Speed settings of 24, 48 and 64
f.p.s. provide increasingly slower motion effects. The
action of the speed control is continuously variable,
that is, all intermediate speeds are obtainable. The
operator can change, at will, from accelerated to
slow-motion throughout the filmed scene. However, it
should be borne in mind that, by altering the speed,
exposure times are simultaneously modified and,
accordingly, the stop settings whould be adjusted in
accordance with the following table:
|
f/1.4
|
f/1.7
|
f/2
|
f/2.4
|
f/2.8
|
f/3.4
|
f/4
|
f/4.7
|
f/5.6
|
f/6.3
|
f/8
|
f/9
|
f/11
|
f/13-f/16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
48
|
|
24
|
18
|
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
48
|
|
24
|
18
|
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
48
|
|
24
|
18
|
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
48
|
|
24
|
18
|
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
48
|
|
24
|
18
|
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
48
|
|
24
|
18
|
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
48
|
|
24
|
18
|
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
48
|
|
24
|
18
|
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Assuming the exposure meter reads 5.6
at 18 f.p.s., that is, an exposure time of 1/50 second,
then if the speed setting is altered during shooting, the
following stop settings are found along the same line
(highlighted in blue):
at 48 f.p.s. - f/3.4
at 24 f.p.s. - f/4.7
at 12 f.p.s. - f/6.3
6 -
Shooting
A - Tripping
Everything is set: diaphragm setting,
focusing, speed. But before you press on the trigger
release, have you got the right hold on your
camera?
a. Camera without grip
attachment
Camera held in right hand, palm of
left hand pressed against lid, fingers wrapped over the
camera. Right elbow against the body. Rubber eyepiece is
pressed against eyebrow.
b. Camera with grip
attachment
Camera hold is substantially improved
and facilitated by the Beaulieu R.8 grip.
An attractively styled attachment of
functional design, this transparent polyester grip screws
into the bushing (6) provided under the camera (normally
used for fixing the wrist strap). The forefinger of the
right hand, guided by the grip grooving, quite naturally
slips into shooting position, against the trip
button.
The left hand remains free to adjust
focusing, the eye remains fixed at the eyepiece while
shooting.
c. Tripod operation
If you are striving for perfection,
you should use a tripod stand which will assure real
stability. This is particularly valuable with
tele-lenses, when the slightest displacement is amplified
and causes "jittery" pictures.
The R.8 screws on the threaded bushing
(6) used for fixing the wrist strap. Trip release is
achieved: by trip button or by flexible trip
cable.
Trip Button
Simply press on the button (9) and
keep button depressed as long as you wish to
film.
If you are filming a continuous
sequence: press on trip button and give quarter-turn
twist that will lock it in the "running" position. Camera
will continue until drive mechanism has run down. To stop
filming, give another quarter-turn twist, which releases
the button back into the "off" position.
Flexible trip cable
A flexible trip cable, provided with
the camera, screws into the internal threading of the
trip button. Intermittent or continuous trip control can
then be assured by means of the flexible cable. The cable
is used whenever the camera is tripod-operated or when
the camera must be kept absolutely still.
Anti-trip locking: Push the
variable-aperture shutter lever (7) fully
home.
B - Film-running time
With the drive mechanism fully wound,
total runnning time is 30 seconds, at the rate of 18
f.p.s. You should get into the habit of winding-up the
motor after each scene so as always to have some driving
power in reserve.
The black and white or colour film
which you load into your camera is known as
"double-eight" film. That is, the film has an overall
width of 16 mm., but is only impressed in two successive
strips of 8 mm. width (the reel being inverted after the
first length has been impressed). Actual reel length is
7.50 m. overall impressed-track length: 15 m. The two
half-strips are subsequently separated and spliced into
one 8 mm. film for screening.
Film running is monitored by means of
a footage counter, providing in meters (readout 5) or
feet (readout 4) indications of the remaining length of
film available for impression.
Counter actuation is controlled
by a "feeler" finger (24) fixed to the shaft and which
gradually moves away from the hub of the take-up spool as
its load increases. Filming effectively begines
immediately the red (feedin) section has rotated past the
index line on the dial. When the red (film-ended) section
reaches the index line on the dial, filming is over.
However, run the film until the counter comes to a
standstill and the tell-tale hum of the spool drive
ceases. You then proceed to invert the spools in order to
impress the second half of the film.
To change, or invert the spools: open
the lid, by means of button (13). This should be done in
a well-shaded spot, and reel-up the last few inches of
film which may still remain in the gate, by rotating the
spool by hand, holding the feeler finger clear by means
of lever (24). Remove spool, invert it and place it over
the feeder spindle, proceeding as per loading
prescriptions. Naturally the (empty) feeder spool will be
placed over th etake-up spindle (23).
Note: The same procedure will be
followed for unloading the camera after the full 15 m.
length is spent.
II - Special
Effects
These may be either "movie" effects
designed to make the film more attractive or to
facilitate changeovers from one scene to another, or may
relate to a cinema technique known as
"animation".
Special effects are achieved by means
of the variable-aperture shutter system and reverse film
drive. Animation is a frame-by-frame
operation.
