Nikon R10

[Tim Shim]

I'm thinking of getting a Nikon R10 to kickstart my adventures into the world of Super 8.

 

Any thoughts, comments or opinions about this camera? Any pitfalls to look out for?

 

Tim

[Guest santo]

An excellent starter camera, I would imagine. A lot of people love their Nikon R-10's. Styling has a lot to do with it. Solid build from the couple of ones I've handled. The lens is very good for what it is and up there in subjective ratings of fixed super 8 zooms. I don't think you'll go wrong with that as your kickstart entry point to super 8 adventures.

 

Pitfalls I've heard of tend to revolve around the battery box issue. Make sure it's intact and in good shape. They're pretty noisy. Sometimes that has to do with a lack of lubrication after all these years. Apparently some have metal gears inside and some do not? Don't know about that one -- that's a claim from some guy on another site who is, to put it charitably, "iffy".

 

Ebay is a slow but steady supply for these things at reasonable prices. Some even new old stock in the box in the past year or so were sold. A little patience over the next couple months will net you a really nice camera. Unless you don't mind paying a premium elsewhere. You may not mind. Ebay prices vary from $200 to 300 US range in open bidding. So it's pretty decently priced. Maybe add a hundred on there for a camera from a professional shop with a warranty in top condition that's tested (and preferably lubed). Don't get suckered in to paying more than $400. Even that's tip-top price for one of these.

 

I'm sure R-10 owners will have more to add than me.

[Bob Last]

I am not lucky with the R10's. I had about 5 of them bought at different times from eBay with a success rate of only 1:5. They are all supposedly in excellent to mint condition. Problem I experience include: stucked zoom lens (1x), very very noisy while running (2x), motor is not able to drive the film (1x), 3 frames loss in between takes (1x), burned capacitor on the mainboard (1x), and dead exposure meter (2x).

 

The camera is built like a tank externally. You should ask a lot of questions to the seller before deciding into one.

 

I know a camera shop who can do excellent repair job on the electrical and mechanicals - Kominek Camera in Toronto - in case you will need it.

[steve hyde]

good to know about the R-10 service shop in Toronto. I should send mine there. I have had excellent experiences with my R-10. I have probably run thirty rolls through mine with no problems. I have only changed the six AA batteries that run the camera and light meter once. I don't power zoom. Sure it's loud.

 

great for sigle frame shooting

 

great for 54fps and in camera fades with a variable pitch shutter.

 

great for macro photography

 

I have never had a jittery picture with mine.

 

I paid 250.00 on Ebay

 

The camera is heavy and well made, unlike my Nizo S80 that feels like a Barbie cam.

 

hope this helps,

 

Steve

[Richard Tuohy]

Yes, I find my R-10 on the heavy side. I do a lot of hand held single frame shooting with various cameras, and the weight of the R-10 makes this less comfortable. Another factor is that it doesn't have a filter in/out switch, but requires the use of a filter key. You can use any flat object really, but its a bit of a bumber (the r-10 is not alone in this). Easy to focus acurately, good macro - though gives a wider angle in macro that I sometimes like, as good double-exposure, lap desolve, reverse features as you will find on Super8 - though the lables (button names) used on the buttons and leavers for these features make their operation a little abstract. You get used to that. It takes a large size filter - 67mm. More expensive than on smaller Super8 cams. Variable shutter is easy to use and very effective - though it does not have an 'xl' shutter, and thus I often resort to other cameras (I seem to ofen be strugling for light). Has exposure compensation +2 to -1, in addition to the continuously variable shutter which has indications for 1 and 2 stops under exposure. Can read a large spectrum of asa notches. Nice and solid.

[Alan Rik]

I had one for a few weeks. Mine was advertised as mint (not really) but in perfect working condition.

Mine arrived with a broken meter. And this one was loud. Back to the seller it went! It was a little bit too bulky for moi!

[Tim Shim]

Thanks guys for all the feedback and useful info.

 

I just got mine off eBay for $270. I hope it isn't plagued with any of the problems as reported by LastQuark and Alan.

 

How would you guys rate the Nikkor lens on the R10 compared to some other Super 8 cameras?

 

Again, thanks all for your thoughts and comments.

 

Tim

[steve hyde]

Thanks guys for all the feedback and useful info.

