8mm Forum: Your take on it: fix it or dump it

This is topic Your take on it: fix it or dump it in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on May 26, 2008, 11:50 AM:

I appeal to our helpful, knowledgable friends on this forum for your 2 cents.

A Minolta Autopak-8 D10 was "loaned" to me under the pretense that if I wanted it, I could keep it. It's immaculate and everything is intact -- a lot of accessories. Age is about 35 years. Wonderful lens, and reads all ASA settings.

The problems: it labors when first running after sitting for awhile, so it needs a lube job. And the auto exposure (which is the only way it was intended to be used) runs about 3 stops dark.

I've sent it in to a reputable place for an estimate on servicing it, and it comes back at $300 because it's a difficult camera to take apart. Do I think this camera is necessary? No, not really, but it could prove helpful in the long run. However, fixing it would divert "project" funds away from previous goals that would then be postponed.

What would you do?

Thank you in advance!

Posted by Alan Rik (Member # 73) on May 26, 2008, 12:43 PM:

One sold on Ebay for $63.50 and then a week later another sold for $405.99.
I wouldn't repair it unless I really loved that camera and It held sentimental meaning for me. For $300 you could put that to another camera and possibly end up with a Nikon R8, Canon 1014, 814, and those have superior optics.
Why don't you sell it on Ebay for $100 starting bid? I am sure some tinkerer would love to have that for parts or even just for them to experiment on.

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on May 27, 2008, 10:40 AM:

You've provided me a good challenge to my thinking, Alan.

I guess the reason I'm somewhat willing to do this is security: every piece of equipment I'm working with has "problems" of a greater or lesser extent, so having one camera that is clean to start with and freshly serviced is advantageous. I mean, what's the chance of picking up one of those Nikons or Canons absolutely trouble-free? Maybe I do need to shop around more.

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on May 27, 2008, 11:15 PM:

Hmmm... I see this is just stirring up a firestorm of controversy.

Is it quiet on this topic because you agree 100% with Alan, you have no opinion, or you think it's a stupid question ;-) ?

Posted by Alan Rik (Member # 73) on May 28, 2008, 12:07 AM:

Don't take it personally but the majority of the members here are watchers and not shooters. Some are both! Also the camera you are talking about is a very good camera that I am familiar with but to the rest of the public that model is not very well known. If you really want to start a firestorm..post your topic here:

http://www.filmshooting.com/scripts/forum/viewforum.php?f=1

That is a shooting group! [Smile]

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 549) on May 28, 2008, 06:10 AM:

I am a shooter Bill!

I have also owned one of those Minolta Autopak 8's; for some reason they do not seem to have a great survival rate. Their electrics just don't seem to be relaible. I have had both motor trouble and auto-exposure trouble too.

I have owned dozens of Super 8 cameras and the best results obtained reliably are from the two top Canons, the 814 XLS and 1014 XLS.

Ask plenty of questions and you will get an affordable & reliable Canon camera on ebay. Even fully working the Minolta does not have a Canon quality lens or offer the features.

David

Posted by Mark Norton (Member # 165) on May 28, 2008, 06:36 AM:

Bill, stunning looking camera, if it's mint and you have the accessories $300 seems to me a reasonable investment to get a serviced high end camera. For more money you might consider buying a rebuilt Cannon 814 $795 or Beaulie $2,495 from Pro8mm.
My favorite top end super 8 camera to film with is my Nizo Professional, I paid $500 for it with the accessories.

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on May 28, 2008, 09:49 AM:

That's a lot of money [Eek!]

considering I got my Bauer Royal 8E makro for US$50 (including shipping from Germany!) and it arrived in near-perfect working condition.
My personal opinion... the Minolta isn't worth $300 to have it serviced but it IS worth trying to do it yourself (of course that's the doktor in me speaking). But in the end, I'd go for a Canon on eBay, too (or Bauer or Nizo or Beaulieu)...

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on May 28, 2008, 11:57 AM:

OK, that's about 3 "against" and 1 "for" -- starting to feel like a consensus. Thank you all for your wisdom based on experience, which is exactly what I was hoping for.

