Just got this camera. Bought it for less than $100 and everything is working fine. Thank you for the tutorial! Really helps to check the cameras. Just got to buy the film next and shoot it
I picked up one of these from a flea market for $10 because it wasn't working. After spending an hour cleaning 30-year-old battery corrosion out of its compartment, it seems to be fully functional. Thanks for the video on how to use it!!
@@pumpkinmonkeypictures I've just finished my first roll, but I have no idea how to take it out!! I've tried Google but there's only tutorials for how to load it. Am I meant to just take the cartridge out? Because I'm trying to do that but it's really hard?
@@Sofia-nc1tu there is a little catch at the bottom, you just pull on that and it should slide it out. The film is all safe in the cartridge so don’t worry about that.
I have a camera just like that, it’s been retired to my cupboard next to an adjustable interval timer, filters and a separate incident light meter. Having fun with double exposures using the wind back feature, those were the days!, I loved the black and white Super 8 film stock Kodak made and the home processing you could do. Later I upgraded to 16mm Buying 2 Bolex cameras and taking advantage of the higher fps that came in handy for Pyrotechnics tests and other slow motion subjects, now everything has advanced digitally and is highly sophisticated at the touch of a button with virtually instant results.
Thank you for this video! I picked one of these bad boys up at a Yard Sale and wanted to test before listing for sale on Ebay. This video was helpful. Appreciate it! :)
Thank you so, so much - I have one of these in very good quality but only knew half these things, if that. It was nice to see in your footage that the auto zoom is actually a nice slow enough feature - I had assumed it was quick, so thank you for that. I did not understand what you said about the tungsten orange button and how to use it and when to adjust that so if you have another video relating to that, or indeed this camera, feel free to let me know. I think I'm going to choose the 50D film for outdoor shooting on an island in Ireland in September. I subscribed!
Thank you, I’m glad it found it useful. I was planning to do a tungsten filter themed video, but being honest I find making these videos quite awkward and aren’t confident people need them… although this video has done very well. I’ll try my best to explain it now though… So ignore the built in function for a second, keep the plug in the top (mines red), this disengages the built in function. Historically, all film lights were tungsten in temperature, therefore all film was balanced this way. Imagine the film starts bluer to compensate for the warm tungsten lights. That means if you’re shooting indoors with tungsten’s lamps etc, your 200T and 500T would be nicely balanced. Now obviously if you shoot outdoors, the light is neutral, therefore they make a 50D (daylight), where the starting point is less blue and more neutral as it doesn’t need to compensate. As you’re most likely going to use 50D outdoors, and the other too indoors, that’s why the tungsten balanced film available has been designed in this way, I guess it’s the most economic. It’s when you shoot outside of these parameters that you need to think about applying a filter. If you want to use your 200T or 500T outside, you no longer have your tungsten lights to compensate for, you need to give it temperature with a filter. You can take the red plug out the top, or apply an external filter. This is the most common use for it. On the flip side, if you were confident you had enough light to use 50D indoors, and you have warm tungsten lighting(!), you can actually purchase the opposing ‘cooling’ filter, to prevent it being too warm. Having said all of that, we are now in an age of digital editing, and you can very easily compensate for warm/cool footage in post. Both the programs I use, Nuke and premiere literally have temperate colour correction controls for this very task. So, if you are ever worried you got it wrong, which I do all the time, there is literally nothing to worry about. I hope that makes sense… it’s a while since I’ve thought about it any detail and can be a bit of a mind F to get your head around!
Great video. I’m just getting into learning Super 8. Did you color correct the footage? Btw you should make a silent film: TMNT vs. Buzz Lightyear. I’m a screenwriter so I saw a story brewing in your test footage. You left us on a cliffhanger lol.
Hey, thanks! I usually CC it a bit. I normally 'linearise' it, essentially the the blacks and whites in a good place, so it doesnt look all pale. And maybe tweak the temperate, depending on what stock I am using... But I find it looks so nice I don't do an awful lot more than that. Maybe the occasional skin tone if I am doing weddings... so a little lol. But nothing extensive.
Still have one from when I was a kid, too bad to tore the rubber grip, lost the battery compartment lid, and probably broke some internals. What a shame.
Just picked up my first 814. Very helpful video. Where can I get my super 8 film processed and Electronically sent? Im using Kodak vision 3 50d but have yet to find a good place that can develop it. Any recommendations?
@@isaac.gnz23 I'm so sorry, I genuinely didnt see your comments. I have heard Pro 8mm are very reliable. I would advise checking out the reddit forum, there are a lot of US based filmakers on there who will have a better knowledge of processors in the states.
@@isaac.gnz23 I'm so sorry, I genuinely didnt see your comments. I have heard Pro 8mm are very reliable. I would advise checking out the reddit forum, there are a lot of US based filmakers on there who will have a better knowledge of processors in the states.
