what is the canon 1014 xls / 814, 814 xls like

Steven Adams · February 7, 2009

I read "the place to buy thread, lots of great info!

I was wondering if any one had any opinion on the canon 1014 xls / 814, 814 xls. Thanks!

andy oliver · February 7, 2009

I read "the place to buy thread, lots of great info!
I was wondering if any one had any opinion on the canon 1014 xls / 814, 814 xls. Thanks!

Hi, fantastic run and gun cameras, i've owned my 814xl-s since new, purchased way back in early 1985, never let me down, late 85 purchased a mint 1014xls. Until the advent of me being online, internet forums etc, always thought canon were the best except for the beaulieus. Once i discovered forums, i chose to mess with other cameras, bauers, beaulieus, leicinas..

I still occasionally use my 814xls, image steadiness is superb, great auto exposure, smooth fades, easy to hand hold. My only gripe with my late 1014xls and current 814xls is the image goes on the soft side around 2.8-1.4. Imo the canons are a tad over rated on the optical side, dont get me wrong, they produce stunning images....

Alexander Zabotkin · February 8, 2009

Hello

Great cameras and lenses. I have my 1014 XLS since 2007.

So exact and fast AE cannot be compared to any other Super 8 camera

The lenses on these I think are better than Schneider 6-70 on a most of Beaulieus

You won’t be disappointed with these

Best regards

Edited February 8, 2009 by Alexander Zabotkin

Bruce Taylor · February 8, 2009

I have heard from some, and noted myself, that the 1014xls is much more quiet than the 814xls. If you will be recording sound that may be something to consider. I bought my 1014 new in about 1980. I just pulled some old reels out a few weeks ago and projected them, my goodness they look terrific. Crisp and steady. There's not much that beats projected reversal camera original!

Enjoy,

Bruce Taylor

www.Indi35.com

Justin Lovell · February 21, 2009

The 1014xls is my workhorse camera. It's reliable and built like a tank. I had mine modified to have a stronger drive mechanism. I found the tolerances were not strong enough for the negative film stocks and I was getting jammed cartridges. My technician in Toronto, Daniel, can adjust yours if you think you need it. 416 789 0777 after 6pm. toronto time.)

In comparing the 814XLS to the 101XLS I do have this to comment:

The 1014xls has more elements in the lens design. It is more prone to lens flaring. However this flare is more of a blue haze that appears over the image. It is most noticeable on negative film stocks. I rarely see the haze when shooting reversal. It appears when shot either towards a bright window, or under overcast days when shooting outdoors. Broad bright sources cause the blue haze over the image.

The 814xls is less prone to this. You'll also notice that the front element on the 814xls is concave, not flat, this may be helping to overcome the issue. (as well as the fact that it has less lens elements).

To be noted as well:

The "8" stands for 8x zoom. the "14" stands for "1.4" lens. The "XLS" stands for 'Existing Light Shutter" Meaning you can have a 220 deg. shutter for low light situations (the standard shutter angle is 150).

(Finally a naming system that makes sense!)

The 1014xls is not just longer on the zoom, it also has a wider angle on the short end of the zoom.

If you want to do variable shutter tricks, you may want to look into the silver versions, the "E" models (ie. 1014E or 814E) "E" standing for Electronic.

David Sokal · February 24, 2009

I read "the place to buy thread, lots of great info!
I was wondering if any one had any opinion on the canon 1014 xls / 814, 814 xls. Thanks!

I enjoyed using the one I had. I haven't used it in eons and just recently gave it away to a non-profit media center. I had the 1014 xls. The lens is a beautiful 10 to 1 zoom. The optics were some of the best made for super-8. The only mechanical problem it had was the built in dissolve broke down at one point. I took it to Canon Headquarters in LA and they fixed it. That was in the 80s. The sound quality is excellent. I produced many movies of my kids as well as an experimental film that heavily used the time lapse capabilities of the 1014. Some of the imagery was absolutely stunning. I shot 12 hour periods of the sky from sunrise to sunset. The key naturally is not the camera but what it is pointed at. No matter how good your camera is, it is the light that comes in the lens that matters. However, this camera was definitely up to the task when the light was there to be captured. Hope that helps.

Ronald Carrion · March 12, 2009

I have used the 1014 xls for a few weddings. Great camera in my opinion, very strong, and with several interesting features ( like the timelapse) . About the noise, I remember in one wedding people turned their heads towards me like saying "what's that noise?" But after the ceremony nobody would notice. I filmed the whole day with only one set of batteries. Here is a sample of two of them in vimeo. ( In the wedding abroad the Queen Mary there was hair in the right side of the frame. The guys at Pro8 told me that my camera was needing some some cleaning. Any way, here are the samples). Enjoy.

http://www.vimeo.com/2598704