1 - Movie
Effects
The variable-aperture shutter is a
mechanism system (see fig. b) which consists in reducing
or in increasing, as required, the amount of shutter
gating from maximum opening to total masking. This
special feature of the Beaulieu R.8 permits lap-dissolves
from one scene to another, or one range to
another.
Shutter variation is controlled by a
lever (7). Forward movement causes the shutter to close.
Rearward movement, to open.
The lever can be locked in the
following positions:
- shutter open
- shutter half-open
- shutter closed
To lock lever: push knob towards lever
axis.
To unlock: push knob away from lever
axis.
a. Fading-in,
fading-out
With this facility, a scene can be
ended by gradually dimming the images to total blanking
and, conversely, to start a scene with images gradually
emerging from complete darkness into normal
brightness.
Lap-dissolve effects should preferably
be achieved with the camera mounted on its tripod, so as
to be able to concentrate on the operation of the
variable-aperture system.
Fade-out
Release lever from the "shutter-open"
setting. Press on trip release and adjust
variable-aperture lever by pushing it home (smoothly and
gradually). Film drive will then automatically stop. The
operation theoretically takes 4 seconds - hence the
0-1-2-3-4 markings on the hub disc. Start the operation
with the "zero" count and try to keep count and markings
(red index) in step.
Once the operation is completed, the
lever can be locked in the "shutter closed" position, so
as to avoid accidental re-starting.
Fade-in
This is the reverse operation. It can
immediately follow a fade-out or be used without previous
fade-out, to introduce a new scene.
Unlock lever from "shutter-closed"
position, press on trip release and bring lever back,
counting the seconds. Lock the lever.
Naturally, these operations can be
performed over a period of time shorter or longer than
the usual 4 seconds, depending on the desired
effect.
b. Lap-dissolves
Lap dissolves provide a transition
between two scenes by super-imposing (double-exposure)
the two scenes during a certain period of time,
simultaneously fading one scene out and fading the new
scene in. Lap dissolves entail the use of the frame
counter (14) and reeling-back (or
reverse-drive).
Frame counter
The frame counter is actuated by a
pinion meshing into the perforations of the film. The
forward or reverse motion of the film causes the rotation
of the pinion and associated counter. The system provides
frame-by-frame readings of strict accuracy.
A knob (15) projecting over the centre
of the dial escutcheon positions a red index line (to
zero frame reading or any other reading), so that the
number of spent frames over a given period of shooting
can be readily evaluated.
Note that the dial readings are from 1
to 100 and that, for prolonged scenes, 100 should be
added to the reading observed.
The frame counter is driven directly
by the film; film running can therefore be monitored on
the counter which also provides a means of checking
whether the film is completely spent before
unloading.
Reeling-up (reverse film
drive)
Reeling-up is carried out by means of
crank (12) which, once pulled out, directly clutches into
the spindle of the feeder spool. The crank is then turned
in the direction shown by the arrow, reeling-up the
required number of frames (monitored on frame
counter).
Note that the reel may offer a certain
amount of slack about the hub of the feeder spool. This
does not effect correct operation. However, it may be
necessary to take-up the slack by giving the crank a few
turns. When the reeling-up operation is completed, fold
crank reel down.
A Unique Beaulieu R.8
Feature
The lens never requires masking during
reeling-up.
Two cases may occur:
Lap-dissolve procedure
- - fade-out, counting the seconds -
work out the number of frames corresponding to the
elapsed time, e.g. 4 seconds at 18 f.p.s. = 72 frames.
Set the frame counter index to 72 and reel-back to
zero. Re-start, feeding in the new scene during a
period of time equal to that of the fade-out
sequence.
Other applications of the
variable-aperture shutter
The variable-aperture shutter affects
the exposure time and consequently modifies the amount of
light gated to the film. By suitable combining shutter
adjustment and diaphragming, the recorded images can be
accurately controlled. For example, one may, without
altering the film spaeed (saving of film material),
"shoot" mobile objects (racing cars, horses, etc.) by
cutting down the exposure time (shutter to half-closed
position). Sharper images will result.
Naturally the diaphragm setting will
have to be increased by one graduation (aperture
doubled).
Increasing the lens stop entails a
decrease of field depth permitting "soft" or "hazy"
effects, with subject in sharp focus in out-of-focus
background.
The variable-aperture shutter can also
be used to reduce the amount of light (case of high light
intensity and fast emulsions). With the variable-aperture
knob set to the "half-closed" position, one full stop
setting can be gained, without recourse to "neutral gray"
filters of doubtful speed factor.
As you gradually master these notions
and gain experience, you will no doubt become an R.8
expert, always striving to get the best of your camera's
unique possibilities, with the assistance of the variable
speed shutter.
Super-impression
Super-impression (deliberate double or
multi-exposure) may prove of great value when filming,
say, firework displays, to provide a striking impressions
og widespread pyrotechnics.
The prime advantage of the R.8's
"total reelup" is that it permits part or total film
super-impression.
Also, the feature permits the
substitution for an unfinished back-and-white film, of a
colour film, and conversely.