@6:33 - That's funny. When you switch the R button to OFF - it automatically also moves the Manual Exposure button as well. Why is that? Also, what's the workflow like for manual exposure? You have to use a light meter that will fit a film motion camera [right? You gotta have it setup to your shutter angle\or shutter speed actually]- and then, all you do is just meter via shutter priority, and with that silver knob- jus align it to the correct f/stop of the camera?
Hey! Nah, you're safe with the manual exposure button. I think it was just a trick of the light. It's must easier to use (and probably designed to be used) with the remote. The only way to stop it rolling the way I demonstrate is by turning that knob, which doesn't feel right. However if you do it with the remote, the motor doesn't engage unless you hold the button down, much tidier. As for manual exposure. There is light meter in the viewerfinder, I use this whilst on auto to find where I want to set the exposure. You can point at different things to see where you lie. For example if you set your exposure based on the sky, your characters would be very dark - and visa versa you'll blow out the sky. But once you're happy you can go back to manual and set it based on that.
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 Oh, ok, so you could actually come very close to your subject, so he/she fills the frame [maybe you can zoom into them, instead]- then you see what f/stop the camera is at [as that's what auto-meter tells you is the right exposure for the subject] - Then you switch to Manual exposure, and set that same f/stop and you could shoot that backlit scene you wanted without compromising your subject. I think i got it. What is your preferred shutter angle, and how is it practically set on your 814?
@@eladbari yeah exactly, I would go for the zoom approach personally rather than moving your set up incase the light is different. Tbh I don’t really worry about shutter angle with super8, cause you can’t really change it - not on the 814 anyway. But it would depend on the frame rate. If I am shooting at 24, which I do normally, I’d hope for something around 180 so I get quite natural motionblur. There’s a lot of info about it in the document I think, but like I said I haven’t delved too deep into the specifics as it’s mostly designed to be a point and shoot camera.
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 Oh, definitely, man. Super8 is totally a point & shoot camera. It's that extra step you take- that makes a difference: 1. Manually exposing shots (to avoid silhouettes) 2. Setting your shutter angle (I did not like the XL cameras with 220 shutter angle, as objects are smeared, and you can choose your own angle with the 814, using those 2+4 switches, couldn't figure it out yet) 3. Maybe mounting your Super8 on a small rig to avoid jittery shakes That's what I'm trying to figure out to upgrade the Super8 game..
@@eladbari Yeah, I have a rig I try to chuck it on when I am doing stuff a little less snap-happy, helps a lot. It's definitely worth getting hold of a manual, it will have all the shutter angle info in it. But the 2-4 thing youre talking about it is 'variable shutter angle'. If you set it to 2, you will get half of your shutter angle (auto set by the cartridge/stock), then 4 is half again. You can use it as a manual fade to black if you're so inclined.
Hey mate, thank you very much for this video. I really want to get into super 8mm filming and I was thinking of lurchasing either this 814 XLS model or a 514 XLS. Do you recommend the 814 model for a starting enthousiast ?
Hey! Yes definitely! All super8 cameras are built for convenience, but the better the camera, the more you can do with it as you progress. 100% I recommend this camera.
I have a question (apologies in advance I am not in the least bit tech savy) but I picked one of these up in Brazil recently as it looked in fairly good condition and I thought I'd chance it. I put in fresh batteries but nothing is happening when I try to hold the trigger down (when I have the camera on R) however the zoom buttons and functions are both working. I'm wondering if that is tied to motor at all and whether there is any hope to salvage it? Any advice is welcome!
Hey Shahin, yeah, that's a toughy. It could be a dodgy wire, or the motor could be knackered. The tricky thing with super 8 cameras is finding out... you could either be brave and take it apart yourself, or find someone to take a look for you... I got the light meter fixed on mine and it cost more than I paid for the camera. Maybe you know a tech wizard who you trust that might be able to at least check the mechanicals for you?
OK i did a shoot yesterday with a buddy, shooting on the 1014 with Kodak 50D....but with all the things to keep in mind, and i was shooting manual exposure with my light meter too (which is awesome) afterwards i noticed that the 85 filter plug on the top of the camera was still screwed in....therefore pushing down on the little metal thing inside...did i shoot on 50D with the 85 filter ON? If so, that would mean the cast over the film would be orange? Would color correction in post actually fix it or am i screwed? Is that orange cast fixed with adding enough blue? My gut tells me no, but that's why I'm here! Other than that, great fun shooting on S8!
Don’t worry about it. I’m pretty sure off the top of my head that when it’s screwed in it disables the filter… although that’s based on my camera. Mine has a red screw that pushes it down - I have a speculation that there was a black one missing that wouldn’t push it down… Regardless, it’s a simple multiply operation that you can do in any software. Either manually change the exposure to make it less orange. Or in programs like premiere there is a specific temperature control that will do the same operate. But ultimately it’s not an issue at all… if you can’t get your head around it let me know and I’ll fix it for you! Hope that helps!
