Richard Tuohy

So I have a pathe webo m 16. Nice old thing. Easy to take the front of the camera body off. With the front of the body comes the claw mechanism and the pressure plate and the shutter. As I say, easy to pull off. Harder to get the shutter and the claw in the right spot again when you put the front back on again. So that is where i am at. The front goes on again, but now the shutter and claw are miss timed such that there is a slight smearing of the image. Bugger. I have tinkered with it for ages trying to find just the right spot to align the shutter and claw, but I haven't got it right yet. There must be a simple fact to the matter: something like 'have the shutter blade fully this way or partly that way and the claw cam thingy in such and such a precise spot ...'. Help please! cheers, Richard

The scoopic repair manual is commonly seen on ebay. But ther is also a 'canon scoopic 16 repair manual - exploded views' that is downloadable on the net. Is this all there is to the manual? cheers, Richard Tuohy

G'day, Richard Tuohy in Daylesford here. Still go the camera? Can you give me a ball park figure of what you are after? Are all CP16 cameras crystal controlled? What framing rate/s does it shoot at? cheers, Richard

Q1: if you haven't shot with the camera before you MUST shoot a test roll and callibrate the camera to the light meter - whether it be the camera's light meter or an external one. Use both. This is assuming you are shooting reversal film. Even if you are shooting neg, I would shoot a test roll with reversal for the purposes of callibrating your meters/camera. If it feels funny to use the camera that way (as a light meter) then don't do it, just make sure whatever you do use you have callibrated. There is nothing inherently wrong with using a super8 camera's meter. Only you must remember that these meters are somewhat old now and may have drifted, stoped working, or whatever. That said, most good camera's meters are still working fine. Only a test roll will tell you what it is doing however. You might decide that you want to add or subtract a little from its metered reading. whatever. It needs to be pointed out that when using a hand held meter with a super 8 camera, you can't just set the meter to the framing speed (24fps or whatever) you are using. Each super 8 camera looses a different amount of light as it splits the light for the viewfinder, then splits it for the meter, etc. They also have different shutter speeds to each other. That's why you must shoot a test. Q2. Probably, though it will be very dim. Use the brightest projector you can get (200W GS1200 by elmo maybe) combined with the fastest stock you can get. You really will find that you will be pushing to get enough light out of the projector to film its image even with a screen if the image is of any size. Q3. All super 8 cameras have an internal 85a filter that can be switched in or out. This filter is designed for shooting tungsten film under daylight. (85a was for type 'A' tungsten film. The current Ektachrome 64t super 8 is a Type 'B' film and needs the 85b - theoretically). If you are shooting on a daylight stock in daylight, you have to have the camera's internal filter switched out. This means putting it in the counter-intuitive 'tungsten' position. With S8 camera's 'tungsten' = 'no filter'. Q 4. Depends if you are talking reversal film or neg. Pro8mm make a whole range of colour neg stocks available in S8 - including some daylight balanced ones. For reversal, there are only 2 choices for colour: Ektachrome 64t and Ektachrome 100d. The 100d is the fastest daylight reversal stock around. It can readily be exposed and processed as 200d (d for daylight). Its a much better stock than the 64t. Pro8 sell the 100d, as do Witner in Germany. Its not put in S8 by Kodak directly. Kodak themselves only supply 64t (rev), 200t and 500t (neg) as colour super 8 stocks. Richard

what a thrill it would be to have a meopta adastra 8mm. Straight out of Barbarella!

The good folks at Ikonoskop would make a lot of friends and a lot of sales if they could some how put some of their very fine technical and engineering skill into a DS8 perferator and start perfing Fuji neg (they would't be able to get hold of Kodak unperfed 16mm, but the Fuji range in DS8 would be fantastic)

