I have owned a few of the nice cameras on the block. I had a Nizo 6080 and it was the quietest camera i have ever used. However I had a problem with the split image focusing. The shots that were in focus had great contrast and detail. However it was a crap shoot. Some of the scenes were out of focus sadly! Also the slow motion on the unit was better than on my Beaulieu 6008S. The Beaulieu footage on the slow mo was shaky. However I do not know if this was just because of the Super 8 Cartridge as I have heard that Kodak had a run of "shaky" cartridges at one point.
The Beaulieu I really liked because of the ground glass focusing. All of my shots were in focus for the first time! I like to film OTF (on the fly) just random non set up shots so the focusing system of the Beaulieu's really work well for me.
Does anyone out there think I should get another Beaulieu 6008s (I sold my last one) or opt for a Beaulieu 4008 ZMII with the Agenieux lens? I have been pondering this question for some time now and I cannot make up my mind.
Or even a Canon 1014xls but If I remember correctly this camera is fairly heavy. And no ground glass focusing system.
What is the very best super 8 camera ever been produced ?
Moderator: Andreas Wideroe
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MattPacini
- Posts: 99
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- Location: Northern California
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I've owned quite a few S8 cameras, though not all of the good ones, and they all have positives & negatives.
I've owned:
Bauer 715XL-S
Canon 1014XL-S
Canon 814 XL-S
a couple of the Beaulieue's
Nikon R-10
Nikon R-8
Nikon Super Zoom 8
Nizo 6080
Nizo 6056
Nizo 801
... and a few crappy cameras not worth mentioning.
If you're shooting sound, then in my opinion, there's only once choice, and that's the Nizo 6080/6056/4080.
ALL other S8 cameras are noisy, including all those on this list, and I've barney'edblimped all of these listed above, and have never been able to completely eliminate the camera noise, and in fact, they're all noisier WITH a blimp/barney, than the 6080 is without one!
For shooting silent, it's kinda a tie for me, between the Nikon R-10, Canon 1014XL-S, and the Bauer 715XL-S.
In my opinion, the one that shoots the sharpest images, (even in very low light) is the Nikon R-10.
Really, really sharp glass.
I AB'd the Canon 1014, Nikon R-10, and Nizo 801 (Canon, Nikon, Schneider glass) one time, shooting exactly the same scene, in the same lighting, and the Nikon lens clearly outperformed the Schneider, and it was noticably sharper than the Canon lens, and rendered detail in lower light, when the other lenses dropped off into darkness.
Plus, it's built like a freakin' tank!!!!
Matt Pacini
I've owned:
Bauer 715XL-S
Canon 1014XL-S
Canon 814 XL-S
a couple of the Beaulieue's
Nikon R-10
Nikon R-8
Nikon Super Zoom 8
Nizo 6080
Nizo 6056
Nizo 801
... and a few crappy cameras not worth mentioning.
If you're shooting sound, then in my opinion, there's only once choice, and that's the Nizo 6080/6056/4080.
ALL other S8 cameras are noisy, including all those on this list, and I've barney'edblimped all of these listed above, and have never been able to completely eliminate the camera noise, and in fact, they're all noisier WITH a blimp/barney, than the 6080 is without one!
For shooting silent, it's kinda a tie for me, between the Nikon R-10, Canon 1014XL-S, and the Bauer 715XL-S.
In my opinion, the one that shoots the sharpest images, (even in very low light) is the Nikon R-10.
Really, really sharp glass.
I AB'd the Canon 1014, Nikon R-10, and Nizo 801 (Canon, Nikon, Schneider glass) one time, shooting exactly the same scene, in the same lighting, and the Nikon lens clearly outperformed the Schneider, and it was noticably sharper than the Canon lens, and rendered detail in lower light, when the other lenses dropped off into darkness.
Plus, it's built like a freakin' tank!!!!
Matt Pacini
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MattPacini
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2003 5:43 pm
- Location: Northern California
- Contact:
I've owned quite a few S8 cameras, though not all of the good ones, and they all have positives & negatives.