Alan, I haven't posted at the other forum for quite some time, so thank you for the reminder.

I'm off to set up a new Ebay search! But of course, any other comments are appreciated!

Posted by Alan Rik (Member # 73) on May 28, 2008, 07:52 PM:

Most of the honest sellers will answer any questions you may have in regards to the camera you want to buy. Just ask them if it has been serviced and if everything is working. If not ask for their return policy. I once purchased a Nikon R10 for $125. Great price for a great camera except..the auto iris was not working. I didn't feel like carrying around a light meter so the guy let me send it back to him. In over 25 cameras or more that I have purchased on Ebay only one arrived damaged, a Beaulieu 6008S. (The Ad Read..."the last time I checked everything was working perfectly!" Yeah..the last time which was in 1986!). The other one died after the second roll was put in. Canon 514XLS.
Other than that Leicina Special, Nizo 6080, Canon 1014XLS, Canon 814XLS, Canon DS8 + many more...all in perfect working condition. Good luck!!

Posted by Jim Carlile (Member # 812) on May 29, 2008, 02:49 AM:

Well my advice is that because everything should be serviced anyway, that camera's worth it, so I'd go for it.

Where did you send it? For something like that, I'd probably go to Duall or maybe Birnie O'Dougherty if he wants to work on them.

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on June 01, 2008, 03:11 PM:

After nearly a week of this conversation, and several days of watching Ebay, I can say just three things: thanks to everyone who contributed helpful and varied opinions; Ebay is no instant salvation; and this decision is still difficult.

It appears that it will take weeks or months of watching on Ebay to get a GREAT camera at $300 or less. Several new searches are routinely turning up cameras of $500-$2,000. The ones "in range" or below tend to be Canons, most frequently 514XLs, which will NOT shoot 24fps. This is not helpful!

So I will delay yet more, and so it goes...

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on June 04, 2008, 11:10 AM:

Or, for a low, low price, you too can have the legendary Canon 1014 XL-S -- complete with scratched lens. (And no remote, microphone, or other accessories.)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260247321674

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on July 03, 2008, 01:11 PM:

OK, major update here.

All of my Ebay searches, having watched them now for a month, consistently prove that you have to be in the right place at the right time for a RARE deal. Otherwise, truly great cameras command truly decent prices. As in, sorry, I don't want to spend that much right now. Few great ones are coming in at $300, let alone less than that.

But more importantly, I was given another referral for someone to look at the Minolta and recalibrate the exposure. Three weeks later it is done -- at about a THIRD of the cost. I've tested it with 100D film this week, and it is spot on! So now I have a gorgeous camera that can be trusted. More tests to follow.

Don't mean to be cryptic here as to identities involved, but I have good reasons for not naming names. If you want to know, feel free to email me.

Again, I am thankful for everyone's help and hope I can repay you down the road!

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on October 12, 2016, 01:33 PM:

I am dredging up this post because an Internet reader recently messaged me and wanted to know the outcome of my situation. At this point the Elmo camera that I initially used remains essentially dead, due to claw alignment and motor issues (thanks, Pro8mm, for impossibly tight cartridges, and short-lengthed, too). So the Minolta served me well thereafter. Though it's been a few years now, I successfully shot our final Kodachrome, some B&W, and E64T or E100D rolls with great results.

Initially I didn't post who did the repair because the situation seemed too good to be true, and I wanted to make sure the work was good and the business was reputable. Now I regret not posting this sooner.

My work was done - for less than $100 - by Marvin Meister at Photo Center in Beverly Hills. Yelp's Photo Center listing doesn't lie, and it's a delight to find that not only is he still in business, but has lots of contented fans like me. An unsung hero genius of photo and repair. The business info is there at the Yelp link.

Posted by Jim Schrader (Member # 9) on October 12, 2016, 03:13 PM:

Boy there are some names going back what happened to the great people on here?

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on October 12, 2016, 09:22 PM:

Very true. Helpful and friendly.

But I can't believe it's almost been a decade since I started messing with the SECOND camera! Time flies, priorities change... and now we're missing some good people.

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