@@orangebetsy yeah it will be baked in, if it was on. But in this day and age it isn’t an issue as colour correction isn’t chemical. All this stuff used to make me nervous aswell, but you’ll see, your stuff will look great!
@@pumpkinmonkeypictures thanks! It’s a guy with balloons but they aren’t primary colors, we found em and figured we should have him walking around Brooklyn dragging em along. It es so hot they kept popping.
Quick question. Picked up one of these and cannot seem to find information on how to unlock the variable shutter knob once locked. Probably a simple trick. Bought mine already pressed in and so cannot test if this button works properly. Thank you for the video and your time.
Hey! The only thing I can’t think of off the top of my head is the little thin slider in the centre of larger variable shutter knobs. Mine has that black arrow on it, it slides back and forth.
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 Thank you! I thought you had pushed it in on the video. I was twisting, pushing, pulling... I thought it might be stuck. Of course, I knew I was missing something very simple!
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 Well, the dial can turn now, but when I tried to simulate the "fade out" effect you show when turning the dial from open to close I do not see it darken through the viewfinder. Does this mean the feature does not work or is the effect only visible after shooting (as in it doesn't shift anything to block the light of the lens, but rather the mechanism blocks light to the film)? I have not run any film through it yet, just been testing it out to see what is working and what's not. The automatic zoom buttons do not appear to function, which is disappointing, but I did not pay much for it, so would still be a great deal if everything else functions as it should.
@@professorlenz Ok yeah, you won't see it in the view finder, much like you don't see the aperture opening and closing with auto exposure. I wonder if you might be able to see it through the filmback. If you open the cartridge flap at the back, and look all the way through the hole at end. If you look at something bright and hold the trigger you can see the shutter flickering away. I would imagine you would notice the difference in there... I know it's a bit of an investment, but it really is worth getting some film and doing a test run. Slate it all up so you know what you were testing, and put it through it's paces. It's the only way to know for sure what the quirks are, and it's better to find out there than on something that matters, like a wedding. I worked out with mind that the film wasnt turning consistently and I was missing a lot of stuff and wasting tonnes of film. I have a hacky fix for it now, but it was only through testing it I figured it out. Don't worry about the electric zoom, it's a fad anyway. Mine works, but I am never going to use it.
Hello. Thanks for the film. About to use my 814 this week after a long long time. Helpful to remind me what everything does! Obvious question really, but did you engage the colour correction orange 85 filter when you shot outside on the 200T stock?
Hey, sorry for the delayed reply - and also if this a duplicate. I recently did some shuffling with my account and all my comments got deleted. Basically, yes. I experimented with on and off, and also with an external one, which I think I preferred. All in all though, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. In this day and age it’s very easy to fix it in post, and if you’re not comfortable with it, mention it to the processor and they’ll compensate for it. In my opinion, if you need that extra 0.5-1 stop of exposure, the temperature is a free sacrifice. I hope that helps. I’m thinking of making a vid about that soon, do you think that would help?
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 The first thing I do with every new Super-8 camera I get is get an external 85 filter. That is, unless the cameras have the same filter size.
Get down to B&Q or Wilko and buy a suitable bolt, that should do the trick as the thread size is pretty standard, it’s just pushing a pin that engages the filter.
If you're lucky, there's a red screw that screws into that hole on the top. That takes the daylight filter out of the path. It also screws to the bottom of the camera near the tripod socket so that you don't lose it. I was lucky enough to get one with the screw still attached. It's almost like the filter key; it's one of those things that's kinda easy to lose, and once you do, you gotta jump through a lot of hoops afterwards, unless all you wanna shoot is tungsten film like V3 200T in daylight.
Cool video. Can this be used to record like an hour long video. Like some 8mm tape that insets to transmit the signal to maybe like a usb input on a laptop? Are you aware of anything like that. Also. Loved the walk through and the end video!!
Thanks! I’ve not heard of anything like that no - I guess you’d need a lot of film, but it would need processing anyway so I’m really not sure how that would work.
@@marmaly thanks for the reply. I have seen film cameras in the past such as a miniDV cam that had a tape you inserted but ran a cord out the back (from the tape itself- think like your car cassette tapes and aux cable) to feed a live signal for use like as a monitor camera. Also the question was answered. Thanks.
@10:25 I don't get the "put a mark on the cartidge' tip. If you take it out, and it happens, you won't get the warning that the film had ended, and you can keep rolling thinking you're still recording, while you really not. I wonder if this could be solved somehow....
Hey, so that’s for a couple of different things. I mainly use it to check that the film actually flows through the camera. So right at the beginning, you can put a little mark on, flash the trigger and see if it’s moved - you’d lose a fraction of a second. The other option is to actually mark where you got to, if you want to change stocks for example. You’d mark on the the film basically what the gauge on the side says. So when you go back to that one you know how much you have left. I agree it’s a ropey approach, but I think the more you do it the more you’re used to it and recognise the sound when you get to the end of the reel.
