New Super-8 Cartridge Notch Tools available

[peaceman]

Folks,

since I could not stand the confusion about S8 cartridge notches any more and got trapped by the "old" Notch Ruler myself, I created some new tools to get and provide ultimate clarity on ASA-Notches (and how Cameras read them) once and for all.

Here is the blog post incl. download -- any feedback greatly appreciated!

Oh, since english is not my mother tongue, let me know if anything sounds odd or should better be said in a different way.


F

[CinemanUK]

First of all, may I say how impressive is the work you have undertaken to produce this new Super8 cartridge notch tool. The new tool makes easy reading of what can be a most confusing subject. Well done!

You invited comments, and I am wondering whether it might be worth mentioning specifically that in the case of Nizo cameras, if daylight film (such as Ektachrome 100D) is used (the cartridge of which, as I understand it, has no filter notch), the internal filter switch must be set to daylight. This is contrary to the information contained on the Ektachrome 100D packaging because Nizo cameras are lightly, but crutially, different from many cameras to which the general advice issued by Kodak applies . If the switch on a Nizo is set to tungsten, the effect is to change the camera's settings so as to read 160T/100DASA with the result that the stock will be under-exposed by 2/3 f.stop.

Once again, many thanks for your hard work. It really is very impressive.

[71er]

I greatly appreciate your work.
Just a comment not criticism: I know about the Eumig Mini, which has neither got a detector for film speed nor a filter pin but it still has automatic exposure; per definition it is not a toy camera - apparently I took some nice footage with one using Ektachrome 64T. I am quite sure there are other cameras existing like the Eumig Mini that don't find a place in your flow sheet.

[bolextech]

Thanks for the great work.

One question: what is a "Strickle"?

Cheers,
Jean-Louis

[peaceman]

@71er: You are right, this is a flaw I have not corrected yet. There are also Agfa and Minolta cameras that only take 40 ASA rolls but are not toy cams. I have the OmniGraffle file for the flow chart on another computer so will update the PDF shortly Thanks for spotting.

@boelxtech: I should have written "Template". Sometimes, dictionaries don't help. I will fix that too in v1.1 - promised!

@CinemanUK: Which Nizo exactly are you talking about? The Integral Series e.g. is different than the xx1 series... also, what detector switches does your model have exactly? I wonder if that case is really not yet in the flowchart...

Thanks for the feedback guys and keep the comments coming. Once this has no more leaks, we might start with a really useful compatibility table based on actual facts... there is too much false advise on this topic out there already.

[CinemanUK]

I have a Nizo 561M. The speed of film stock is detected by means of a slide. The further the slide is able to enter the ASA notch on the cartridge, so the ASA is detected. There is a filter notch detector and because Ektachrome 100D has no filter notch, this detector ordinarily removes the internal 85 filter. There is, on the side of the camera, a switch for "daylight" or "tungsten" - "bulb" or "sun". If this switch is set at "daylight", the camera automatically detects that the film stock in use is 100D and removes the internal filter. All is then well.

However, the packaging of Ektachrome 100D says "It is a daylight balanced film, so the internal camera filter should be disabled. Leave camera setting on (bulb). This will disable the internal filter.". If one now turns to the large green box on the right hand side of your flowchart (the end of the flow), you say "Both the tunsten and daylight stock is recognised and treated correctly. With daylight stock, the position of the filter switch is irrelevant, since the filter is swivelled out by daylight cartridges.".

I am suggesting that there is a need for a further note to the effect that some Nizo cameras (and possibily others) differ slightly from other cameras in that whilst the internal filter is removed by daylight cartridges, as you say, the result of taking the advice set out on the Ektachrome packaging, referred to above, is that the camera exposes the film not as 100D but as 160D - with the consequential under-exposure by 2/3 f.stop. The position of the filter switch is not, therefore, irrelevant, as you put it, on these cameras.

Do please understand that I am not criticising your work in any way, I am just suggesting that that Nizo Universal owners need to be aware of the consequences of acting on the advice contained on the Ektachrome 100D packaging.

[Clapton Pond]

Excellent - thanks!

ian

[Davideo]

be aware of the consequences of acting on the advice contained on the Ektachrome 100D packaging.

I followed the advice on the packaging and left it on Tungsten (bulb) setting and it came out perfect on my Nizo S800.