I've owned:
Bauer 715XL-S
Canon 1014XL-S
Canon 814 XL-S
a couple of the Beaulieue's
Nikon R-10
Nikon R-8
Nikon Super Zoom 8
Nizo 6080
Nizo 6056
Nizo 801
... and a few crappy cameras not worth mentioning.
If you're shooting sound, then in my opinion, there's only once choice, and that's the Nizo 6080/6056/4080.
ALL other S8 cameras are noisy, including all those on this list, and I've barney'edblimped all of these listed above, and have never been able to completely eliminate the camera noise, and in fact, they're all noisier WITH a blimp/barney, than the 6080 is without one!
For shooting silent, it's kinda a tie for me, between the Nikon R-10, Canon 1014XL-S, and the Bauer 715XL-S.
In my opinion, the one that shoots the sharpest images, (even in very low light) is the Nikon R-10.
Really, really sharp glass.
I AB'd the Canon 1014, Nikon R-10, and Nizo 801 (Canon, Nikon, Schneider glass) one time, shooting exactly the same scene, in the same lighting, and the Nikon lens clearly outperformed the Schneider, and it was noticably sharper than the Canon lens, and rendered detail in lower light, when the other lenses dropped off into darkness.
Plus, it's built like a freakin' tank!!!!
Matt Pacini
I've owned:
Bauer 715XL-S
Canon 1014XL-S
Canon 814 XL-S
a couple of the Beaulieue's
Nikon R-10
Nikon R-8
Nikon Super Zoom 8
Nizo 6080
Nizo 6056
Nizo 801
... and a few crappy cameras not worth mentioning.
If you're shooting sound, then in my opinion, there's only once choice, and that's the Nizo 6080/6056/4080.
ALL other S8 cameras are noisy, including all those on this list, and I've barney'edblimped all of these listed above, and have never been able to completely eliminate the camera noise, and in fact, they're all noisier WITH a blimp/barney, than the 6080 is without one!
For shooting silent, it's kinda a tie for me, between the Nikon R-10, Canon 1014XL-S, and the Bauer 715XL-S.
In my opinion, the one that shoots the sharpest images, (even in very low light) is the Nikon R-10.
Really, really sharp glass.
I AB'd the Canon 1014, Nikon R-10, and Nizo 801 (Canon, Nikon, Schneider glass) one time, shooting exactly the same scene, in the same lighting, and the Nikon lens clearly outperformed the Schneider, and it was noticably sharper than the Canon lens, and rendered detail in lower light, when the other lenses dropped off into darkness.
Plus, it's built like a freakin' tank!!!!
Matt Pacini
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christoph
- Senior member
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- Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 2:36 pm
- Location: atm Berlin, Germany
- Contact:
i'd be glad to hear more information about this because i'm also looking forward to shoot some dialog scenes on super8 and obviously camera noice is one of the biggest enemies... i've heard the canon 1014slx on tape which is not so nice even when heavily blimped and my leicina special which i love but is nearly impossibe to get down to an acceptable level.MattPacini wrote:If you're shooting sound, then in my opinion, there's only once choice, and that's the Nizo 6080/6056/4080.
ALL other S8 cameras are noisy, including all those on this list, and I've barney'edblimped all of these listed above, and have never been able to completely eliminate the camera noise, and in fact, they're all noisier WITH a blimp/barney, than the 6080 is without one!
what are the experiences with the beaulieus 5008/6008 and 7008 (the 9008 is prolly a bit out of my range ;)
as a sidenote, the Minolta XL 84 i'v just picked up very cheap sounds quite silent and has a very nice large viewfinder... haven't shot any footage with it though.
i'd love to try the R10 myself sometime, however, the better shadow detail would mean that the lens flares more than the other two (if shot at the same exposure) thus giving the shadows some extra exposure... this can be a welcome effect in low light, usually means that it's got less contrast under normal conditions though (which of course, *also* can be a welcome effect ;)I AB'd the Canon 1014, Nikon R-10, and Nizo 801 (Canon, Nikon, Schneider glass) one time, shooting exactly the same scene, in the same lighting, and the Nikon lens clearly outperformed the Schneider, and it was noticably sharper than the Canon lens, and rendered detail in lower light, when the other lenses dropped off into darkness.