Hey! The test I would do: set it to auto and look through the viewer. As you move the camera around and point at different things, the light meter should move. Then stick it on manual, and do the same thing and make sure the meter sticks. That’s about all you can do.
I have a question if I buy this Kodak film package will it come with multiple ones or just one ? Because it’s quite expensive and also the camera only does short videos right like 3 min but how do people have a whole film shot with it if it only makes 3min 😅
Hey! No you only get one in a pack, and you then have to pay on top to get it processed and digitised... The best thing to do is to buy a bundle from a processing shop - one I use is like £65 for a cartridge + processing. Super8 was only ever designed for amateur filmmaking, like home videos. So if you want to shoot something more substantial you would have to buy multiple reels, or use a bigger camera, like a 16mm or a 32mm - but you would still be required to use multiple reels.
Hey - well the electronic aspect refers to the zoom, right. In my person opinion, an electronic zoom is a bit of a gimmick, and I can't see a scenario where I would use it outside of novelty homemade family videos. But you can achieve the same result with a manual zoom. So I just wouldn't factor it in when choosing a camera. Hope that helps.
@pumpkinmonkeypictures Thanks but I don't have a question. Just pointed out that you skipped telling about the 1 or 2 stop backlight correction switch.
I just bought this exact camera and im having trouble focusing it. I heard your meant to zoom in and focus it and then zoom out and it should be good but when I zoom out its unfocused.
Awesome. Yeah, that’s how I do it. Sorry if this is a silly question, but have you adjusted the eye piece? You need to turn that to match your eye first. Also, make sure you’re not too wide open with the aperture, otherwise you’ll really struggle to hold focus. Anything below 5.6 can get a bit tricky.
Hey! So the camera will use anything you chuck in there, as it's an analog process. I imagine you are referring to the spec that it only automatically sets the film speed at 400asa. In this case, i 'hope' it sets it to shoot at 400, in which case it slightly over exposes your image - which isn't at all a bad thing if you are able to grade your footage. And if you don't want this, you can always set it manually and compensate for it if you are comfortable doing that. Hopefully that answers your question?
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 I just bought one since I see your video using a 500asa film. I have a couple of them at home and I'm about to shoot a music video soon. I was afraid that it wouldn't read or something since it's automatic the Asa reading, but now I'm a little bit more confident that will work just fine. There's somewhere in the viewfinder maybe showing the Asa seted by the cam? Or we can really just hope that she chooses 400? 😰 anyway, I would like to thank you for the content. It really was helpful and make me comfortable to buy my first super 8 film camera ❤
@@leonaugusto3283 that’s really great to hear! There isn’t anything no. It’s just a little reader that picks up the shape of a notch. Either way, most my stuff on 500t was shot on auto and it will work great!
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 Thanks!! I sold it on ebay and had it returned because buyer said manual shutter wasn't working (I always relied on auto) anyway, it seems the manual shutter works fine.
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 yes, that was her complaint and she referred me to website with that. She said the needle was staying at the right and not moving. But I am yet to find out if she even slid that lock to the left. It's working fine for me.
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 thanks. No, I misunderstood you. I was confusing variable shutter with manual. When I pull the manual toggle out it stays open so is broken after all. How much would you say the camera is worth now?
Just got this camera. Bought it for less than $100 and everything is working fine. Thank you for the tutorial! Really helps to check the cameras. Just got to buy the film next and shoot it
Glad it was helpful. Sounds like you got a steal!
Whaaaat-I bought mine yesterday and it cost me £270!
I picked up one of these from a flea market for $10 because it wasn't working. After spending an hour cleaning 30-year-old battery corrosion out of its compartment, it seems to be fully functional. Thanks for the video on how to use it!!
You picked up an absolute bargain then! I paid £250 (and another £300 to fix it once it broke shortly after purchase). Nice work!
I just got this exact camera. So happy I found this video!
Awesome! Glad it helps!
Great video! Thank you for test shots too
Thanks!
Thanks so much. This is so useful. I've just bought one of these and your video is great. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Super cool dude! Love the test footage.
Thank you for the video! Learned so much. Easy subscribe
I got this camera to shoot my first short film-thanks so much for this video, super helpful!!
Awesome, glad it was helpful! Would love to see it!
@@pumpkinmonkeypictures I'll send you the link when I finish it :) I'm shooting it today
@@pumpkinmonkeypictures I've just finished my first roll, but I have no idea how to take it out!! I've tried Google but there's only tutorials for how to load it. Am I meant to just take the cartridge out? Because I'm trying to do that but it's really hard?
@@Sofia-nc1tu there is a little catch at the bottom, you just pull on that and it should slide it out. The film is all safe in the cartridge so don’t worry about that.
