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Angenieux on Quarz DS8


Luigi Castellitto

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Sometimes I use the manual method like video, very accurate.

Your Pathés are like those in the video, that is, without the top hole for external magazines, but with the pin (under black screw) for the eventual motor?
Mine doesn't have both, it's this: https://www.filmkorn.org/super8data/database/cameras_list/cameras_pathex/pathe_webo_ds8_btl_1.htm

I also had one with the magazine hole and the screw for the motor, but it was in bad shape, and I would never have used those accessories.

 

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BTL Model II (with screw for motor) and BTL Model I like me. :) The first seems to be in very good condition, the second, as you say, a little worse.

Did you find a solution for the lightmeter? I noticed that in the second camera perhaps miss the piece that you should lean on your forehead to activate the circuit. But it's not essential, as I said, a modified was made to my camera to work even without activating with the forehead press, just insert the battery.
You also told me about an incorrect voltage detected. With the adapter of Small Battery in the picture, which you also know, I feel good, even comparing it with a digital Sekonic lightmeter.

 

 

DSC00141.JPG

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And this is the Angenieux of thread that I use with the Pathé.
You can see the  for the motor of the lightmeter and the small word "Super 8". But it's clear that it has the same collimation distance as the one manufactured to go directly on the Pathé.

I wondered, in addition to these Webo and the Beaulieu, on some other cameras might be fine.

 

DSC00142.JPG

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2 minutes ago, Luigi Castellitto said:

And this is the Angenieux of thread that I use with the Pathé.
You can see the  for the motor of the lightmeter and the small word "Super 8". But it's clear that it has the same collimation distance as the one manufactured to go directly on the Pathé.

I wondered, in addition to these Webo and the Beaulieu, on some other cameras might be fine.

 

 

Yup, the Pathé has a huge advantage over the Bolex DS8 conversion: it has a standard C-mount flange distance, which means its lenses are fully interchangeable with all other C-mount cameras, both analogue (S8 cameras) and digital.

For example, I could reuse both the 8-64 and the 6-80 with my Pentax Q7 just fine. This camera has a very small, 1/1.7" sensor, which means about 60-70% of the central pixels are properly illuminated by these Super8 lens. And with the previous, 1/2.3" (that is, even smaller-sensor) Pentax Q's, almost the entire sensor area is used.

I'll shoot some images on my Q7 when I have some time. (I've already done so with the 8-64 on my Fuji. The Fuji being an APS-C camera, only a very small sensor area is utilized, which means very low-resolution images, unlike with the Pentax Q.)

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16 minutes ago, Luigi Castellitto said:

Did you find a solution for the lightmeter? I noticed that in the second camera perhaps miss the piece that you should lean on your forehead to activate the circuit. 

 

 

 

Yup, it's missing. However, even on the other camera it seems to have contact problems and very rarely works. I may also apply a "hack"; that is, continuously "wire in" the battery. As I too have the Small Battery adapter, the battery getting empty faster isn't a problem as they're very cheap.

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Hack is best way, the forehead method is not comfortable, and you're right, 357 batteries are cheap.

Another problem with these Webo is that 90% have a very dirty viewfinder. And from the outside it's little possible improve, because the reflective "pellicle" near the prism is very very fragile. Even a single touch is enough to break it.

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23 hours ago, Luigi Castellitto said:

Another problem with these Webo is that 90% have a very dirty viewfinder.

Yup, mine is very dirty too. And it has a very-very narrow viewing angle - it's REALLY bad as the slightest movement of one's face results in the image getting lost.

BTW, yesterday, I shot a lot on one of my DS-3's. Here's the "making of" 360-degree video, with links to more info & still images on the specific locations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLozYJh9DP0

 

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Often the viewfinder is also decentralized, because of the pellicle before the prism can be moved a little.
Also on this forum there are several skeptics about the Pathé Webo cameras; I can't do it wrong, them have a lot of faults, but there are not many high level cameras for DS8.
And in any case, the metallic pressor certainly gives better results than most of the Super 8 cameras

What lens did you use for your video? It seems scretched in horizontal. is it perhaps for conversion to 16: 9 for Youtube?

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7 hours ago, Luigi Castellitto said:

Ah, OK!
Tell me, will you do a scan of the DS8 shots? I'm curious about the results.

Definitely. And I've already scanned two rolls of exactly the same setup (DS8-3 + Foma 100): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4_1cuziVtq9ZU0gJfAVkC1fqOSggcM6N (note that the album also has some Foma 100 Std8 footage shot with the Leicina 8S).

 

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20 hours ago, Luigi Castellitto said:

I noticed the definition in depth of field.

You mean the large depth of field caused by the very small (1/2.6") frame size and the, because of the almost constant sunshine during the shooting, f/16...f/22 aperture almost constanly being in use?

