Nizo Professional - daylight filter dial

[toddguk]

Hello Everyone,

I recently won a Nizo Professional in an auction on eBay. The camera is in very good condition except for one major thing. The daylight filter dial is hard to turn and even comes right out of the camera if I twist it just right. What is especially horrifying, is that I have discovered that the dial can be re-inserted into the camera in two different positions! The dial may be re-inserted into it's hole on the camera body so that, in one position, the dial points at the sun symbol, and in another, it points at the light bulb. So, my problem is that I can't really tell whether I've oriented the dial correctly when I put it back on the camera. Furthermore, if the dial has come off of the camera body in the past and was re-inserted by a previous owner - how am I supposed to tell if it was put back on pointing toward the proper light source symbol? Does anyone know? The only thing I could come up with, was to try and figure out if the daylight filter was "on" or "off".

On some other models of Super 8mm cameras I own, the daylight filter is easily noticeable and can clearly be seen as it is placed in front of the film gate. So, I decided to test the Nizo Pro using this approach. First, I looked into the lens from the front and turned the daylight filter dial, but I couldn't see any visible sign that the filter was actually being put in place - or taken out of place, for that matter. I also looked through the film gate at a bright patch of sky with the cartridge compartment open, depressed the shutter release and carefully turned "on" and "off" the filter, taking care not to force the little plastic knob from its mount. Still, I could see no sign of the daylight filter being engaged or disengaged.

This was very disconcerting, to say the least. The fact that I can't tell whether or not the daylight filter is even working on this camera is a real big issue. The +1 button in the center of the dial clearly works as its supposed to, so I'd like to believe that the daylight filter dial also works as advertised, but I just don't know if it does. The dial turns, but it turns very stiffly on the one hand, then very easily on the other. In each case, no matter which symbol the dial is pointing to, I can't see any visible sign that the daylight filter is enagaged. Then, the knob pops out of place and has to be reinserted, starting the whole cycle over again.

So, one question I have is - should I be able to notice the application of the daylight filter through the viewfinder? Or, is this something that's so deeply internal, that it just can't be seen - either by looking down into the glass elements of the lens or out through the viewfinder? I'm just trying to figure out if the filter switch works on my camera. The truth will definitely be known when I get my test footage back, but this issue is driving me nuts. Any information or help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much!

Todd

[super8man]

I think you need a bright flashlight and I forget which but try it at the 80mm setting or the 7mm setting when checking...

Good luck...

[greenplastic79]

Run the camera and look through the cartridge bay at the film gate. If it's orangish your daylight filter is engaged. If it's not engaged than you can just use an external lens filter. If its half ass engaged like mine was you can open the camera and turn the dial a bit clockwise, this will totally fuck up the mechanism and disengage it and you're back into external filter land and you need to remember not to move the dial or you're back in half ass filter land and need to jack your camera open again.

[filmo]

If you move the variable shutter to the "B" setting and lock it there, you should be able to easily look through the gate to see if the filter is engaged. If not, just remove the plastic dial from the body and always use a screw-in filter.

[toddguk]

Guys,

Thank you so much for your advice. Using a combination of both of your methods, I was able to successfully do the following:

1.) See the internal filter go in and out of position within the lens (using the flashlight method).

2.) Reset the external filter dial to it's appropriate position by turning the internal mechanism into proper position with needle nose pliers. Now, the dial moves smoothly back and forth between sun and light bulb settings and actually engages/disengages the daylight filter as its supposed to!

In summary, I was able to put the internal daylight filter mechanism back into its correct alignment so that the filter dial is now seated properly and operates smoothly. Prior to this adjustment, the movement of the filter dial did nothing. I could see this when I looked down the barrel of the lens with the flashlight and turned the dial at the same time. The internal filter just sat there defiantly. But now, all is well!

Thanks again, to each of you for your suggestions - they worked.

I do have just one other question about the operation of the Nizo Professional, though. And this is regarding the split image viewfinder. In my viewfinder, when I get the lines of the circle at the center of the split image sharp, I also see many little black spots that look like dust in the rest of the surrounding image area. Is this normal - ala the Beaulieu ground glass type of phenomenon - or is this really dirt inside my viewfinder?

Thanks again,

Todd

[greenplastic79]

If you move the variable shutter to the "B" setting and lock it there, you should be able to easily look through the gate to see if the filter is engaged. If not, just remove the plastic dial from the body and always use a screw-in filter.

How does that little plastic filter dial come off, does it just pop up? I was afraid to give it too much hell.

[tiagoncalves]

Hello! I have a nizo too, a 801 Macro and, finally I have it from reparation... after 5 months! It is all ok, everything was touched inside of it and now I can, finally, start to shoot.
I also have the same problem, I don't know if the built in filter is working or not. When I turn the filter switch to daylight, the light meter moves a litle bit. But I don't ear any sound and, when I look into the gate I don't see anything moving. Should I see the filter? What should I do with the bright flashlight? And, inside the camera, where is the filter? I can't see it either. Thank you, I just want to now if the camera is really ok. Of course I will know when the first film arrive, but... this way I safer. Tiago[/quote]

[greenplastic79]

The inside my Nizo isn't near as delicate as I thought it would be and I just ended up cutting a bit out of the camera body side so that I could turn the dial a little more than it was originally designed to go.

You should easily be able to see the fillter through the film gate while the camera is running. I don't recommend moving the filter dial while the camera is running though.

[tiagoncalves]

So, I must see an orange little plastic filter passing through the film gate when I move the switch? It moves when I move the switch, or just when I press the trigger? I just can't see anything through the gate.
And, talking about visible dirt when looking through the gate, does it afect the movie? Or is it unnoticible?
Thanks again

[greenplastic79]

When you turn the dial to the sunlight icon you should hear a robotic voice saying. Thank you for chosing Braun Nizo. Your camera is not equipped for daylight exposure.

You can only see through the gate when the camera is running. Make sure you take off the lens cap and are looking at something bright. When the dial is turned to the sun icon, the image in the gate should look orangish. When you turn the dial toward the light bulb icon, the image shouldn't be orangish. If you don't feel like fixing the swtich or just can't and the filter doesn't engage you can just use an 85a lens filter when you're shooting outside with kodachrome.

There's a decent chance that your camera is fine and that you're worrying about nothing.

[greenplastic79]

not=now

Where the hell is the edit button anyway?

[tiagoncalves]

Thank you Plastic Green! I know what's the problem. The robotic voice helps a lot, it's a great stuff!
In the last hour I pick up some tools and opened the Nizo, because I just couldn't see anything moving. I tried all the things you said and... nothing. I also tried with the shutter fully open, because that way it would be easier, and nothing.
So, with the camera opened, I move the switch and saw some movement. But the filter, nothing... till I saw it, the filter completely stopped, never moves. It's always in the gate, so I just can film in the daylight. But, thats ok, I have 1 year warranty, so the technician can do it free. And, I think it's easy, maybe some kind of spring.
Again, thank you! Tomorrow I'll start to shoot... during the day of course! Tiago