 

I just got mine off eBay for $270. I hope it isn't plagued with any of the problems as reported by LastQuark and Alan.

 

How would you guys rate the Nikkor lens on the R10 compared to some other Super 8 cameras?

 

Again, thanks all for your thoughts and comments.

 

Tim

 

Rumor has it that it has the best optics of the Japanese zoom cameras. If you look at some of the images I've posted at

 

http://faculty.washington.edu/sjh7/

 

you will notice the Nikon R-10 images look a bit sharper than the Nikon Super zoom ones. ( I would say these images are representative of what average super 8 looks like when telecined well.)

 

Steve

[Mike Crane]

Nikon R10 is a great camera! I have used them with even better optical results than my Beaulieu.

 

My experience has been that a fully rebuilt and tested R10 camera is usually closer to the 700.00 range. A camera store will invest 300.00 for an ebay level R10. Then about 200.00 is usually invested to recondition a camera of that level. The camera will then need to be tested (preferably with film). Finally, if the camera sells for 700.00, the camera store will pick-up about 200.00 bucks. After that, the shop has to hope that they don't get stuck with a possible warranty repair cost. Lotta work and risk for a couple hundred bucks.

 

Even though it will cost more, a rebuilt camera can often be better than buying multiple cameras on ebay, paying for test film, repairs, messed up shoots, etc. This can all add up to way more than a solid rebuilt camera.

[Heinrich Kronschläger]

Hi,

I use 4 Nikon R-10 and they are my favourite cameras. 3 work perfectly, the other : the mechanics work correct,but many shootings with the wide angle are unsharp. I have to adjust the lens in a recommended workshop in Vienna.

I bought 3 of these cameras on ebay, one of them works perfectly ,at the second the OL had to be repaired, I had it to sent to a workshop in Germany twice , until it was correct. The third camera of ebay looked like new, it hardly was used,but I could not use it: dry running(very noisy), the lightmeter uncorrect- +2 steps, the lightmeter-needle only moved very slowly. I sent that camera to a Nikon workshop in Germany, I received in the exchange of the repair costs (those would have been very high) another R-10, which functions are perfect.

My experiences with the Nikon R-10: If it functions, then it runs and runs and runs. It does not break down as fast as other cameras: My Nizo professional had a total failure from one day to the next , with my 2 Bauer A-512 suddenly the OL does not work any more, with my Nizo 6080 several functions do not work longer perfectly....

Thus I make all films only with the Nikon`s.

A problem of a R-10 is the lightmeter, which can be dejusted because of the years. The lightmeter can be simply adjusted by a suitable workshop.

At film demonstrations in the filmclub I saw that the Nikon is as sharp as the legendary Augenieux objective, sharper than a Nizo. Someone said that the Nikon is sharper than the Leicina special with the Schneider- Optivaron (not the 10 mm Cinegon).

If one is shooting nature films, then the R-10 is one of the best because of the fine macro.

Best regards

Henry

[Matt Pacini]

I've had two R-10's, and I'd have to say it's an excellent camera.

I've never had problems with either of mine, and I've run about 500+ rolls through them.

The lens is the sharpest S-8 lens out there, in my opinion, and shoots very sharp images in low light, even wide open!

 

MP

[Richard Tuohy]

Did you buy your R10? I am thinking of selling mine. Exposure, etc work perfectly. Give me a PM if you are interested.

Richard

[Alessandro Machi]

Another factor is that it doesn't have a filter in/out switch, but requires the use of a filter key. You can use any flat object really, but its a bit of a bumber (the r-10 is not alone in this).

 

An American quarter seems to work perfectly as a filter key, so to me that makes it basically a non-issue.

[Robert Hughes]

You can also cut up a credit card for use as a filter key on the R8/R10. I have an R8 off eBay, which gives good, sharp pictures with enough light. Some people prefer the R8 over the R10 for handheld work, as the lens isn't as bulky or heavy. But sharpness falls off drastically as you approach f/1.8. Maybe mine needs collimation, but I wouldn't recommend an R8 as a low-light camera.

 

What is a good filter key for a Beaulieu 4008ZM2? I just got one and (after I get the battery recelled and the mechanism refurbished by Bjorn) plan to make that my main S8 camera.