8mm Forum: Canon 1014XL-S viewfinder

This is topic Canon 1014XL-S viewfinder in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Bernhard Gruidl (Member # 5566) on September 29, 2016, 08:49 AM:

After some years in the leather case the viewfinder (inside camera) of my 1014xl-s isn't that clear any more (a little bit dusty and soft view). I hope that this doesn't correlate to a dusty lens. But the lens looks absolutely clear and clean. Does somebody have the same experience and know if it's possible to get it cleaned with relatively small effort?
When I went to the shop where I bought the camera in 1979 they looked at me as if I was coming from Mars.

Posted by Peter Harrison (Member # 5290) on September 30, 2016, 12:59 AM:

I've opened up a 1014xl-s before and did not find it too hard (the Nikon R10, on the other hand, is an absolute nightmare). What I did find hard, however, is doing much more than that. There are so many electronics within the camera that getting at anything mechanical requires more knowledge of how to deconstruct it than I possess. I know there are service manuals about somewhere but I never was able to get my hands on one.

In terms of your specific problem, I believe if my memory serves me correctly that you can clean the mirrors to the viewfinder and generally do some work to remove dust, though I imagine considering the age of the camera that you could also potentially make things worse if you're not careful.

This website will give you pointers on precisely how to get inside:

http://www.nakanocam.com/8mm_page/canon1014xl-sfps.html

You need to be careful not to upset the dials in opening it up and make sure not to lose the C-clamp.

Good luck!

Posted by Rob Young. (Member # 131) on October 02, 2016, 03:50 AM:

[ October 02, 2016, 12:30 PM: Message edited by: Rob Young. ]

Posted by Bernhard Gruidl (Member # 5566) on October 02, 2016, 06:25 AM:

Thank you for your information, Peter.

To not make things worse I'm going to find another repair shop or someone who's a professional in camera restauration.
3 weeks ago I met a former Bauer-Employee (meanwhile he's 80) who run a repair shop for projectors until a few years ago.
He still can repair all kind of projectors and Bauer cameras (not Canon).

Thanks to the author Klaus Unbehaun there's a 199pages-Book (in German language) about filming with Canon S8 and 16mm -Cameras. Second edition of 1980 is focusing the 814/1014 xl-s and Scoopic 16.
The first edition I think focuses the former 814/1014 model generation.
This is the "real manual" which I wished to have in 1980. Found it accidentally 2 weeks ago. 36 years too late :-)
Another helpful Book is "Canon Filmschule" ("Canon Filmschool") with theoretical and practical lessons.
I was told that Canon did film courses in the early 80's in a train car which shuttled from city to city in Germany.
They used this book in their lessons.
It's almost interesting how many good books were edited in the late 60's until mid80's which are still useful for video and iphone filmmaking (composition, structuring, arrangement) too.

As you mention the Nikon R10: it's a nice camera which I always wanted to have. Now there'd be an oportunity. But I found out by laborious emailing that zooming doesn't work.
The seller seems not to be into how to handle a S8 camera and I can't go there to check the camera myself. Not an ideal situation. The camera definitely needs to be repaired.

Posted by Peter Harrison (Member # 5290) on October 02, 2016, 06:43 AM:

Duall Camera replaced the motor in my Canon 1014xls so you might try them.

One slight and annoying hiccup in the repair though was that in doing so the shutter angle adjust was rendered faulty. I now have to take a cart out, switch it to either daylight or indoors (which leads to the motor running continuously without the following step), and then run the camera for a few seconds before replacing the cart and carrying on as normal. It's pretty annoying as the camera is in otherwise pristine condition (having been inherited from my father-in-law who had used it once).

As has been said many times on many forums, however, to expect these bits of kit to keep going at 100% after 30 years is wishful thinking. It's just a shame they're not easier to get repaired. If you find someone reasonable and reliable, please let me know!

I would also like a functioning R10 (and a Leicina Special for that matter). The R10's come up for sale on Yahoo Japan pretty often but I find there is always, always something wrong with them. The one time I sought a repair for them here at Retro-8 in Tokyo (who apparently have a specialist in Nikons) I was told not to bother as its simply too expensive. This led to my own attempt due to my lack of funds that thereby made me intimately aware of how tough they are to get inside of.

Anyway, I'm rambling. We'll see what comes of the Kodak effort..

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on October 02, 2016, 10:26 AM:

Great great cameras indeed Peter, but unbelievably complicated electronically when things aren't perfect over 30 years on from their serviceable hey day.

I wish you well and much good fortune from your efforts with this. You deserve a breakthrough.

Like all top specialist service personnel within the luxury goods market, they are out there, but you have to have very deep pockets to be able to afford all what we'd like for the continuing good health of these type of products.

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