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 Thank you so much! xx
I have a camera just like that, it’s been retired to my cupboard next to an adjustable interval timer, filters and a separate incident light meter. Having fun with double exposures using the wind back feature, those were the days!, I loved the black and white Super 8 film stock Kodak made and the home processing you could do. Later I upgraded to 16mm Buying 2 Bolex cameras and taking advantage of the higher fps that came in handy for Pyrotechnics tests and other slow motion subjects, now everything has advanced digitally and is highly sophisticated at the touch of a button with virtually instant results.
Thanks just got one, looking forward to your videos
Well done mate, this is super helpful. Good video
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for this video! I picked one of these bad boys up at a Yard Sale and wanted to test before listing for sale on Ebay. This video was helpful. Appreciate it! :)
Great camera!
im getting into it now too! super good video thanks mate
Awesome! Hope it helps!
This was so helpful, thank you!
Super helpful, thank you!
Thank you so, so much - I have one of these in very good quality but only knew half these things, if that. It was nice to see in your footage that the auto zoom is actually a nice slow enough feature - I had assumed it was quick, so thank you for that. I did not understand what you said about the tungsten orange button and how to use it and when to adjust that so if you have another video relating to that, or indeed this camera, feel free to let me know. I think I'm going to choose the 50D film for outdoor shooting on an island in Ireland in September. I subscribed!
Thank you, I’m glad it found it useful. I was planning to do a tungsten filter themed video, but being honest I find making these videos quite awkward and aren’t confident people need them… although this video has done very well. I’ll try my best to explain it now though…
So ignore the built in function for a second, keep the plug in the top (mines red), this disengages the built in function.
Historically, all film lights were tungsten in temperature, therefore all film was balanced this way. Imagine the film starts bluer to compensate for the warm tungsten lights. That means if you’re shooting indoors with tungsten’s lamps etc, your 200T and 500T would be nicely balanced. Now obviously if you shoot outdoors, the light is neutral, therefore they make a 50D (daylight), where the starting point is less blue and more neutral as it doesn’t need to compensate. As you’re most likely going to use 50D outdoors, and the other too indoors, that’s why the tungsten balanced film available has been designed in this way, I guess it’s the most economic.
It’s when you shoot outside of these parameters that you need to think about applying a filter. If you want to use your 200T or 500T outside, you no longer have your tungsten lights to compensate for, you need to give it temperature with a filter. You can take the red plug out the top, or apply an external filter. This is the most common use for it.
On the flip side, if you were confident you had enough light to use 50D indoors, and you have warm tungsten lighting(!), you can actually purchase the opposing ‘cooling’ filter, to prevent it being too warm.
Having said all of that, we are now in an age of digital editing, and you can very easily compensate for warm/cool footage in post. Both the programs I use, Nuke and premiere literally have temperate colour correction controls for this very task. So, if you are ever worried you got it wrong, which I do all the time, there is literally nothing to worry about.
I hope that makes sense… it’s a while since I’ve thought about it any detail and can be a bit of a mind F to get your head around!
great video, very helpful
Great video. I’m just getting into learning Super 8. Did you color correct the footage?
Btw you should make a silent film: TMNT vs. Buzz Lightyear. I’m a screenwriter so I saw a story brewing in your test footage. You left us on a cliffhanger lol.
Hey, thanks! I usually CC it a bit. I normally 'linearise' it, essentially the the blacks and whites in a good place, so it doesnt look all pale. And maybe tweak the temperate, depending on what stock I am using... But I find it looks so nice I don't do an awful lot more than that.
Maybe the occasional skin tone if I am doing weddings... so a little lol. But nothing extensive.
Still have one from when I was a kid, too bad to tore the rubber grip, lost the battery compartment lid, and probably broke some internals. What a shame.
Just picked up my first 814. Very helpful video. Where can I get my super 8 film processed and Electronically sent? Im using Kodak vision 3 50d but have yet to find a good place that can develop it. Any recommendations?
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 United States, Ive heard Pro 8mm is a good option but not sure what to go with.
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 ok thank you I appreciate the help!
@@isaac.gnz23 I'm so sorry, I genuinely didnt see your comments. I have heard Pro 8mm are very reliable. I would advise checking out the reddit forum, there are a lot of US based filmakers on there who will have a better knowledge of processors in the states.
@@isaac.gnz23 I'm so sorry, I genuinely didnt see your comments. I have heard Pro 8mm are very reliable. I would advise checking out the reddit forum, there are a lot of US based filmakers on there who will have a better knowledge of processors in the states.
p.s - I changed account recently, so I may well be replying twice here... but hopefully you got what you needed!
@6:33 - That's funny. When you switch the R button to OFF - it automatically also moves the Manual Exposure button as well. Why is that?
Also, what's the workflow like for manual exposure? You have to use a light meter that will fit a film motion camera [right? You gotta have it setup to your shutter angle\or shutter speed actually]- and then, all you do is just meter via shutter priority, and with that silver knob- jus align it to the correct f/stop of the camera?
