8mm Forum: Choosing a new camera

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Topic: Choosing a new camera

Pedro Munyoz
Junior
Posts: 11
From: Spain
Registered: Dec 2007

posted February 09, 2008 03:40 PM

I'm thinking about getting a new camera for my next project and I'm totally undecided. I intend to buy it from http://www.super8camera-shop.com/ as I don't know any other site with such good customer reviews. Anyway, can anyone recommend me another one in order to have more chances? If not, my chances here are the following:

- Leicina Special: many say it's just the best. But I do not intend to video-transfer my film at the moment. Will that additional per-second-frame be noticeable when projecting it at 24 fps (it films at 25fps)?

- Beaulieu 6008 S: the problem with this brand seems to be that its cameras tend to break easily. The good thing is you can use the supermag and shoot with the emulsions selled in 60 mtrs. reels. I'm I wrong about that?

- Any Nizo in the site: they seem to have the same problem as Beaulieus, but they are far cheaper and less heavy.

- Any other you can recommend me from this site or any other (I try to avoid Paypal when purchasing cameras) [Smile]

Greetings and thanks in advance

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Jim Carlile
Film Handler

Posts: 95
From: Burbank, California, USA
Registered: Apr 2007

posted February 09, 2008 11:57 PM

I had a great experience with Super 8 Arena:

http://super8arena.com/

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Dennis Rainaldi
Junior
Posts: 3
From: New York City
Registered: Dec 2009

posted December 29, 2009 09:45 AM

How was your experience with www.super8camera-shop.com? I just ordered something from them and am hoping that there are no problems. I have heard great things about Super8Arena as well but they did not have the models that I was looking for.

How did it go with your purchase?

Please let me know...

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John Davis
Master Film Handler

Posts: 286
From: Dunfermline, Fife, UK
Registered: Jun 2008

posted December 29, 2009 02:33 PM

Hi Pedro,
you raised the point about 60m mags; I was under the impression that these were no longer made, so this feature might be academic.
Unless anyone can confirm if the 200ft mags are still available??
John

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted December 29, 2009 03:42 PM

I think you may still find some Kodak 200 foot cartridges that were frozen at the end of production, but if I remember right they were eliminated from the Kodak catalog right around the same time as sound film.

Like sound film, they would be very rare and very pricy!

Did Supermag actually ever reach production? I know there were prototypes, but I don't think they managed to launch it for general sale.

--------------------
All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Alan Rik
Film God

Posts: 2211
From: New York City, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted December 29, 2009 04:02 PM

I have owned all of the cameras you mentioned. The only one I kept was the Leicina Special. That one when used with the 10mm Cinegon is a mighty small and stealthy camera with some of the sharpest images I have seen. My black and white footage looks like 16mm! That plus 3 focusing screens and ground glass focusing for me put this one at the top.
The Beaulieu cameras when they are in good condition are very nice. However so many of them have been neglected for so long that many of them are out of whack and need calibration. If you can find a 6008S try to find one with the ground glass focusing found on the 6008S MD or some of them have been modified by Bjorn in Sweden, a very good technician. In fact I wouldn't buy another Beaulieu unless it had been recently serviced. They are fragile.
The Nizo 6080 is the quietest camera I have never heard! The images were very good but the problem I had was that the split image focusing was hard for me. It was hit and miss for me. Sometimes in focus..sometimes not.
The Canon 1014/814xls also is a very good performer. Great picture and really good for on the fly shots.
Nikon R10 is a little bulky in size but also a very nice camera. Make sure that if you are using the internal light meter that it works. Once that is broken it is so difficult to fix that you may as well forget it and just purchase a handheld light meter and set the exposure yourself.
I really like the Leicina Special. Even with the 6-66mm lens it shoots very sharp images with little or no jitter.
Good luck!

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Claus Harding
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1149
From: Washington DC
Registered: Oct 2006

posted December 29, 2009 10:11 PM

I second Alan's recommendations, but with regard to the Nizos:
(I have owned three different models):

The sound models are very quiet because they are driven by a small, thin rubber belt that is virtually impossible to get to, let alone change when it goes (I have been in there [Big Grin]

) Finding repairs for them seems to be more of a challenge than with many.

The second thing is, the late, big sound models like the 60- series were made around the time when Braun Nizo was going into bankruptcy and QC is reported to be very 'hit and miss' on those. A great pity, as the Nizos in general are beautiful cameras both in terms of performance and ergonomics.

I have a Leicina Special and, regrettably, while it is optically wonderful (and built like a bank safe) it does in fact have gate jitter, and I have yet to find a suitable repair place.

Claus.

--------------------
"Why are there shots of deserts in a scene that's supposed to take place in Belgium during the winter?" (Review of 'Battle of the Bulge'.)

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