8mm Forum: Super 8 camera general question

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Posted by Peter Hebein (Member # 6121) on October 30, 2017, 08:28 AM:

Hello!

I have been getting more and more into super 8 film making and I probably have what might be a very newbie question. I have a chinon Pacific super 8 camera, and there is a switch for "H" or "L" I'm assuming these are the tungsten and daylight settings but I am not entirely sure.

Thank you for your Time!

Peter

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on October 30, 2017, 08:59 AM:

Usually tungsten/daylight is set by a switch marked with sun and lightbulb symbols.

I wonder if what you are seeing is something like a speed adjustment for power zoom.

Posted by Peter Hebein (Member # 6121) on October 30, 2017, 09:25 AM:

Steve,

Thanks for replying so quickly. I was thinking that to, but I have no idea what H or L would stand for. Also, I don't have the tungsten/daylight switch anywhere else on the camera. I can post a screenshot later.

Posted by Stuart Reid (Member # 1460) on October 30, 2017, 09:35 AM:

H/L would stand for High/Low, surely? In which case yes, that would be a zoom setting. Some cameras don't have a switch as such for tungsten/daylight, but instead you take a screw from the base of the handle and screw it in the top of the camera.

Posted by Peter Hebein (Member # 6121) on October 30, 2017, 09:40 AM:

Stuart,

thank you! Would this be a setting then for the speed at which the telephoto/wide angle switch operates?

Peter

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on October 30, 2017, 10:09 AM:

The fact that it is so close to the zoom adjustment is a good sign.

You could try power zooming with the switch in both positions and see if you notice a difference.

Posted by Peter Hebein (Member # 6121) on October 30, 2017, 10:13 AM:

Steve,

Yes, I will be giving this a try as soon as possible, and post again. I am trying to compare with the Canon 1014 xls I have borrowed. I would really like for Kodak to release sound ektachrome or the 200' sound cartridge again. Wishful thinking. haha

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on October 30, 2017, 10:25 AM:

I've been filming silent for about 40 years and I like it that way, but I've seen the results from sound on film and I'd love to do about ten sound cartridges, just kind of a bucket-list thing.

I've been doing sound on the projection side about 15 years, you would think to a certain extent the filmmaking side would need to catch up!

Posted by Peter Hebein (Member # 6121) on October 30, 2017, 10:27 AM:

There is a person selling some ektachrome 160A sound film on ebay, he has about 15 or so rolls. I just bought one actually. He said they were refrigerated. and also Dwane's photo will develop it as a color positive. Food for thought.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on October 30, 2017, 10:40 AM:

It seems to be the Chinon Model 200/12XL sound camera. If so, the H-L is the recording level control for auto High Low.
http://www.filmkorn.org/super8data/database/cameras_list/cameras_chinon/chinon_200pacific_12.htm

Posted by Peter Hebein (Member # 6121) on October 30, 2017, 10:46 AM:

Maurice, thank you for the response and the link, this helps a lot. I know I'm such a novice at this, but what exactly would either of these settings do?

Thanks,

Peter

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on October 30, 2017, 11:14 AM:

Peter
It's so many years since I had a sound camera.
But, I assume that when put to "auto" record the switch sets the sensitivity of the recording microphone circuit to be high or low.
The camera is quite complicated and you really need a manual. You can get one from the UK from a firm whom I highly recommend.
https://www.camera-manual.com/model.php?modelid=2496

Posted by Peter Hebein (Member # 6121) on October 30, 2017, 11:18 AM:

Maurice,

Interesting, thank you very much! I will have to do some tests with it, I have a limited supply of sound film, haha but it will be neat to try out. I'm glad it doesn't have anything to do with the actual picture, this is a sigh of relief, since I filmed on expired kodachrome 40 sound, we'll see when it's developed!

Posted by Peter Hebein (Member # 6121) on November 04, 2017, 08:51 PM:

Hey again,

I hope this feed is still visible. I have done some research on my chinon super 8. It appears the way this particular camera was set up, there is a small red screw that goes in the top the camera that changes it from tungsten to daylight. I know this is a long shot but I wasn't given this piece when I purchased the camera, and eBay is a no go for it also. Any ideas where I may find this ?

Thanks a lot!

Peter

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on November 04, 2017, 09:32 PM:

Hey Peter,

The cameras I know that are set up like this mounted a movie light in that threaded hole. When you installed the light, the daylight filter was automatically moved out of the way.

I remember this thread being the same size as a tripod screw thread (1/4-20).

You can find a 1/4-20 screw (or borrow one from a tripod) and see if this works out.

if so, check out this on Amazon:

"Neewer D Shaft D-ring 1/4" Mounting Screw 10mm Shaft for Camera Tripod Monopod or Quick Release (QR) Plate"

Posted by Peter Hebein (Member # 6121) on November 06, 2017, 07:25 PM:

Steve,

Great that is a wonderful idea! I will you this as a replacement until i can get the proper piece! Any particular length do you believe would work best? i guess a longer piece.

Thanks,

Peter

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on November 06, 2017, 07:56 PM:

Hi Pete,

I happen to have a vintage movie light (I haven't used one for real since the 1980s: it's somebody's well meaning hand-me-down!)

It looks like the screw would go into the threads no deeper than about 1/4".

Posted by Peter Hebein (Member # 6121) on November 06, 2017, 08:17 PM:

Steve,

Great! Thank you for all the help! I just purchased one, I will probably need to invest in one of those movie lights eventually haha. You've been so hopeful.

Peter

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on November 07, 2017, 10:52 AM:

Peter, be aware that recent stock is always daylight. So with your old Ektachrome films, use the camera as it was intended but if you use others, set your camera on "artificial light" to switch the filter off. And if you use a movie light with recent stock, you will have to put a filter (different that the one in the camera). As far as I know, artificial filmstock (like Kodachrome) as not been available for years.

Posted by Peter Hebein (Member # 6121) on November 07, 2017, 02:04 PM:

Dominique,

Thank you for the reply. I recently bought some color vision film, which is vision color 200T. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this is tungsten balanced? So if I were to use this film outdoors, I would need to engage the filter, correct? Maybe I have this backwards.

Peter

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on November 07, 2017, 11:59 PM:

Peter, I was refering to reversal stock. It seems that for negative film (that I have never used so far since for me using a projector to view the film is part of the "fun") you have indeed to set the camera as with classical super 8 films (camera filter on for daylight shootings). Let us know what results you get.

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