Hey! Nah, you're safe with the manual exposure button. I think it was just a trick of the light. It's must easier to use (and probably designed to be used) with the remote. The only way to stop it rolling the way I demonstrate is by turning that knob, which doesn't feel right. However if you do it with the remote, the motor doesn't engage unless you hold the button down, much tidier.
As for manual exposure. There is light meter in the viewerfinder, I use this whilst on auto to find where I want to set the exposure. You can point at different things to see where you lie. For example if you set your exposure based on the sky, your characters would be very dark - and visa versa you'll blow out the sky. But once you're happy you can go back to manual and set it based on that.
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 Oh, ok, so you could actually come very close to your subject, so he/she fills the frame [maybe you can zoom into them, instead]- then you see what f/stop the camera is at [as that's what auto-meter tells you is the right exposure for the subject] - Then you switch to Manual exposure, and set that same f/stop and you could shoot that backlit scene you wanted without compromising your subject.
I think i got it.
What is your preferred shutter angle, and how is it practically set on your 814?
@@eladbari yeah exactly, I would go for the zoom approach personally rather than moving your set up incase the light is different.
Tbh I don’t really worry about shutter angle with super8, cause you can’t really change it - not on the 814 anyway. But it would depend on the frame rate. If I am shooting at 24, which I do normally, I’d hope for something around 180 so I get quite natural motionblur. There’s a lot of info about it in the document I think, but like I said I haven’t delved too deep into the specifics as it’s mostly designed to be a point and shoot camera.
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 Oh, definitely, man. Super8 is totally a point & shoot camera. It's that extra step you take- that makes a difference:
1. Manually exposing shots (to avoid silhouettes)
2. Setting your shutter angle (I did not like the XL cameras with 220 shutter angle, as objects are smeared, and you can choose your own angle with the 814, using those 2+4 switches, couldn't figure it out yet)
3. Maybe mounting your Super8 on a small rig to avoid jittery shakes
That's what I'm trying to figure out to upgrade the Super8 game..
@@eladbari Yeah, I have a rig I try to chuck it on when I am doing stuff a little less snap-happy, helps a lot.
It's definitely worth getting hold of a manual, it will have all the shutter angle info in it. But the 2-4 thing youre talking about it is 'variable shutter angle'. If you set it to 2, you will get half of your shutter angle (auto set by the cartridge/stock), then 4 is half again. You can use it as a manual fade to black if you're so inclined.
Hey mate, thank you very much for this video.
I really want to get into super 8mm filming and I was thinking of lurchasing either this 814 XLS model or a 514 XLS.
Do you recommend the 814 model for a starting enthousiast ?
Hey! Yes definitely! All super8 cameras are built for convenience, but the better the camera, the more you can do with it as you progress. 100% I recommend this camera.
Thanks for explaining. Just bought one in mint condition in Southern France for €10 😅
Bargain!
Things that never happened
I have a question (apologies in advance I am not in the least bit tech savy) but I picked one of these up in Brazil recently as it looked in fairly good condition and I thought I'd chance it. I put in fresh batteries but nothing is happening when I try to hold the trigger down (when I have the camera on R) however the zoom buttons and functions are both working. I'm wondering if that is tied to motor at all and whether there is any hope to salvage it? Any advice is welcome!
Hey Shahin, yeah, that's a toughy. It could be a dodgy wire, or the motor could be knackered. The tricky thing with super 8 cameras is finding out... you could either be brave and take it apart yourself, or find someone to take a look for you... I got the light meter fixed on mine and it cost more than I paid for the camera. Maybe you know a tech wizard who you trust that might be able to at least check the mechanicals for you?
OK i did a shoot yesterday with a buddy, shooting on the 1014 with Kodak 50D....but with all the things to keep in mind, and i was shooting manual exposure with my light meter too (which is awesome) afterwards i noticed that the 85 filter plug on the top of the camera was still screwed in....therefore pushing down on the little metal thing inside...did i shoot on 50D with the 85 filter ON? If so, that would mean the cast over the film would be orange? Would color correction in post actually fix it or am i screwed? Is that orange cast fixed with adding enough blue? My gut tells me no, but that's why I'm here! Other than that, great fun shooting on S8!
Don’t worry about it. I’m pretty sure off the top of my head that when it’s screwed in it disables the filter… although that’s based on my camera. Mine has a red screw that pushes it down - I have a speculation that there was a black one missing that wouldn’t push it down…
Regardless, it’s a simple multiply operation that you can do in any software. Either manually change the exposure to make it less orange. Or in programs like premiere there is a specific temperature control that will do the same operate.
But ultimately it’s not an issue at all… if you can’t get your head around it let me know and I’ll fix it for you! Hope that helps!
