Help with two recent camera acquistions

[DTNethery]

Scored a couple of cameras at an estate sale for practically nothing :

Nizo S 480 Great camera , many features. (slow motion 54fps , fade-in/fade-out , cross dissolve , time-lapse , nice Schneider Variogon lens ) http://super8wiki.com/index.php/Nizo_S_480

and Elmo 240 XLS . Simple camera, 18 fps only , but has Auto & Manual exposure . A nice "back-up" camera.

http://super8wiki.com/index.php/Elmo_240_S-XL

(only interesting thing about Elmos 240 XLS is it is one of the cameras that was built to take the Kodak 200 ft. cartridges , which is of course irrelevant now . Also it is a VERY QUIET camera compared to most Super-8 cameras , which could make it a good choice as a back-up camera for a wedding cinematographer)


Here are some issues I hope someone can advise me on:


1.) The Nizo S 480 did not come with a user's manual, so I'm having to piece things together from the internet. I haven't found a complete user's manual download yet .

QUESTION for anyone who has owned a Nizo S 480 : Does the manual exposure over-ride on the Nizo 480 not respond if the exposure meter doesn't have the PX625 batteries inserted (or rather the WeinCell MRB625 Replacement Batteries) ?

Everything else seems to be working . Viewfinder is bright , lens is clean , no visible scratches, fungus, or fogging. The battery chamber is clean , no corrosion or rust , and I inserted the AA batteries. The motor runs nice and smooth , power zoom works . But I don't have any WeinCell MRB625 batteries on hand for the internal light meter . (will go to the photo store on Monday to get those) So obviously I realize the Auto Exposure won't register anything without batteries , but what I notice is that right now if I switch it to Manual Exposure that I get NO MOVEMENT of the needle up and down the F-stop scale . Nothing happens. Is that normal if there are no MRB625 batteries inserted ? Or did I get a camera that appears cosmetically just about "perfect" , but the manual exposure is not functioning ?



2. ) The Elmo 240 XLS - Put the batteries in . Motor runs , the power zoom works, all appears to work. (obviously nothing is for sure until I run test film through it and see the results) .

However, I noticed immediately that the black foam rubber seals around the film chamber door and film chamber window have turned to black goop . The black foam rubber falls apart if I touch it . Obviously this needs to be scraped off and replaced. What should I replace the deterioted foam rubber with? Can I just cut thin strips of black foam or silicone or something like that and glue them on along the edges to form a light-tight seal ? I'm not too heavily invested in it , but would like to replace the rotted foam sealing .


Any ideas ?


Thanks.

[DTNethery]

Well, more checking around revealed the answers :


Nizo S480 -

YES, the Nizo S480 MUST have the WeinCell MRB625 batteries inserted for the Manual Exposure to function.



Elmo 240XL -

For the rotting foam rubber on the Elmo 240XL door and film window I found a suggestion to cut thin strips from a mouse pad or to use 'Lily Sugar n' Cream' black cotton crochet yarn, product #CA00111 , thanks to this website of Matt Denton's:

http://mattsclassiccameras.com/repairtips.html

"Strips of mousepad (neoprene rubber) carefully cut using an X-acto knife and a metal straightedge for the film door mating grooves in the camera body. If you cut the mouse pad strips a little wide and stretch them they'll fit in the grooves without any adhesive But then I discovered 'Lily Sugar n' Cream' black cotton crochet yarn, product #CA00111. Just like you see in the old German cameras! Quicker and easier, just as permanent. Seems to stay without glue, but I recommend hitting it with at least a tiny spot of Pliobond on each end."

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