Camera Noise contest: owner of several S8 camera please post

Basstruc not logged in · Wed Apr 02, 2003 2:44 pm

2
In order to complete my end-school thesis called "Super8 little guide to professional filmmaker" ( around 100pages online here this summer ), I need to do a noise classification of S8 cameras. I cannot find those, do test, & pretend this is objectif since those might have not receive the same service-repair over years & did not used under same conditions. So I thougt about asking each of us to compare there cameras when owning several cameras. So my questions are :
* What cameras do you own ?
* Could you class them from the quieter to the noisiest & why ( just louder or different frequency ) ?
* What's the overall shape of those ( new, used, very used ) ?
* The comparison you make over what condition ( witch speed ? Loaded or unloaded ? )

Feel free to put any cameras in it.
If two camera you own have already been compared by another(s) poster(s) & you thoughts are the same than him (them), please notice it.
Remember that the more I get answer, the most objective the final qualification will be.
Thanks,
Matt

PS : If you not already have, please post as well in the Lens Qual. Contest post

Post by **mattias** » Wed Apr 02, 2003 3:26 pm

i have a canon 814e and a eumig whatever point-and-shoot. the canon is a lot noisier, but the eumig is a sound camera so it's no surprise.

/matt

Post by **mathis** » Thu Apr 03, 2003 2:06 am

nizo 4080 nicely quiet.
beaulieu 4008 back from service from bjorn andersson: surprisingly quiet, but louder than 4080.

Basstruc not logged in · Thu Apr 03, 2003 2:51 am

mmmh...interesting, I gave mine to a camera service "beaulieu specialized" here in paris, paid 250Ã¢â€šÂ¬ for service but still think nothing was done ! :-X
If only I could get this shitty car that was on "back to the futur", first thing i'll do would be to give my camera to bjorn for service , & after kill Hitler, Franco, El Duce and Milosevitch of course.
Matt

Post by **jerome makles** » Thu Apr 03, 2003 10:28 am

without any contest, the XL-S canon are the best low noise camera.
just have a look at the size of the carrige door!!!

sorry for my bad english!!!!

Post by **Cheezy** » Thu Apr 03, 2003 11:21 am

Well, I can only tell about Bauer cameras since I mostly own Bauer's exclusively and here's what I think:

1) Bauer S207XL. Pretty noisy, especially when no S8 cartridge is loaded.

2) Bauer S709XL. Less noisy than the S207 but still a little noisy

3) Bauer S715XL. Surprisingly much quiter than the S709XL though both cameras have the same body

Post by **Angus** » Thu Apr 03, 2003 1:10 pm

Elmo Super 110. Good used condition. Very quiet at 18,24 fps. Noise at 56fps. Purrs at other speeds.

Canon 514XL...noisy and shrill at 18fps, a bit quieter at 9fps...v. good condition

Eumig mini 3...very used condition...v. noisy

Braun Nizo Integral 7, good condition, quieter than the Elmo

Chinon 1200 SM, Noisier than the Elmo but not as noisy as the Canon.
Not so much whirring as a 'flapping' noise from the claw area.

Bell & Howell 1230XL about the same as the Chinon.

Post by **Old Uncle Barry** » Thu Apr 03, 2003 1:28 pm

8O
Nizo Special-whines like a turbine at 24fps!!

Post by **jean** » Thu Apr 03, 2003 2:23 pm

i can't conribute to the lens sharpness thread, due to lack of experience and that my beaulieus have not been serviced yet, being short of budget right now

but my bauer s715 looks very good.

A noise comparison should consider the state of the camera. I'm sure that a serviced beaulieu would be much quieter, the tiny nizo probably is that loud because of it's small size and thus absolute no "self-blimping" potential.

Noise comparison chart:

1. bauer s715. Nice condition. Wow, that's quiet! I was surprised.

2. bolex d8l. Needs CLA. Nice purr of fine mechanical masterpiece.

2. beaulieu 4008, 5008. Not serviced, reminds me of sewing machines.

3 Nizo spezial 148, ugly condition: racachakatyclik-chakatyclik-k-

Henderson · Post by **Henderson** » Thu Apr 03, 2003 8:23 pm

Can I get a copy of your thesis when it's done to use as a reference in my theis?
Let me know.
Henderson

Post by **jean** » Thu Apr 03, 2003 8:30 pm

An update to my post above, just tested another camera i just found:

Noise comparison chart:

1. bauer s715. Nice condition. Wow, that's quiet! I was surprised.

2. bolex d8l. Needs CLA. Nice purr of fine mechanical masterpiece.