@@pumpkinmonkeypictures yeah I just wasn’t sure if there was something baked in that couldn’t be fixed. Cheers!
@@orangebetsy yeah it will be baked in, if it was on. But in this day and age it isn’t an issue as colour correction isn’t chemical. All this stuff used to make me nervous aswell, but you’ll see, your stuff will look great!
@@pumpkinmonkeypictures thanks! It’s a guy with balloons but they aren’t primary colors, we found em and figured we should have him walking around Brooklyn dragging em along. It es so hot they kept popping.
Quick question. Picked up one of these and cannot seem to find information on how to unlock the variable shutter knob once locked. Probably a simple trick. Bought mine already pressed in and so cannot test if this button works properly. Thank you for the video and your time.
Hey! The only thing I can’t think of off the top of my head is the little thin slider in the centre of larger variable shutter knobs. Mine has that black arrow on it, it slides back and forth.
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 Thank you! I thought you had pushed it in on the video. I was twisting, pushing, pulling... I thought it might be stuck. Of course, I knew I was missing something very simple!
@@professorlenz ah it worked! Amazing! I literally never use that function. Glad we solved it, I was worried it was stuck too!
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 Well, the dial can turn now, but when I tried to simulate the "fade out" effect you show when turning the dial from open to close I do not see it darken through the viewfinder. Does this mean the feature does not work or is the effect only visible after shooting (as in it doesn't shift anything to block the light of the lens, but rather the mechanism blocks light to the film)? I have not run any film through it yet, just been testing it out to see what is working and what's not. The automatic zoom buttons do not appear to function, which is disappointing, but I did not pay much for it, so would still be a great deal if everything else functions as it should.
@@professorlenz Ok yeah, you won't see it in the view finder, much like you don't see the aperture opening and closing with auto exposure. I wonder if you might be able to see it through the filmback. If you open the cartridge flap at the back, and look all the way through the hole at end. If you look at something bright and hold the trigger you can see the shutter flickering away. I would imagine you would notice the difference in there... I know it's a bit of an investment, but it really is worth getting some film and doing a test run. Slate it all up so you know what you were testing, and put it through it's paces. It's the only way to know for sure what the quirks are, and it's better to find out there than on something that matters, like a wedding. I worked out with mind that the film wasnt turning consistently and I was missing a lot of stuff and wasting tonnes of film. I have a hacky fix for it now, but it was only through testing it I figured it out.
Don't worry about the electric zoom, it's a fad anyway. Mine works, but I am never going to use it.
Hello. Thanks for the film. About to use my 814 this week after a long long time. Helpful to remind me what everything does! Obvious question really, but did you engage the colour correction orange 85 filter when you shot outside on the 200T stock?
Hey, sorry for the delayed reply - and also if this a duplicate. I recently did some shuffling with my account and all my comments got deleted.
Basically, yes. I experimented with on and off, and also with an external one, which I think I preferred.
All in all though, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. In this day and age it’s very easy to fix it in post, and if you’re not comfortable with it, mention it to the processor and they’ll compensate for it. In my opinion, if you need that extra 0.5-1 stop of exposure, the temperature is a free sacrifice.
I hope that helps. I’m thinking of making a vid about that soon, do you think that would help?
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 The first thing I do with every new Super-8 camera I get is get an external 85 filter. That is, unless the cameras have the same filter size.
thanks a lot!
Where can you buy a cca filter cancelation adapter for the canon 814 electronic?
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 yes
Get down to B&Q or Wilko and buy a suitable bolt, that should do the trick as the thread size is pretty standard, it’s just pushing a pin that engages the filter.
If you're lucky, there's a red screw that screws into that hole on the top. That takes the daylight filter out of the path. It also screws to the bottom of the camera near the tripod socket so that you don't lose it. I was lucky enough to get one with the screw still attached. It's almost like the filter key; it's one of those things that's kinda easy to lose, and once you do, you gotta jump through a lot of hoops afterwards, unless all you wanna shoot is tungsten film like V3 200T in daylight.
Cool video. Can this be used to record like an hour long video. Like some 8mm tape that insets to transmit the signal to maybe like a usb input on a laptop?
Are you aware of anything like that.
Also. Loved the walk through and the end video!!
Thanks! I’ve not heard of anything like that no - I guess you’d need a lot of film, but it would need processing anyway so I’m really not sure how that would work.
This is a FILM camera.
@@marmaly thanks for the reply. I have seen film cameras in the past such as a miniDV cam that had a tape you inserted but ran a cord out the back (from the tape itself- think like your car cassette tapes and aux cable) to feed a live signal for use like as a monitor camera.
Also the question was answered. Thanks.
@10:25 I don't get the "put a mark on the cartidge' tip. If you take it out, and it happens, you won't get the warning that the film had ended, and you can keep rolling thinking you're still recording, while you really not. I wonder if this could be solved somehow....