++ christoph ++
If you used the 1014xls with the widest shutter opening (220) then you will not get such sharp images with it. The Nikon R 10 has a smaller maximun shutter opening ( 170 or 160). It has been said that, although a good camera ( one of the best in fact) , the Nikon R 10 does not have as sharp a lens as the two Canon 1014 models. Among other superior qualities, the Canon's have the best glass that you will find anywhere! If the Canon lenses " droped off into the darkness" as you say, I can only imagine this happening as a result of it's superior, patented lens coating that, under normal lighting conditions, gives you the best contrast and the lowest amount of internal lens flair than any other lens around. However, I still have my doubts about those previously mentioned claims. One of the very few vices that the Canon cameras do have is their noise. Especially the silent models. However, considering all of their good qualities, I can live with this!
The best s8 camera ever built, is of course, the one that suits your needs. Find out what you need, and voilá - pick the according camera..
Nope. The best s8 camera ever built is, of course the Beaulieu 4008. Imagine that said with a french accent!
So, what's the best car ever built? I asked a couple of demanding pros, so - here's the ultimate answer!
I just came back from greece, where i've spent the last 7 weeks. I talked with a farmer, and he told me the best car ever built was a VW beetle. He showed me his car, it was 40 years old, never ever broke down and by now has survived several genrations of other cars on the dusty and bad roads there.
My uncle is a truck driver, the best car ever, he said, was a certain truck from volvo, i couldn't even remember it's name, but he had a lot of good reasons for his statement, and was very familiar with the other brands.
A friend of mine travels a lot. The best car ever is, according to him, a van where he and his wife could comfortably sleep in and it still is as "mobile" as a normal car.
..just make sure you don't have a beetle when you want to transport cattle on europe's highways, or a truck when you need to move in narrow old town streets
Nope. The best s8 camera ever built is, of course the Beaulieu 4008. Imagine that said with a french accent!
So, what's the best car ever built? I asked a couple of demanding pros, so - here's the ultimate answer!
I just came back from greece, where i've spent the last 7 weeks. I talked with a farmer, and he told me the best car ever built was a VW beetle. He showed me his car, it was 40 years old, never ever broke down and by now has survived several genrations of other cars on the dusty and bad roads there.
My uncle is a truck driver, the best car ever, he said, was a certain truck from volvo, i couldn't even remember it's name, but he had a lot of good reasons for his statement, and was very familiar with the other brands.
A friend of mine travels a lot. The best car ever is, according to him, a van where he and his wife could comfortably sleep in and it still is as "mobile" as a normal car.
..just make sure you don't have a beetle when you want to transport cattle on europe's highways, or a truck when you need to move in narrow old town streets
have fun!
Last edited by Angus on Wed Sep 24, 2003 11:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jean is of course correct. THe one that suits your needs is the best!
As is Wahiba...if it's not working then it is no good, if it is working then you can do something good with it.
When I am not interested in slow motion I take out the Elmo 1012 s-xl.
When I want something small and handy I use the Canon 514XL
When I want time lapse or a huge long lens I use the Chinon 1200SM
When I need slo-mo I use the Elmo Super 110
most other times for general shooting now I am using a Beaulieu 1008XL because I really like the feel of it and it produces rock steady images...but I have several cameras for different purposes and features.
And when I am in a silly mood and want to make life difficult for myself because it's fun......the old clockwork Quarz standard 8mm comes out of hiding.
When on holiday I typically carry one Super 8 camera and two still cameras around with me...because you never can tell what you'll need next
As is Wahiba...if it's not working then it is no good, if it is working then you can do something good with it.
When I am not interested in slow motion I take out the Elmo 1012 s-xl.
When I want something small and handy I use the Canon 514XL
When I want time lapse or a huge long lens I use the Chinon 1200SM
When I need slo-mo I use the Elmo Super 110
most other times for general shooting now I am using a Beaulieu 1008XL because I really like the feel of it and it produces rock steady images...but I have several cameras for different purposes and features.
And when I am in a silly mood and want to make life difficult for myself because it's fun......the old clockwork Quarz standard 8mm comes out of hiding.