BTW, today, I also shot a bit around here in Finland. My two new "8mm making" 360-degree videos are at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cybZ3uWeeco and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upkz7qvVs3Q

 

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Yes, I would say that the iris closed helped, but the definition of the camera is still good. It is a good optic, no doubt about it.

I see that it is still cold, but I believe you have not had any problems of blocking the mechanics or fogging the lenses / viewfinder.
How many digital / magnetic tape I saw stuck at low temperatures! :)

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5 hours ago, Luigi Castellitto said:

I see that it is still cold, but I believe you have not had any problems of blocking the mechanics or fogging the lenses / viewfinder.
 

1. I have never had cold-inducted mechanical problems with the Soviet cameras - DS-8 or the 2x8 Quarz. Unlike with my Canon DS8, in which my NiMH rechargeables quickly lost their charge and, after about 30 minutes of constantly being in about -3C degrees and in a very windy environment, it didn't operate any longer.

2. Fogging always happens with all kinds of cameras; therefore, I'm extremely precatious when bringing in my cold equipment into warm to avoid condensation & mold/fungus  (the usual "several layers of plastic around the cameras and don't open for several hours").

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Ah, Werner, I had seen this camera on eBay, very very beautiful!
Among other things, I noticed that the conversion of H8 to DS8 was almost always done on Rex3 or older, never on Rex4 (camera that I have). Who knows why...

I'm interested in your shot with Fomapan R100 100ft. to understand if even with a conversion in DS8 you can happen into this problem:


I'm waiting for your news!

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12 hours ago, Luigi Castellitto said:

I'm interested in your shot with Fomapan R100 100ft. to understand if even with a conversion in DS8 you can happen into this problem:
I'm waiting for your news!

Thanks for the link; I'll definitely send the camera for a service if it doesn't work flawlessly. (I've previously purchased a Canon 1014 XL-S from the same seller and it was, as described by the seller, flawless. So I have high hopes this time too.)

First, to be on the safe side (to quickly find out whether there's something very serious with the camera like light leaking, bad registration etc.), I'll shoot a 10m Foma roll. Then, I'll switch to 30m rolls, particuarly for events like the oncoming Wife Carrying World Championship, which I plan to film not only with video (incl. 360-degree), but also with at least one DS8 camera.

(BTW, here are my videos of the 2018 event if interested: 360-degree: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4_1cuziVtq__g7_3fiRPttWpKy5wdpjN; standard video: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4_1cuziVtq-KSJwFs0koU-le3I1qfI8H)

 

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Werner, my Bolex has always worked well, with all the emulsion used. The one with Fomapan R100 2x8 100ft was an isolated case, the camera slowed down but didn't stop.
I have never been able to understand if it could be a thing related to the camera (but very anomalous, only with 100ft and only once in decades) or if the Fomapan R100 2x8 100ft (never happened anything with the 10 meters) could be "sticky" or be able to present other defects related to perforations or other.
I had to try another 2x8 film of 30 meters, even already exposed, just to see how it trun, but I never did.
The Fomapan is a very great film, one of my, favorites, but, thanks to the experienced users of this forum, I discovered that my case was not the only one.

I am interested in your test, even if the DS8 is not 2x8 and could work differently (maybe the DS8 rollers of your Bolex are "stronger", who knows!). Obviously I hope everything goes well for you!!!, but consider the possibility.

Edited by Luigi Castellitto
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Finished shooting almost an entire roll of 10m Fomapan on the Bolex DS8 conversion.

While I certainly still don't have the developed film these cameras produced (except for the Quartz, obviously) so I can't comment on whether the chromatic aberration or sharpness difference is visible on the Fomapan back-and-white ISO 100 film at all, I like, usability-wise, the Canon the best. It's just a "bigger brother" of the Quartz with a far more flexible lens and some other goodies (for example, variable shutter). The Quartz (apart from being much smaller & lighter & not handicapped by the restrictions of batteries) doesn't have advantages over the Canon, while both have the HUUGE advantage of below-the-reflex-mirror aperture and, compared to the Bolex, built-in light meter. (The Canon's viewfinder is as good as that of the Quartz and significantly better than those of the Pathe / Bolex).

That is, if the developed film I shot on the Canon doesn't turn out to be worse than the footage I shot on the Pathe / Bolex, I may stick with the Canon for most of my future DS8 shooting.

BTW, here are my latest four "8mm making of" 360-degree videos made yesterday:

1: the Leftish / Communist Parties' Labour Day Demo https://youtu.be/cpqGHjqksGM
2: Sirkat concert https://youtu.be/YDUNFWeERMI
3: firefighters in the Puistokatu playground https://youtu.be/NgWMZepz75U
4: events in the Church Park https://youtu.be/zr_pjdqOcQg

(See the video descriptions for more info & possible links for additional pano stills. All videos are 360-degree.)

Edited by Ruotsalainen Werner
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