This kind of speculation turns people/businesses into 'boogy men' very quickly. I have had Pro8 send things to me by usps air mail previously. Their attitude to this was simply that they could not guarantee it once it left their building. Just ask them. Their $30 price for any film stock is cheaper than anywhere else in the USA for stock and processing other than Dwaynes for 64t. Sure, its not the Kodachrome price. Its pricing structure was a hang-over from the mass market super 8 days. These are gone ... and so is Kodachrome. Personally I think Pro8 do an amazing job acquiring, sliting, buying the cartridges, cartridging, packing, and processing 27 or so different kinds of film for $30. Lets say they get the film stock itself for free, and that a fair price for the processing is US$12 (which would be the cheapest colour neg super 8 processing in the world). That leaves $18 for all of the above steps in their production ... It costs money to have stuff done. Each of these steps involves staff and equipment and facilities. Frankly they must have a very efficient system to make money out of that. No, its not free or even cheap to shoot super 8. If you want free, use your phone! But to quote $67 for posting 1 roll of film is INSANE. If I were them, I would have said, 'well it makes no sense to send one roll by DHL, so we should post it, but we can't guarantee that'. But that is staff for you.

Robert, can you tell me more about your third best friend? Is the 'drybox' a room or a cupboard/compartment or the last stage in the processing machine? Would be very useful to know a bit more about what you advise here. Cheers, Richard

Pro8mm use DHL for couriering things internationally. Yes, this is expensive. For one roll of film it makes no sense to send it via dhl. But that is what they are set up to do. It may sound funny but to pack something for post and walk it down to the post office as a one off would be time consuming for them. Their set up just doesn't work for small orders. As for price, pro8mm are cheap, even for American standards (where all super 8 stuff is cheaper than anywhere else). They charge US$30 for ANY stock and processing. That is virtually unbeatable in the US (asside from using Dwaynes for 64T). Wittner will post by air mail, though German air mail seems to have a minimum weight bracket of 2kg ...

But I would be very surprised if they are doing prints from camera original reversal film (Kodachrome, Ektachrome, etc). It is no longer possible to buy Ektrachrome duplicating film in motion picture formats. I believe the only super 8 printing they do is from neg to pos.

But only if your camera has a filter notch detector. Some cameras only relly on an external swith for switching the filter in or out. If your camera needs a filter key or a filter screw, then it will no doubt have a filter notch reader. If it has an external sliding switch, then it may or may not have a filter notch reader. Have a look inside the film compartment where the filter notch makes contact with the inside of the camera. Is there a little pin that gets pushed in by un notched film like Plus-x? Then it has a filter notch reader. Otherwise, you need to put the filter switch in the 'tungsten' (bulb) position as this is the position for no filter.

The R10 has a Macro facility built into the lens. This is a largish ring near the camera end of the lens (the zoom leaver is attatched to this ring). The ring moves forward (normal ?) and back (macro?). Perhaps your in the macro setting.

Depends on the camera. You need to find the speed notch reading mechanism (on a 40/160 camera this is often just a single pin). Then you need to see whether the 100d cart you are using pushes in this button or not. Next, you need to know whether your 40/160 camera is also a 25d/100d camera. Some are some aren't. The Bauer's for instance aren't. For it to be a 25/100 it must have a filter notch reading pin. having this pin is no guarantee that it is a 25/100 camera though. You also need to bear in mind that neither Pro8 nor Wittner notch their 100d carts as 100d (in my experience). If you are in Australia, buy your carts from me as I re-notch my suppliers carts correctly. If you need to check the notching on your 100d carts, compare them to a Kodak Plus-x cart (7265 - not the old 50asa plus-x). Remember, if the cart doesn't push the speed pin in, then its reading it as the higher of the speeds the camera has. Then if their is a filter notch reading pin the camera MIGHT but only MIGHT be able to read the film as 100d, else it will read it as 160d

This is a variable shutter controll. When you press 'fade' where ever that controll is on the 814, the dial will rotate itself through 2, 4 to close and stop. While this is happening the cameras shutter will be closing, thus making a fade to black. It should also be possible to rotate this dial to any of the positions without forcing it. So don't force it. It must have a lock somewhere. By the way '2' is one stop under exposed, '4' is two stops under exposed. Can be useful in bright light situations. Remember that the light meter does not adjust for the closing shutter (otherwise you wouldn't get a fade). I dont have a manual, sorry.

Yes that is not an 814xls, its an 814 auto zoom. This is not an xl camera. Having said that, its a nice camera. If the camera works o.k, you did quite well for 33Euro. An 814xls would ordinarily go for a lot more. It is debatable whether the later xls is a better camera, but it is more desirable.

