camera-specific question from a curious-specific newb

[saltyninja]

Hi there,

I recently found a "Chinon Pacific 60 SMR XL/Direct Sound" Super 8 camera at a yard sale. I'm planning to use it to shoot a 4 minute B&W short, almost entirely outdoors. I've got a few rolls of Tri-X for that purpose. My only problem is that I know nothing about the device I'm working with, or much about super8 in general. It has a....lot of buttons and dials, many of which are quite cryptically labeled for my untrained eyes. It has, for example, a button labled "BLC"...could that be some sort of backlighting? It has a manual/auto dial which i assume is exposure...and on the other side it has, next to the Focus On/Off switch, a dial with a "+" symbol on one end, a "1x" in the center and a "-" on the other end...Does anyone know about this model camera? I can't find a manual for it.

Thanks very much,

Stefan

[clivetobin]

Hi there,I recently found a "Chinon Pacific 60 SMR XL/Direct Sound" Super 8 camera... Stefan

BLC usually stands for Back Light Compensation which is used if you are shooting into the light source instead of having it behind you.

The + 0 - might be an exposure compensation dial, to use if the results are coming out lighter or darker than you would like. + would give more exposure and - would give less. This might come in handy for shooting the new ASA 64 and 100 films that most cameras will not expose properly.

Or it could be for viewfinder focus to adjust to your eyesight. (If the focus doesn't change when you turn this, then it must be exposure compensation instead.)

I might mention that most of the old super-8 cameras I have tried are way off in exposure level. So to check, I would suggest shooting a test roll in both dim and bright light to see if the electric eye is still working okay.

[Mitch Perkins]

Hi there,

I recently found a "Chinon Pacific 60 SMR XL/Direct Sound" Super 8 camera at a yard sale.Does anyone know about this model camera? I can't find a manual for it.

Thanks very much,

Stefan

http://www.city-net.com/~fodder/chinon/s8cam.html

Not a manual, but some specs.

Mitch

[saltyninja]

Thanks very much!

Only a couple more things I'm curious about. It has a Fade switch labled S, S+P, P. What could these settings mean?

Also right next to the fade button is a bizarre little dial with a picture of a rectangle, half of which is blank and half which is darkened with lines. Could setting it to blank be for outdoor shooting and solid for indoor??

bewhildered...

[BK]

Thanks very much!
Only a couple more things I'm curious about. It has a Fade switch labled S, S+P, P. What could these settings mean?

Lets you choose between fading of sound, sound and picture, or picture only. I leave it just on P.

Also right next to the fade button is a bizarre little dial with a picture of a rectangle, half of which is blank and half which is darkened with lines. Could setting it to blank be for outdoor shooting and solid for indoor??

I never discovered the function of that switch either, maybe someone else will. I have the Chinon Pacific 200/12XL.

EDIT: Found out what it was from the Chinon link above. It's the 72 frame lap dissolve button, but I think it only works with sound carts...you could try.

Bill

[saltyninja]

My friend thinks it might be a lap dissolve...?