The Krasnogorsk Super 8 camera

[Scotness]

All this talk of new cameras made me think of this one - has any one ever had any experience fo them? They're discontinued now aren't they but I imagine they are the most recently manufactured Super 8 camera.

http://www.kievusa.com/8mmcams.html



Scot

[Angus]

No direct experience but I have conversed with people who did use them, and found them to be somehwat inconsistent in quality of manufacture but less so than the K3 16mm cam.

By all accounts a useful camera, fun but with enough features to get you by...and producing excellent (if not astounding) pictures.

[matt5791]

I used to own one of these cameras, and it produced suprisingly good results - but only when the auto aperture worked correctly - It is a swing type and for some reason a lot of the time it swung from side to side - and wrecked loads of my film. Otherwise it was suprisingly good.

My theory, if there was ever to be a new super8 camera is that it needs to play on the key featurs of the format: small light equipment and ease of loading.

This little russian camera is getting close to that sort of thing - it is very simple and very compact. All a new design needs is four things not present on this camera:

C mount - there is so much variety available here already
electric motor
deletion of auto exposure
Better build quality

Matt

[monobath]

I bought mine from Olexandr Kalynychenko, a very pleasant man to deal with. His web site is Russian Camera, and when I bought my camera, payment was made to him via John Schwind.

The Quarz is built like a tank and seems very solid. I've shot 5 carts in mine so far, two K40 and three Plus-X. I shot them on auto exposure mode. The ones that I shot at 18fps came out very good, very clear and sharp. I was surprised by that because the microprism focussing patch that you can see in the viewfinder is crude, looks like plastic tape, and appears to be casually affixed to the ground glass, and is no where near as easy to use as the microprism one might find on a good quality SLR camera.

I shot a couple of carts at various speeds slower and faster than 18fps, and those films came out extremely underexposed. I don't know what happened. Maybe the auto exposure on my camera is faulty, or perhaps it only works at 18fps. Or maybe I bumped the Manual / Auto exposure dial. I'm not sure. I plan to do some careful tests eventually try to figure out what happened.

But anyway, my Quarz camera is a pleasure to use. Other than the weird exposure problems (I haven't tried shooting in manual mode), I'm happy with mine.

[matt5791]

Or maybe I bumped the Manual / Auto exposure dial.

Very easy to do. Watch out of the switch to select different film speeds too. Odd to use and easily knocked.

Otherwise, as you say, produces good results.

[Old Uncle Barry]

Use a seperate lightmeter and the results will astound you for its price.Built like a brick shithouse/country dunny,they are rugged and the lens really performs better than it looks.
I know,I use one too.

[mattias]

i've got one, but haven't tried it yet. the light meter batteries are dead (most of their probably very poisonous contents has leaked into the compartment too). what kind are they and are they easy to find?

/matt

[matt5791]

I bought some in a regular electrical shop selling other similar batteries. I think they are fairly easy to find, and not an odd type.

Matt

[wahiba]

I have two. One works well, except the film counter ceases to function part way through the film.

The other runs, but there is no movement at the claw. So far I have not found a way into it, I suspect it is throught the winding handle and/or the film chamber. When I am ready to have a real go I will check here first.

[S8 Booster]

i've got one, but haven't tried it yet. the light meter batteries are dead (most of their probably very poisonous contents has leaked into the compartment too). what kind are they and are they easy to find?

/matt

These battery equivalents came with my camera:
http://www.batteryuniverse.com/catalog/ ... 748155.htm

You will get them next door or so.

No idea if these 1.5v units are replacements for 1.35v originals but someone with a manual may find out.

At Russian Cine Cameras this is listed: 2 pcs 1.5V, type 625
http://www.geocities.com/russiancamera/ ... 1x8s-2.htm



R

[paul_villiers]

nice,

I have not received mine yet. Bought a new boxed one on Ebay a little while back and cant wait to try it out..

I hope to use it for some B+W filming and asked in another thread about the russian super8 carts,

but following the link to russian cameras in the earlier reply I saw the reloadable cartridges. Now those look useful :0)

Paul.

[S8 Booster]

i've got one, but haven't tried it yet. the light meter batteries are dead (most of their probably very poisonous contents has leaked into the compartment too). what kind are they and are they easy to find?

/matt

Matt, I just found out that my Q8 lightmeter batts were inverse mounted in the compartment when I received the cam (no discarge while stored). I took them out and re-inserted them the correcrt way (easy to see) and the meter worked fine. Check it out.

R

[Super8rules]

I own two of these little tanks.

The footage I shot came out very nice, on both cameras.

For the price on Ebay ($20-$30), you can't go wrong.

I bought both of mine from Russia, and they came with all of the filters, leather case and empty super-8 carts (I guess they load their own in Russia).

I recommend them.

[FILM-THURSO]

I still use these babies, they are very good. Exposure is amazing, the color, contrast, focus sharpness and controlabilty of the image is beyond other Europeon 'better' cameras I have. Mine is under the name of Quarz and has become the main production camera in our set of 21 super 8s.
As for the lightmeter, who actually shoots with it on auto, oh the folly! 8O
Meters constantly ajust because from one angle to another, like when you pan or tilt, the light changes. Only ever use the meter to guide your exposure settings not rule them. I let the camera tell me what it thinks on auto and then I go for what my experience tells me is right on manual, the result is a better and fixed exposure which looks great. I have a Bell & Howell Filmosonic which is a top model but it too gives poor results if left to auto metering. Auto meters are like power zooms on cine cameras, not much good although the meter actually serves a purpose.
The Widescreen Centre in London is still selling the little Quarz and Russion monchrome stock (50asa) can also be had for £6.99 each or £18.00 for 3 with processing at about £10 each (all GBP).

http://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk

Don't let anyone put you off these gems. Keep it clean inside and out, look after it and it won't let you down. It took me over a year before I finally had the nerve to switch to the Quarz and I wish I had done it sooner.

[agingeri]

I just got one not a long time ago and shot 2 rolls of k40 with it, I'm still waiting to get the film back. I ended up shooting a fair deal with automatic metering. Hopefully it actually works, as there was often a startling difference between the built-in meter and my handheld (non-cine) light meter.

It sometimes scares me a bit because every once in awhile when I'm winding it, it slips a cog or something and makes a loud 'pop' noise that sounds like something important breaking. Oh well. So long as it works...