I have in front of me a cart of Wittner 100d, a acrt of Pro8mm 100d, a cart of Plus-x 7265 and a cart of 64t. 100d should be notched with a 0.5 inch distance from the centre pin to the bottom of the speed notch. The Plus-x 7265 has this 0.5 inch notch distance and no filter notch (the notching for 100d). The Wittner 100d has a 0.6inch notch and no filter notch (the notching for 80d), the pro8mm has a 0.7 inch notch distance and no filter notch (notching for 40d). 64t has the same 0.7 inch notch but has a filter notch (correct for 64t). I sell the Pro8mm 100d. Its a very nice stock - I think the best super 8 reversal film ever put in a cart. But I always re-notch the 100d carts before I send them so they are notched with the correct 0.5 inch notch for 100d. If you shot pro8mm in a notch reading camera it would over expose 1 and 1/3rd stops. Was this the problem you had?

Hi Nick, the bulb! I strongly advise you to get a projector that uses the standard 100w 12v reflector bulb (looks like the kind you might have in a house or a shop as a little down light). There is another common type - looks like a spaceman. these spaceman bulbs are hard to get and expensive and not very bright. If you aren't projecting sound film, then a silent projector with less moving parts could be a good idea. But decide if you need 24fps. A classic super 8 work horse is the Elmo St180 or St600. Thats a great investment if you see one.

Some of the differences to my mind are as follows: The XL-s is a very good low light (XL) camera - the older camera isn't. Both cameras have a variable shutter and can close to varying degrees, but the XL-s is the only super 8 camera (correct me if I am wrong) that can switch between 'normal' and 'xl' shutter openings. I believe the XL-s is a quieter running camera. The XL-s looks more modern. The XL-s has a switch for the internal 85a filter, the older camera needs a screw for tungsten filming. The XL-s has a apeture exposure compensation both over and under continuously variable +/- 1 fstop, as well as being able to close the shutter for under, while the older 1014 only has 1 and 2 full stops over exposure (not continuously variable) and no under exposure compensation except for the variable shutter. But the older 1014 is a great camera with a nice big and bright viewfinder. My advice, buy the older 1014 and spend the huge difference in price shooting 100d. then you will be using the best super 8 reversal stock ever and at 100asa are less likely to need the XL feature anyway.

I have push processed 64t to 160asa (1 and 1/3 stops) and to 250 (2 stops). The first was bearable, the second really really grainy. Sorry I can't do pictures, but I certainly wouldn't advise more than one stop.

Hi James, your camera will also meter 100d super8 properly by the looks of it. So you have another colour choice. I think the Widescreen Centre in London sell it. Also Wittner in Germany. You should also check out onsuper8.org (google that) and filmshooting.com Cheers, Richard

Hi Mark, we do intend to offer frame by frame type transfer in the not too distant future, then have stock, processing and telecine combinations available. As for neg, I certainly hope to be able to transfer neg this way, but transfer of conventional colour neg is difficult due to the orange looking colour-coupler masking. A budget method might be to offer the scan un-corrected for diy colour correction. not sure about that yet. We will almost certainly be offering 64t processed as low(ish) contrast colour neg which would transfer easily as it has no colour masking. This could be a good option for the low budget user. Cheers, Richard

Hi Keith, well certainly Kodak don't honour ektachrome processing any more. Would there still be images on it? Possibly. Certainly unshot ektachrome of that vintage (not that long ago) would yield an image. Send it to me if you want. Cost would be $20. As for neg, I am looking at offering super8 vision colour neg, but I am also looking at offering Ektachrome 64t processed as a low contrast colour neg. The benefit here would be that it would be easier (and hence cheaper) to telecine as it wouldn't have the orange colour masking. Cheers, Richard nano lab :D

Hello all, Richard here from Nano Lab. Just thought I would announce here that we have a new web site: nanolab.com.au please take a look. If you know anywhere else in Australasia that sells stock that is not in our list of sellers, please let us know. We now have in stock Plus-x in super8 and Standard 8mm as well as Ektachrome 100d in Standard 8mm. We will have 100d super8 very soon. Cheers, Richard

Contact John Schwind of International film sales for OrwoUN54 in DS8. He has great prices. http://members.aol.com/Super8mm/JohnSchwind.html