Canon Auto Zoom 318m

[MissEmmeline]

Howdy! Recently I bought a Canon super 8 mm . It all seems to work fine though I haven't got any film yet but when i look through the view finder I can't seem to see a thing?! If i point it at bright day light I can see a blurred orb of light but apart from that nothing It this supposed to happen until I put film in? If not how can I fix this?

much love x thanks

[Lunar07]

This usually happens when the eyepiece is missing one of thos small optical pieces. Most propably you bought a camera that was worked on and the people who did lost an eyepiece piece.

[retrogrouch]

The plus side is that these were are inexpensive, and not too hard to find, if you want another one. I saw one yearterday for $20- still too much. Unless you really like It because of it's compactness, ( I bought one because it was smooth, and fit into my snowboard jacket nicely. ) I would think about a more proven canon model , like the 518 az, or the great 814 az as a first camera. I have found both cameras in working condition for as little as $15 and $25. Built like tanks. With the price of film and developing, and at the begining of your super 8 exploits, I would advise you read the super8man website, as well as the E-bay "how to buy a super8 camera. Since I started, I have owned over 40 camera's, all bought at estate sales, grarage sales, etc. The vast majority of them worked just fine, but though experimentation, didn't suit my need. ( and I wasted a lot of time and gas) Super 8 cameras are kind of like golf clubs- they look the same at first, but in fact they all do something a little different. So knowing what you want your camera to do is important. The old equipment is one of the biggest joys of the art, as well as one of the most frustrating ( projector belts, I'm talking to you) ( and don't discount cameras that need mecury batteries- there are ways around that.)

Good luck and Stick with it, because it's worth it.

RG