built in light meters and film speed

[Actor]

I have a manual for the 814E. I don't have the camera but I do own a manual.

[woods01]

Sherman your Bell & Howell must have an internal
light meter. That camera was made for a person
interested in filming their family gathers etc.
so it would be extremely unusual for it not to
have automatic exposure. Have you put batteries
into it and tested out its features? The light
meter probably will not work without power.

Regardless a hand meter is the only way to go
for serious filming. Especially if you start using
artifical light. My internal light meter craps
out in any low light tungsten situation. But my
hand meter showed there was plenty of light to
expose for.

Buy a roll of K40. Shoot different lighting
conditions and objects. Try out the zoom options.
Makes notes and send it in for developing.
Project and review notes [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

[bucaneer american]

thats exactly what i was planning on doing. my school will sell me some kodachrome for 9 bucks a roll and me and my friend we gonna go out and do some tests.

however. i do plan to make a movie on super 8 and im thinkin i may need a camera that gives me some more control.

i want something that has a removable lense (i want to get an anamorphic lense) and something that will let me control the frame rate (i want to shoot in 24 not 18) and aperature. i know a canon 814 e and nizo s800 can do the last 2 i just dont know if they have removable lenses. again, any help you can offer would be great.

[woods01]

I think Beaulieu is the only S8 brand that can
switch lenses. But once you start swapping prime
lenses you will wish you had more and unless you
are very rich you aren't going to have much to
choose from. However many brands of cameras had
wide angle attachments you can stick on the end
of your lense.

The Canon or Nizo you've got your eye on are
widely applauded cameras. The more S8 I shoot
the more I am considering getting one. I am sure
they are worth it in the long run. Its probably
best you shoot your first film with a good camera.