This is accomplished by reeling-up the
impressed length, counting the number of frames. When the
film is again utilized, the film is run (with the lens
duly masked!) through and equal number of frames. You are
then ready again to shoot the balance of unexposed film
on the reel.
2 -
Animation
This technique consists in snapping a
series of "still" pictures of an object or scene, the
elements of which are slightly displaced between each
successive still, so as to produce motion when the film
is screened.
The technique is used for the
production of animated cartoons or to reproduce, over a
short period of time, phenomena that normally take place
over an extended period of time.
For instance, changing cloudscapes can
be filmed as a series of separate "snap" shots at 10 sec,
30 sec or 1-minute intervals, depending on the required
speed. The growth of a plant may consist of a series of
shots taken, for instance, every 24 hours. Proceed as
follows:
Screw into external release brushing
(8) the flexible trip cable - press on trip
control.
Note that for animation work, the R.8
camera must be mounted on a tripod and a flexible trip
cable used, to assure absolute stability.
For individual frame filming, the
following exposure times will be used:
at 12 f.p.s. = 1/60 second
at 18 f.p.s. = 1/100 second
Note: Before proceeding to
individua-frame shooting, set variable aperture lever to
half-open position; otherwise trip cable cannot be
screwed on bushing. Above time settings assume that
variable-aperture lever is on that position.
III - Amateur Movie Making
Basics
A film consists of scenes which
themselves consist of a succession of images.
The Scene
Remember the golden rule of unity:
unity of place - unity of time - unity of
action.
Unity of Place
Restrict your filming to a specific
portion of terrain: that portion which is framed in your
viewfinder and no other. This will, in theory, exclude
panning (side or vertical motion of the camera), used and
abused by beginners. If you film a wide-field scene,
break it down into successive static scens. If you must
pan-over, please bear in mind that:
1. The primary purpose of panning is
to link-up to fixed scenes
2. Panning must be performed very
slowly: 90 degrees i.e. a quarter traverse in 15
seconds.
Unity of Time
Beginners tend to "shoot away", to
switch too rapidly from one scene to another. The result
is a series of disconnected "flashes". Minimum scene
length, at 18 f.p.s., should be 3 to 4 seconds. Make it a
habit to count, mentally, the seconds while filming a
scene. Maximum duration for a given scene should not
exceed 8 to 10 seconds, unless the scene is of
exceptional interest.
Unity of Action
Interest must always be centered on a
group, person or object. Do not scatter interest by
crowding too many people or objects into the
scene.
Picture
Quality
Close Ups
8 mm filming thrives on close-ups. The
pictures should be as "large" as possible. Do not try to
pack-in the whole horizon. Your picture should be
unburdened and simply composed. Distant landscapes are
disappointing. Close-ups never are.
Level Pictures
Your pictures should be level. Use
horizontal and vertical items in the scene. Keep them
parallel with your viewfinder.
Stable Pictures
Every movement of the operator is
reflected, often amplified, on screening: steady your
hold, whenever possible by supporting your arm or the
camera on a static object. This is, in particular,
essential when a tele-lens is used. Under such
conditions, the Beaulieu R.8 reflex viewfinder assures
you films of exceptional quality.
Good Picture
Definition
Easy to achieve with the Beaulieu R.8
reflex groundglass viewfinding system.
Correct Exposure
Your best guide: an exposure meter.
Can never be used too often, when filming. These
instructions have deliberately been written in an
elementary style, so that beginners will know each step
of the way. As you acquire experience and skill, you will
become your own best critic.
MAINTENANCE
Two requisites: a handblower and a
soft-hair brush, are furnished with your Beaulieu R.8
[Note: these are usually missing when the camera is
sold second-hand] They will help to keep the main
components of your camera is dust-free
condition.
A. Lenses
The lenses must be kept in spotlessly
clean condition. External parts will be wiped with a soft
non-fraying cloth. Never dampen the cloth.
When you finish filming, always
replace the protecting cap over the lens.
B. Gate
Clean frequently (every three or four
spools) with the small brush supplied with the camera.
Opening the pressure plate provides ample clearance for
adequate brushing. Similarly the drive elements are
easily cleaned once the drive guides are pulled
out.
C. Reflex System
First, de-activate the motor by
pressing on the trip button. Unscrew the lens. Bring one
of the mirrors in front of the film aperture, by acting
on the reel-up crank and the on the trip button. If dust
is present on the mirror, blow it away with the
hand-blower. Crank-back a little more: the second mirror
appears. Clean it in the same manner. To reach the
ground-glass lens, located to the left of the filming
aperture, use the reverse motion crank, with the
variable-aperture shtter lever set to "shutter-open".
Once the two mirrors have been retracted in this manner,
you will have easy access to the lens.
Caution
Never touch the mirrors or the
ground-glass lens, even with the tip of the handblower.
These delicate parts are easily
scratched.
D. Lubricating
Theoretically, lubricating should be
left to Beaulieu.
Camera Registration
Number
The factory number of your camera is
visible on the inner face of the case, near the wrist
strap bushing.
Top of
Page