8mm Forum: Newly Purchased Sankyo Sound XL 25s, and Thank-You's

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Topic: Newly Purchased Sankyo Sound XL 25s, and Thank-You's

Chris Punzi
Film Handler

Posts: 34
From: Manassas, VA 20110
Registered: Jul 2011

posted July 29, 2011 09:07 AM

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Thanks to everybody who's helped me out so far by giving me advice and help with my foray into the super 8 world! This forum is a great resource.

But a special thanks goes to Gary Crawford, who hooked me up with an Elmo St1200D and the selected scenes from "Young Lions" to use for FREE! It is much appreciated and it is great to know there are some first-class guys out there who'll help out a newbie in need. I'm really excited that I'll be able to view some older movies in style to inspire me to make new ones myself.

Finally: I just bought a Sankyo Sound XL-25s off of ebay for 40 dollars. The thing looks awesome! Like a BEAST! The guy said he used it for film class five years ago and it worked fine, and that the battery compartment is clean. I think this could be the one! Does anybody know where I could find a free PDF manual for it?

Also I'm wondering if anyone has experience with it and could give me some tips for shooting on it. I found the following movie on youtube which was made with one of these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7OhfsOhCbk At 1:15 in the video does he have it focused completely wrong or is it just due to the lack of light?

--------------------
-Chris

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Pasquale DAlessio
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From: Bristol,RI, USA
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posted July 29, 2011 10:22 AM

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HI Chris

Try camerabooks.com or just google the manual and I'm sure you will find one.

Pat

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Winbert Hutahaean
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From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
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posted July 29, 2011 11:30 AM

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quote:
Also I'm wondering if anyone has experience with it and could give me some tips for shooting on it. I found the following movie on youtube which was made with one of these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7OhfsOhCbk At 1:15 in the video does he have it focused completely wrong or is it just due to the lack of light?

Chris, I believe that is not out of focus but more a digital effect made to boost a special sense. It must be done in the computer during the transfer.

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Winbert

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Douglas Meltzer
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Registered: Jun 2003

posted July 30, 2011 10:46 AM

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Chris,

That was great of Gary to help you out. I've just scanned the manual for the XL-40S/25S. I'll send the link to your email.

Doug

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I think there's room for just one more film.....

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Chris Punzi
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From: Manassas, VA 20110
Registered: Jul 2011

posted July 30, 2011 07:50 PM

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Winbert- it's good to know that the camera itself probably didn't cause that blur!

Doug- Thanks so much for the manual! I'm getting really excited about shooting with it just reading about all the features and stuff.

I'm definitely crossing my fingers and hoping it works!

--------------------
-Chris

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Winbert Hutahaean
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From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
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posted July 30, 2011 08:52 PM

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Chris, shooting with 8mm is using your own eyes. It is an optical device. If from view finder you see blur picture than the result will be blur. Otherwise it will be focus like what you see. It is more like what you see is what you get (in terms of sharpness, not the color!)

ps: there is an exception if you are with myopia eyes. This is the reason why the lens in the view finder can be adjusted. But failing to adjust this will not also result that very blur like the above youtube.

pss: another exception also can happen at the 8mm camera if the pressing plate is not working well. But this is a very rare occasion and will not also create that very blur picture

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Winbert

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Rodolfo Sanchez
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From: seattle, wa
Registered: Aug 2011

posted August 05, 2011 05:20 PM

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Hi fellas. I also just bought a Sankyo Sound XL-40s yesterday at a thrift store. As soon as I got home I found this thread and joined the forum. Thanks Doug and Chris for your prompt replies about the manual.

I have a question regarding the built-in 85 filter. When I flip the switch to put it in or out, I can't see a difference through the viewfinder. The light meter does register a 2/3 stop difference, but the image through the viewfinder does not shift toward orange the way it does with my Minolta Autopak-8.

So I'm wondering if the built-in filter in my Sankyo has faded. Those of you who have this camera or a similar one, can you notice the difference through the viewfinder when the filter is in place?

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RJ Sanchez
Media Producer / Photographer
Seattle WA

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Douglas Meltzer
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posted August 06, 2011 10:16 AM

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Chris,

You're very welcome! Please keep us posted about your shoot.

Rodolfo,

Welcome to the Forum! You will not see the 85 filter in place through the eyepiece. The filter is dropped in behind the pentaprism/mirror that allows you to see through the lens. Since the light meter shows the reduction in light, your filter is fine. Just be sure to note whether your film stock is balanced for tungsten (use the filter outdoors) or daylight (don't!).

Doug

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I think there's room for just one more film.....

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Chris Punzi
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From: Manassas, VA 20110
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posted August 06, 2011 04:54 PM

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Just to confirm what doug said, I can't see the filter color change in my XL-25S. My camera seems to work okay, I can't wait to film with it!

My Bell & Howell 311 definitely ran the film way too fast. It looks almost normal when played back at 24 fps, and it was supposed to be shot at 18 fps. It's weird, my sound camera works at 18 fps and my silent camera works at 24 fps XD. I'll upload the footage soon when I figure out transferring the video from my projector to digital.

--------------------
-Chris

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Chris Punzi
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From: Manassas, VA 20110
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posted August 07, 2011 01:23 PM

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My first super 8 music video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYf9Lsw38Qg&feature=channel_video_title

The description on Youtube pretty much says it all, but the song is called 3 Months, I wrote it and played with my band "The Peaces" This video was played back at 24 fps... my Bell & Howell 311 is a little odd huh?