2. beaulieu 4008, 5008. Not serviced, reminds me of sewing machines.

3 Nizo spezial 148, ugly condition: racachakatyclik-chakatyclik-k-

Noise comparison chart:

1. bauer s715. Nice condition. Wow, that's quiet! I was surprised.

2. Nizo Integral 10. Good shape. Very quiet.

3. bolex d8l. Needs CLA. Nice purr of fine mechanical masterpiece.

4. beaulieu 4008, 5008. Not serviced, reminds me of sewing machines.

5. Nizo spezial 148, ugly condition: racachakatyclik-chakatyclik-k- loud and metallic kind f noise, sewing-machine like the beaulieu.

Post by **Lucas Lightfeat** » Fri Apr 04, 2003 1:51 am

jerome makles wrote:without any contest, the XL-S canon are the best low noise camera.
just have a look at the size of the carrige door!!!

sorry for my bad english!!!!

Surely you jest! It's a great camera, but if it really was in any way quiet or even approaching quiet, I would still own mine. This is the principle failing of the camera, which is otherwise approaching ideal.

Nizo 6080 is the quietest camera for sure. It is not silent, but is the quietest without a doubt in my mind. I now only use the 6080, because in other areas it performs well, and in this important area, it is the best available.

Lucas

Post by **S8 Booster** » Fri Apr 04, 2003 1:53 pm

Added images of the sound track to visualize the noise lvel:

Sample (Non scale) Beaulieu 5008, Elmo 1012 S-XL, Canon 1014 Xl-S, Nikon R10, Canon 310 AF XL-S, Canon 310 XL at 18 fps:

Real format:
ftp://ftp.filmshooting.com/upload/pictu ... l1gcps.jpg

Sample (Non scale) Beaulieu 5008, Elmo 1012 S-XL, Canon 1014 Xl-S, Nikon R10 at 24 fps:

Real format:
ftp://ftp.filmshooting.com/upload/pictu ... GCnyPS.jpg

Tiny compiled film for you to judge for your self:

HQ sound 8 mb
ftp://ftp.filmshooting.com/upload/video/mov/Noises.mov

LQ 800 kb (Web film somewhat distorted sound)
ftp://ftp.filmshooting.com/upload/video/mov/Noise.mov

This "test" was done under the following conditions:

Camera mounted on a tripod about 1 meter away from the Sony DCR PC120. The PC 120 put on noise dampening material.
In some cases at 24 fps particulary the SonyÃ‚Â´s auto level control is activated so the sound is somewhat distorted. When it appears it is as if the sound is louder than it really is. Most appearent on the loudest cameras. Do not be confused by this.

I can not really decide if the Canon 1014 Xl-S or Elmo 1012 S-XL is the most silent of the two but my impression is: at 18 fps the Elmo is most silent and at 24 fps the Canon is (a little) more silent. The Canon 310 AF XL-S is pretty silent too.

Only the Nikon R10 has a film in it so the noise levels for all other cams will normally rise somewhat with film.

I always regarded the Elmo as the most silent cam of the bunch but the Beaulieu 5008 MS was really sigificantly more silent. Seem that I have to get a decent (Canon) Lens to it rather that sell it like I planned. I am pretty sure that this cam with some care can be used un-blimped with sync sound recording. Thanks heavy metal casing.

In my view the Elmo and The Canon are not bad either - the Canon is very smooth running at all speeds.

Running order as follows:

18 FPS
Beaulieu 5008 MS - no film - 18fps
Elmo 1012 S-XL no film - 18 fps
Canon 1014 XL-S - no film - 18 fps
Nikon R10 - with Provia F400 - 18 fps
Canon 310 AF XL-S - no film - 18 fps
Canon 310 XL - no film - 18 fps

24 FPS
Beaulieu 5008 MS - no film - 24 fps
Elmo 1012 S-XL no film - 24 fps
Canon 1014 XL-S - no film - 24 fps
Nikon R10 - with Provia F400 - 24 fps

R

Post by **PhilF** » Sat Apr 05, 2003 11:49 pm

I have a Nizo 4080 that has to be one of THE quietest cameras around. I've shot many a sync film with the camera not blimped and you couldn't hear the motor at all.

Kurt · Post by **Kurt** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 4:59 pm

I love to see that some people still talk about the Elmo 1012 S-XL. It has to be one of the most overlooked high-end Super 8 cameras. It was the first Super 8 camera I bought and I still use it for my sync sound work with a FILM GROUP crystal control unit. Can't afford a Canon 1014 XL-S? Find yourself an Elmo 1012, image quality is very close to the Canon and the prices on the ELMO are much lower.

Kurt