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It arrived! But does it work?


Nick Norton

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My Eclair ACLII finally made its way from nation to nation, to inside my apartment.

 

I bought the Bescor battery belt Saul recommended, and although i don't have any film/leader to load into the camera... i attempted to turn it on and run it at 8fps.

 

I turned on the main switch by the ACL logo on the front of the camera, and the unit powered up but immediatley started to record/run the motor. I tried turning on the switch near the side handle as well, but the camera continues to record even if i push/don't push the button on the handle. The button seems to have no effect whatsoever.

 

Am i doing something wrong? Or is this thing destined for Bernie?

 

 

thanks-

 

nicholas

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I have not used a II, but mine (a I body) does not have a switch except the one to run the motor at the base and the one next to the handle (they both run the motor). Mine is a very basic camera, there are no other electronics to power but the motor. I think that is what you are experiencing. Does yours have a light meter? If it doesn't the on and off switch may be only for the motor.

 

Hope that helps.

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Yeah, mine is supposed to have a light meter.

 

Also, the shutter seems to stop closed rather than open when i turn off the motor. (i can't see through the viewfinder)

 

Yeah they are notorious for not parking with the shutter closed.

 

Without being there I can't tell you about the motor. Shoot a test and see what happens. Or send it in. It is hard to say without being there, again.

 

Sorry I can't be of much help.

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I turned on the main switch by the ACL logo on the front of the camera, and the unit powered up but immediatley started to record/run the motor. I tried turning on the switch near the side handle as well, but the camera continues to record even if i push/don't push the button on the handle. The button seems to have no effect whatsoever.

 

I have an ACL 1 and an ACL 1.5/2 mutt - I know there are a lot of variations but I can tell you that if you have both the front and side switch, then they kinda work together and it can get confusing if you forget one or the other switch is engaged.

 

When the front switch is depressed, it will also slide and "lock" to the right (towards the viewfinder) and left (away from viewfinder). On my camera, when the front switch is slid to the right, the motor will be permanently running. When it is slid to the left, then that means the handle button is now in control. If your handle is the ergonomic type, it's an on/off toggle switch. If you just have the plain handle, then the switch is actually attached to the camera body and it is a 3-position sliding switch. On my camera, the lowest position is off, and the top two both seem to be "on."

 

One thing I can recommend you do once you get some practice film is the following two tests, they are very easy to do and will save you some ruined film:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBBumID3xlM

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUhI7qMjtzQ

 

In both of these videos, camera 2 is broken and had to be sent in for service. If you shoot film with your camera in this condition your footage will be completely blurred and unusable except for perhaps an art-house experiment! Save yourself $100 and check this before you shoot (unlike me who found out the hard way ;-)

 

good luck with the camera.

Edited by Jason Hinkle
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Yeah, mine is supposed to have a light meter.

 

Also, the shutter seems to stop closed rather than open when i turn off the motor. (i can't see through the viewfinder)

 

 

 

If your shutter stops consistently in the same position but the viewfinder is dark, it could be that your motor was installed with the drive shaft 180 degrees out of position. Remove the motor by unscrewing the 3 screws and carefully pull the motor straight out. You want to be careful not to damage the tiny green 9-pin power connectors. They are easy to break. Now turn the shaft on the motor 180 degrees and carefully re-install the motor making sure that the two pins from the motor shaft are aligned correctly with the camera's mating holes and the power connectors are mating properly. This should solve your problem.

 

Jean-Louis

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If your shutter stops consistently in the same position but the viewfinder is dark, it could be that your motor was installed with the drive shaft 180 degrees out of position. Remove the motor by unscrewing the 3 screws and carefully pull the motor straight out. You want to be careful not to damage the tiny green 9-pin power connectors. They are easy to break. Now turn the shaft on the motor 180 degrees and carefully re-install the motor making sure that the two pins from the motor shaft are aligned correctly with the camera's mating holes and the power connectors are mating properly. This should solve your problem.

 

Jean-Louis

 

I have done this procedure, but I have always done it parking the motor with the shutter closed / mirror in front of the aperture first (so one can see live image through the viewfinder). Would the same apply here?

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I have done this procedure, but I have always done it parking the motor with the shutter closed / mirror in front of the aperture first (so one can see live image through the viewfinder). Would the same apply here?

 

 

 

Yes, I would think so. When the motor is in the parked position, the mirror should be exactly in front of the aperture. On some motors, the inching knob has a reference mark which should align with a little mirror symbol engraved on the side of the housing when the motor is in the parked position.

Hope this helps.

 

Jean-Louis

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Thanks for the help everyone, especially Jason. I eventually discovered the correct procedure on my own, but your post was exactly the problem i was having. (so yes, the camera seems to be fully functional)

 

However, might still have to send this one away. At least the 400ft mag!

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/truespin19/photo1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/truespin19/photo2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/truespin19/photo4.jpg

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Thanks for the help everyone, especially Jason. I eventually discovered the correct procedure on my own, but your post was exactly the problem i was having. (so yes, the camera seems to be fully functional)

 

awesome - glad to hear the camera is working. man it looks like somebody was filming in a sandstorm with that magazine!

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