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Canon 1014 XL-S general questions


Harriet Megson

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Hi there!

I am a complete newbie to Super8 and managed to get my hands on a Canon 1014 xl-s for my birthday! I have been reading up a bunch on this camera and have a couple o questions before experimenting!

1) The R-RL button on the handle appears to be stuck on the R side and wont slide across to the RL side on the left. Can this button only be moved when film is loaded or is it in fact stuck and broken?

2) I have read a lot of posts about wanting to overexpose super8 footage when using kodak vision3 negative film. How exactly does one go about changing the fstop by 2/3 - 1 on this camera? I notice a dial on the right hand side beside the handle with a small +1 and -1 symbol, can this be used to change the aperture and overexpose the footage?

3) I have a roll of Vision3 50D to use as a test roll. What would be some recommended shots or complete test sequence to take to make sure everything is in working order?

4) Is it recommended to use 50D inside with a 80 filter or is 200T much better for indoor and outdoor versatility?

Thanks so much for any and all help!

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 Hello:

1) the button should slide freely from "R" to "RL" positions. If it doesn't, there is a problem. Anyway the only difference from the two positions, is that in "R" you have to keep the shutter release button pressed for the duration of your shot, in "RL" (run lock), you  push it at the start of the shot and press it again to stop.

2) right

3) Camera on sturdy tripod: film a wall with visible bricks slowly zooming in and out a few times. This way it's easy to assess how steady the camera is. To check the built-in lightmeter, frame a newspaper page (preferably with no pictures) and film it for a few seconds (5-10) then change (ovveride) the aperture ( both + and -) at 1/3 of stops (you can also use the dial you mention for the purpose). To check focusing accuracy, again camera on tripod and frame a distant subject at least 20 meters away; lens barrel on infinity, max focal length (66 mm) and aperture as wide as possible: what you film must appear perfectly  sharp after the film si returned to you  (the lens on this camera is one of the best); keeping filming, perform a zoom out up to 6.6 mm: the film will have to show everything is still in focus.  A few more focus tests should be performed at shorter film-plane/subject distances (3-5 meters) better if in scarce lighting conditions, to have as shallow depth of field as possible. In this case focusing should be done as per instructions. This can be avoided if you are planning to shoot with a measuring tape.

4) Vision 50 is a "D" (Daylight) balanced film so it works best outdoors also given its slow speed; built in conversion filter must be removed so set the in/out switch for this function on the bulb symbol (however counter-intuitive this may seem); Vision 200 is a T (Tungsten) balanced film stock so it works better indoor both in existing low light filming conditions and with suitable lamps (rated at 3200 K). You can also use it outdoors in daylight but in this case you will need a conversion filter (and possibly a grey one should there be too much light); you can use the one supplied in the camera (filter switch on the sun symbol) or - better - remove the former and use a screw in filter on the lens barrel (just make sure it's oversized to avoid vignetting at the wide angle  end of the lens)

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Regarding the overexposure, the notching system in the carts for Super 8 will take of that generally speaking. For instance, 200T is actually read as 160 because when the camera was created, 200ASA film wasn't around. And for 500T, it reads it as 400ASA for the same reason. So already those overexpose the film by 1/3 of stop so you're good to go. You don't need to intentionally overexpose it.

 

Also when using daylight (D) film, the cartridge automatically disables the 85B warming filter built into the camera so you can have the filter set to D or T and it won't make a difference.

I also wouldn't worry about the R-RL (Run-Run Lock) switch as it's largely unnecessary unless you really need unattended shooting. R is perfect for most uses.

 

You've got yourself a hell of a camera! 50D will treat you well in bright daylight. I like 200T for it's general versatility between bright outdoors and medium light indoors. Try a roll of Tri-X as well! Enjoy!

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