Hey, so that’s for a couple of different things. I mainly use it to check that the film actually flows through the camera. So right at the beginning, you can put a little mark on, flash the trigger and see if it’s moved - you’d lose a fraction of a second.
The other option is to actually mark where you got to, if you want to change stocks for example. You’d mark on the the film basically what the gauge on the side says. So when you go back to that one you know how much you have left. I agree it’s a ropey approach, but I think the more you do it the more you’re used to it and recognise the sound when you get to the end of the reel.
Hello, do you know how to check that the lightmeter is working before buying one ?
Hey! The test I would do: set it to auto and look through the viewer. As you move the camera around and point at different things, the light meter should move. Then stick it on manual, and do the same thing and make sure the meter sticks.
That’s about all you can do.
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 thank you sir !
@@skdlmfqsdf anytime
I have a question if I buy this Kodak film package will it come with multiple ones or just one ? Because it’s quite expensive and also the camera only does short videos right like 3 min but how do people have a whole film shot with it if it only makes 3min 😅
Hey! No you only get one in a pack, and you then have to pay on top to get it processed and digitised... The best thing to do is to buy a bundle from a processing shop - one I use is like £65 for a cartridge + processing.
Super8 was only ever designed for amateur filmmaking, like home videos. So if you want to shoot something more substantial you would have to buy multiple reels, or use a bigger camera, like a 16mm or a 32mm - but you would still be required to use multiple reels.
Which one do you guys think has a better result, 814XL Electronic or Non-Electronic?
Hey - well the electronic aspect refers to the zoom, right. In my person opinion, an electronic zoom is a bit of a gimmick, and I can't see a scenario where I would use it outside of novelty homemade family videos. But you can achieve the same result with a manual zoom. So I just wouldn't factor it in when choosing a camera. Hope that helps.
You're telling about the variable shutter dial but also point to the backlight correction switch which, after that, you don't mention.
Hey - what’s your question, I can try to expand on it…
@pumpkinmonkeypictures Thanks but I don't have a question. Just pointed out that you skipped telling about the 1 or 2 stop backlight correction switch.
Still have one also from when I was a kid 🤓
Did you use manual exposure or auto for the test footage?
I probably used manual, it’s the reason I bought this camera really. I would have used auto to set it, then locked it in with manual.
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 okay thank you! I will give that a go
I just bought this exact camera and im having trouble focusing it. I heard your meant to zoom in and focus it and then zoom out and it should be good but when I zoom out its unfocused.
Awesome. Yeah, that’s how I do it. Sorry if this is a silly question, but have you adjusted the eye piece? You need to turn that to match your eye first. Also, make sure you’re not too wide open with the aperture, otherwise you’ll really struggle to hold focus. Anything below 5.6 can get a bit tricky.
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 thank you!! yeah I just adjusted my eyepiece and its working heaps better
Ah good! It’s often the simple things. It’s what I love and hate about these analog cameras…
How did you use 500 iso film if the 814 cannot read them?
Hey! So the camera will use anything you chuck in there, as it's an analog process. I imagine you are referring to the spec that it only automatically sets the film speed at 400asa. In this case, i 'hope' it sets it to shoot at 400, in which case it slightly over exposes your image - which isn't at all a bad thing if you are able to grade your footage. And if you don't want this, you can always set it manually and compensate for it if you are comfortable doing that.
Hopefully that answers your question?
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 I just bought one since I see your video using a 500asa film. I have a couple of them at home and I'm about to shoot a music video soon. I was afraid that it wouldn't read or something since it's automatic the Asa reading, but now I'm a little bit more confident that will work just fine. There's somewhere in the viewfinder maybe showing the Asa seted by the cam? Or we can really just hope that she chooses 400? 😰 anyway, I would like to thank you for the content. It really was helpful and make me comfortable to buy my first super 8 film camera ❤
@@leonaugusto3283 that’s really great to hear! There isn’t anything no. It’s just a little reader that picks up the shape of a notch. Either way, most my stuff on 500t was shot on auto and it will work great!
I also have this exact camera
im here for the ninja turtles! lol Nice work brother! keep Evolving!
i have one.. but don't know how to use..🤦
Well watch the video and get stuck in! It's a beautiful thing once you get going.
shutter dial is jammed on mine, any ideas how I can fix?
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 Thanks!! I sold it on ebay and had it returned because buyer said manual shutter wasn't working (I always relied on auto) anyway, it seems the manual shutter works fine.
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 yes, that was her complaint and she referred me to website with that. She said the needle was staying at the right and not moving.
But I am yet to find out if she even slid that lock to the left. It's working fine for me.
@@pumpkinmonkeyanalog6022 thanks. No, I misunderstood you. I was confusing variable shutter with manual. When I pull the manual toggle out it stays open so is broken after all. How much would you say the camera is worth now?
ana maeih alkamruh di waeawz abieuh
Thumbs up for a cat person.
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كاميرا جيدة