When on holiday I typically carry one Super 8 camera and two still cameras around with me...because you never can tell what you'll need next
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MattPacini
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2003 5:43 pm
- Location: Northern California
- Contact:
Well, I've heard all sorts of "this is better" stuff forever, and everyone has their favorite cameras, glass, etc.,
But I've not yet heard anyone compare cameras under anything like a controlled situation.
That's why I shot the tests I did, and I'm telling you, the R-10's contrast and low light ability was better than the Canon.
I'm a huge fan of both Nikon and Canon glass, I have a Nikon FM still camera & a few Nikon lenses, a Canon Scoopic, a Canon 12-120 lens for my CP16R, and a Canon G2 digital camera, and I love both Nikon & Canon glass, but seeing is believing.
It was the same thing being shot, under the same lighting, and the Nikon was sharper, better contrast, and was still getting an image when the others did not, in low lighting.
So I hate to sound opinionated, but I don't hear any of you guys saying that you actually compared any of these cameras with tests the way I did.
You're just saying "Canon's are better" without having actually seen the difference like I did.
I love both Canon & Nikon cameras & lenses.
it's just that with these particular cameras, the Nikon lens is better, that's all.
Matt Pacini
But I've not yet heard anyone compare cameras under anything like a controlled situation.
That's why I shot the tests I did, and I'm telling you, the R-10's contrast and low light ability was better than the Canon.
I'm a huge fan of both Nikon and Canon glass, I have a Nikon FM still camera & a few Nikon lenses, a Canon Scoopic, a Canon 12-120 lens for my CP16R, and a Canon G2 digital camera, and I love both Nikon & Canon glass, but seeing is believing.
It was the same thing being shot, under the same lighting, and the Nikon was sharper, better contrast, and was still getting an image when the others did not, in low lighting.
So I hate to sound opinionated, but I don't hear any of you guys saying that you actually compared any of these cameras with tests the way I did.
You're just saying "Canon's are better" without having actually seen the difference like I did.
I love both Canon & Nikon cameras & lenses.
it's just that with these particular cameras, the Nikon lens is better, that's all.
Matt Pacini
Hi Matt,
It seems that in many cases the untrained eye tends to be a little subjective in it's interpretation. You do have the advantage of having used both cameras and I will definitely give you credit for that. I wish I could remember where I read it so that I could pull up the source but what I read with regards to comparing the two cameras was a comparison by some "technical experts" . Anyway, they were discussing all the fine qualities of the Nikon R10 ( and, yes, it really is an awsome camera!). But they went on say that the lens was not quite a sharp as the Canon1014 lenses. Was your point more about low light or both sharpness and low light?
Marc
It seems that in many cases the untrained eye tends to be a little subjective in it's interpretation. You do have the advantage of having used both cameras and I will definitely give you credit for that. I wish I could remember where I read it so that I could pull up the source but what I read with regards to comparing the two cameras was a comparison by some "technical experts" . Anyway, they were discussing all the fine qualities of the Nikon R10 ( and, yes, it really is an awsome camera!). But they went on say that the lens was not quite a sharp as the Canon1014 lenses. Was your point more about low light or both sharpness and low light?
Marc
Hi Matt,
It seems that in many cases the untrained eye tends to be a little subjective in it's interpretation. You do have the advantage of having used both cameras and I will definitely give you credit for that. I wish I could remember where I read it so that I could pull up the source but what I read with regards to comparing the two cameras was a comparison by some "technical experts" . Anyway, they were discussing all the fine qualities of the Nikon R10 ( and, yes, it really is an awsome camera!). But they went on say that the lens was not quite a sharp as the Canon1014 lenses. Was your point more about low light or both sharpness and low light?
Marc
It seems that in many cases the untrained eye tends to be a little subjective in it's interpretation. You do have the advantage of having used both cameras and I will definitely give you credit for that. I wish I could remember where I read it so that I could pull up the source but what I read with regards to comparing the two cameras was a comparison by some "technical experts" . Anyway, they were discussing all the fine qualities of the Nikon R10 ( and, yes, it really is an awsome camera!). But they went on say that the lens was not quite a sharp as the Canon1014 lenses. Was your point more about low light or both sharpness and low light?
Marc