Dropped my Nizo 6080

[matt5791]

This is the typical nightmare scene: I am at Birmingham airport waiting to board a filght to Portugal. I have over my shoulder a camera bag with my Nizo 6080 inside. Now I should have known better as my father bought this bag in 1981 to carry around his new Bell & Howell and as at 2004 the shoulder strap was looking, well, frayed and past its sell by date. :oops:

With no warning the bag suddenly fell to the ground - inside a 6080 with a split handle :evil: . Now I think I was lucky (or rather, less unfortunate) in that the handle absorbed the impact. I pushed it back together and bound it with surgical tape. It had also knocked the viewfinder out of line - fortunately I had a small set of emergency tools on me so I could dismantle the camera and readjust this to focus correctly. Over last week shot 7 rolls of K40 - I await the results!!

So far this camera has survived a lot of other rough use, yet continues to produce great results. Therefore I am viewing this incident as a sort of ultimate endurance test

I think that it does however require a proper service now though!

Matt
Birmingham UK

[Patrick]

Good luck with your cherished Nizo.

[Alex]

I've spent hours making slight improvements to camera bags and cases, adding an extra lining of foam with 3m spray adhesive. You double the stopping distance you decrease the force the camera will absorb by a factor of four.

[Lucas Lightfeat]

My 6080 is strictly in its aluminium case - especially since the crystal conversion - interesting that I use it less now though, since it's less immidiate and accessible. I regard the camera as a "serious film only" camera, and as such, it remains mostly in the cupboard. Damned shame really!

Consider Germany for the service and repair - there really isn't anyone really really good over here in Blighty, but there's a good choice in Germany and it's worth the extra postage in my opinion.

Lucas

[Henderson]

I've been filming my feature film with a 6080 and in November it took a noze dive when the tri-pod fell over---Jammed the focus ring nice and good. It was a night when I was paying a prostetic SPFX guy to do make-up. I almost cried (but I drank instead). Thank god it didn't damage the glass. I had to over night it and have Du-All Camera in New York fix it---$200.

Ah, the trials and tribulations of filmmaking.

Henderson

[matt5791]

My 6080 is strictly in its aluminium case - especially since the crystal conversion - interesting that I use it less now though, since it's less immidiate and accessible. I regard the camera as a "serious film only" camera, and as such, it remains mostly in the cupboard. Damned shame really!

Consider Germany for the service and repair - there really isn't anyone really really good over here in Blighty, but there's a good choice in Germany and it's worth the extra postage in my opinion.

Lucas

Do you know the details of anyone in Germany?

Many thanks,
Matt

[studiocarter]

Bristol Cine Sales fixed the parallax problem my Canon 814 XL-E had. The glue that held the mirror got all gummy and the mirror slipped out of alignment. He sent the camera to someone to fix; that someone is close and talked to him about it, then he to me. It seems to be in alignment now after my little test unlike it was before.

[danpuddick]

I managed to topple my tripod with a nizo on top too but luckily it fell in the snow.... and it was the powdery kind so most of it just dropped off...

I just had the leatherette case for my nizo so I bought a standard own brand flight case (cam case 50 I think) from jessops for about £23... I think it's the second to smallest size they do.... I feel pretty safe about everything in there... as small investement plus it holds my remote, sync unit, filters lens hood, cables.... and fit's just perfect inside a record bag for even more comfortable carrying.....

good luck with the cam and reels of k40 matt

[jessh]

It had also knocked the viewfinder out of line - fortunately I had a small set of emergency tools on me so I could dismantle the camera and readjust this to focus correctly. Over last week shot 7 rolls of K40 - I await the results!!

How did you go about readjusting the focus? I replaced the broken eyepiece on a Nizo 6080 but now it is out of focus. Any advice on how to properly adjust it?

~Jess

[Alex]

This topic title "Dropped my Nizo 6080" sounds like a bad country western song.

I just dropped my Nizo 6080, It fell quicker than than my last lady...
Nizo didn't bounce back but just sat there and rested,
What shall I do until I can test it.....


Um,

Well it reads more like a bad pun.

Carry on, and...... "LETS BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!" (HILL STREET BLUES REFERENCE)

[MovieMaker]

Do you know the details of anyone in Germany?

Many thanks,
Matt

There you can find the address of the German repair man. Write or phone in simple English but he´s one of the best:

http://www.video-technik-schacherl.de/

MovieMaker

[Lucas Lightfeat]

Do you know the details of anyone in Germany?

Many thanks,
Matt

There you can find the address of the German repair man. Write or phone in simple English but he´s one of the best:

http://www.video-technik-schacherl.de/

MovieMaker

Thanks for that. I suggested the Germans, but was also waiting for a recommendation. I think the biggest problem with the UK repairers is that they can't get the parts.

Lucas

[matt5791]

It had also knocked the viewfinder out of line - fortunately I had a small set of emergency tools on me so I could dismantle the camera and readjust this to focus correctly. Over last week shot 7 rolls of K40 - I await the results!!

How did you go about readjusting the focus? I replaced the broken eyepiece on a Nizo 6080 but now it is out of focus. Any advice on how to properly adjust it?

~Jess

Basiacally I did not re-adjust the focus as such - I am trusting the lens assembly itself is ok. What I did adjust is one of the optical elements in the viewfinder. The viewfinder consists of two tubes, one of which protrudes through the chassis of the camera and is where you look. This consists of the final lens element which adjusts in and out when you turn the adjuster, and secondly another element which has the split image in the centre. This element is fixed into a mental tube secured with grub screws. By loosening these the tube can be adjusted in and out and also rotated so that the split image is horizontal.

I know that my accident had knocked this element out as the split image was not horizontal. Therefore I set the lens to infinity and the focal length to 80mm and chose a suitable object over 1000 feet away to focus on. Luckily there was a flag pole. With the grub screws loosened I gently prised the tube inwards and outwards until I was certain it was correct at infinity. You have to be a little bit careful here as if you loosen the wrong grub screws (there are three) the whole eyepiece is loosened.

I then tested the lens at closer settings.

Obviously I am relying on the lens still being OK, and if it is not then I stand the chance that some of my shots may be out of focus.

I will report back when I have had the film returned.

It is a little difficult ro explain this without photographs or diagrams. If you still can not understand, send me your e-mail and I will send some photos showing the operation.

Matt
Birmingham UK

[jessh]

I understand what you are saying as this is exactly what I have done. I had to replace the whole eyepiece assembly so the inner tube (the one w/ the split image) now needs to be readjusted. I adjusted it to be correct at infinity but it doesn't seem to be right when the camera is focused closer. I am thinking that I will try using a tape measure and start with adjusting it closer.

~Jess

[matt5791]

I understand what you are saying as this is exactly what I have done. I had to replace the whole eyepiece assembly so the inner tube (the one w/ the split image) now needs to be readjusted. I adjusted it to be correct at infinity but it doesn't seem to be right when the camera is focused closer. I am thinking that I will try using a tape measure and start with adjusting it closer.

~Jess

You need to be very careful as the inner tube is VERY sensitive to adjustment - you hardly need to move it to make a big difference. Also you could very easily knock it out of adjustment without realising it between setting it and tightening the grub screws. Also make sure the little piece of spring steel is still sitting between this tube and the outer tube it fits into. this is to provide friction so the tube remains in place until you have tightened the screws. To find out remove the whole assembly and slide the inner tube out - be very careful though as this little piece can spring out and disappear between a floorboard!

The best way to test your focus is obviously to do some tests with a roll of film making detailed notes on each test shot.

Matt
Birmingham UK