--------------------
-Chris

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Bill Phelps
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posted August 07, 2011 02:05 PM

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Good job Chris! I like the song and the camera did a nice job. I have a B&H 311 but have not used it. I like the spring loaded motor...I think that is maybe the only super 8 camera that does not take batteries...but I could be wrong.

Anyway, welcome to the forum and keep filming!

Bill [Smile]

[Smile]

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Gerald Santana
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posted August 07, 2011 02:43 PM

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Good job, Chris! You may want to send your music to Rick Ele at KDVS in Davis - he has a a great show called Art for Spastics, and he'll play it.

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http://lostandoutofprintfilms.blogspot.com/

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Chris Punzi
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From: Manassas, VA 20110
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posted August 07, 2011 11:34 PM

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Bill- Thanks! On your B&H 311, can you check and see if it winds down too fast? Possibly compare the film advance gear spinning on the 311 and one of your 18 fps cameras and tell me if they're different? I really like this camera but I think it shoots close to 24 fps and that's really not enough time per roll for me.

Gerald- I appreciate it man! I'll try and send some tunes to him, I'm always trying to get my music out to a big audience. Hell, that's kind of why I wanted to shoot music videos on super 8 for us. Something different, something that stands out, it's a good way to get exposure.

I'm going to film kind of a sequel vid hopefully during the week. Got to get the crew together and then it'll happen.

--------------------
-Chris

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Lee Mannering
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From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006

posted August 08, 2011 03:46 AM

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Hello Chris. It was interesting to read you are the proud owner of the Sankyo 25s as this was indeed one of the first super 8 sound camera I owned way back in 1974/5 ish at a guess. In the archive I must have around 5000ft plus of sound films shot with it and all were sharp with clear direct sound. I later upgraded to a 600 model and later the top of the range XL-620 which I still use today with super results every time. Although I’ve used other makes and models I always seemed to return to the Sankyo cameras and I am sure you will have lots of fun using your 25s as I did way back when. A tip I will give you is to invest in a decent tripod and I rarely take my cine camera out without one.
Happy days!

Update: Looking through some of the old home movies filmed with this its amazing how well they still look after all these years and many projections.

[ August 10, 2011, 03:51 AM: Message edited by: Lee Mannering ]

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Bill Phelps
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posted August 08, 2011 07:10 AM

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Hey Chris...I will check it later today and let you know. (I am not home right now)

On a side note...even though the 311 is not performing like you want, keep it. I have many different cameras because no one camera gives you all the features you need and with the age of these things its always good to have a spare when one goes down.

Bill [Smile]

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Chris Punzi
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From: Manassas, VA 20110
Registered: Jul 2011

posted August 12, 2011 07:06 AM

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Lee- That is really cool to hear! I am glad that someone like you who is pretty invested into this hobby can look back fondly on the same camera I now own. It makes me feel like I've made a good decision on picking this up. Do put up some sample movies you've taken when you get a chance if you please! Also I have an old home movie my grandpa took presumably with the instamatic m6, and it does look great! There's a little thing on the kodak box that says there is no guarantee that the colors will stay true, but they have!

Bill- Did you ever get around to checking out the speed of your B&H 311? I intend to keep mine, it just looks too cool, and the footage came out great in spite of the speed issue.

I have another update, we filmed a sequel video to the one that I have on youtube. It's a full on chase video with all sorts of bad cuts and cheesy scenes (my favorite is where we newspapers in front of our faces, and the chaser runs past us). We also filmed a car chase, featuring the chaser on his motorcycle and me in my porsche 944. The camera seemed to function correctly, but you never know. We used a tripod this time for parts, but the guy shooting had never even shot a video like this!! I have two more rolls of film I'm going to shoot with it this week, we're going on vacation! Should be a couple of good home movies, then I'll send all three rolls in to be processed upon arriving home. I am really looking forward to seeing the results!

Question: When filming a sunset, what f-stop do you recommend? Should I leave it on auto, and just use the backlight compensator? I got a crazily over exposed white with a hint of an image on my 311 while shooting roughly in the direction of the sun (mid-day), and I'm trying to avoid that happening again.

Thanks everyone!

--------------------
-Chris

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Bill Phelps
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posted August 21, 2011 03:41 PM

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Chris...sorry it has taken so long to post.

My 311 appears to be running at 24 or even higher. I just checked it beside a camera I know runs at 18 fps and the 311 appeared to be going twice as fast. I have not ran any film through it but I am going to at some point. I will let you know more when I find out more about it.

Bill [Smile]

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Chris Punzi
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From: Manassas, VA 20110
Registered: Jul 2011

posted September 17, 2011 02:36 AM

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Hey all you cool cats in radio land, check this out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arq9i89OOpQ&feature=channel_video_title

I shot this with the sankyo XL-25s. Unfortunately the camera is broken now, I broke the EE mechanism when I ran with the camera in my friend's short film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRNyvL2lJMc

So now I picked up a Eumig 308 Zoom Reflex from Kirk, which seems great so far! Anybody have any experience or possibly the manual for this? I'm not quite sure how to operate the automatic/manual exposure or verify that it works correctly before filming. Thanks!

I liked the way the sankyo footage came out so much that I picked up an XL-60s which I'm going to use the parts from my 25 to fix up, hopefully the EE works or it's going to be disappointing (ebay purchase). Also I've decided I am fed up with pro8mm and their BS and I'm switching to buying direct from kodak and processing at Spectra possibly.

--------------------
-Chris

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