposite problem : if I manually set the f-stop the needle stays in place , steady, never moves . Whereas with my Canon 814 AZ the auto meter doesn't work reliably anymore . With fresh Wein Cell MBR625 (1.35 v) batteries the auto meter will respond ,but it often "lags" when changing from bright light to dim light or vice versa. Recently I'm noticing that often the auto meter fails to respond at all (even with fresh batteries) . The needle stays stuck at the lower end of the scale . If I remove the batteries and put them in again sometimes the meter will respond , but again , tends to be laggy , even when it is responding . But again , if I switch to Manual and set the needle to the appropriate f-stop it stays rock steady on that f-stop. I think there's a short somewhere in the light meter battery housing. I've cleaned it , no corrosion or residue , but it only seems to work now and then, and even when it does respond it's sluggish. I'm thinking of getting the adapter put in by Willard Engineering to eliminate the need for the two Wein Cell 1.35v batteries. Has anyone had experience getting their Canon 814 Autozoom serviced like this by Willard ? Was it worth it ? .

I also agree with Alan's point. This is a false dilemma and these conversations never really matter to the creative person who has chosen to work in a certain medium . My full time job is in animation and I'm involved in these type of conversations (traditional animation vs. digital/CGI) all the time on animation forums and blogs that I frequent. The "death" of traditional hand drawn animation is constantly heralded (seems like somone proclaims that "fact" every 6 months or so for the last 20 years) and in terms of the current mainstream Hollywood animation industry it probably is "dead" (or at least in deep hibernation -- insert obiligatory "suspended animation" joke here -- ) and yet great hand drawn work continues to be made , mostly in Europe and in Japan and Korea . The advent of photography itself was supposed to be the death of traditional painting and illustration. And it certainly changed thing , as did the advent of digital graphic design and illustration programs which supposedly allowed any untrained person be their own graphic designer or illustrator . And yet people still do illustration in traditional media , as well as tradtional fine art painting and sculpture . This "traditional" vs. "digital" debate is tiresome and pointless (to the creative person) I hope to live to see the end of it . There are multiple ways of making art and capturing images , so who is to dictate that one form of expression or a set of tools is "dead" and everyone ought to just move on and embrace whatever is the New Thing ? .

Ah, that would explain it. I went no further in than the photo I posted above (post # 3) . I'd be very interested to know if an old M4 or M6 could be scavanged to get that crucial gear to fix the M22 crumbling motor gear .

Looks to me like the Digital Bolex project is coming along nicely . I don't think it's going to just be "vapourware". http://www.digitalbolex.com/getting_ready/ http://www.digitalbolex.com/alive/ If someone credible puts up a Kickstarter to develop a New SUPER 8mm camera I'd be willing to throw some support their way. Digital Bolex is a good example of what can be done. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joedp/the-digital-bolex-the-1st-affordable-digital-cinem

Thanks, Zac ! By the way, here's something interesting I discovered. I also have one of the infamous Kodak Instamatic M22 cameras which until very recently has still been working , against all odds . I say against all odds, because every time I see the M22 mentioned there are dire warnings about how the cheap parts that Kodak used in the later M-series cameras will inevitably turn brittle and snap , or alternately I've read about the cheap plastic gears disintegrating into some sort of "goop" inside the camera , so I've been expecting the M22 to give up the ghost every time I've used it. Well, it had not broken down , until recently when it just suddenly stopped working (the predicted behavior, which should have happened years earlier according to what I've read) . For some reason I had not tossed the M22 into the trash , so after I made my earlier post inquiring how to go about lubricating the earlier model M2 camera (which is running too loud and is starting to "groan" , if you know what I mean) I decided to just have a look inside the M22 to see how badly the gears had rotted . Opened it up and imagine my surprise that it looks just about perfect. All gears and other parts look intact. I was able to lift several of the gears out , expecting them to break apart in my hands (as I had been warned) , but other than some very slight discoloration the gears all seem to be in good shape. (see photo). But for whatever reason it will not run. The battery chamber is clean and the metal battery terminals do not have any corrosion , but I cleaned them anyway just for good measure . However , no success. It appears to be well and truly dead. I had assumed it died from the inevitable "gear rot" that the M22 is infamous for , but that doesn't appear to be the case. I wonder if it's possible that some connection from the battery chamber in the handle has come loose ? Kodak Instamatic M22 looking very clean and free from "gear rot" - (the photo makes the discoloration on the black gears look worse than it actually looks in reality. Both the black gears and the white gears look and feel to be in good shape. ) .