Beaulieu 2008 and 4008S... yeps, I bought them allready

[bigmasi]

First of all, my technical english might not be so good so reply for any questions...

I am about to buy either Beaulieu 2008 or 4008S. Or both if the price is right. The problem is they are not in mint condition. And I need some specific information to know what I should pay for them... Both of the cameras come without a poversupply so I can't test them in the shop! I don't know more about Beaulieu than what I have read from the internet and I'm not sure how the camera works. And the shopkeeper doesn't speak really good english so I can't ask help from him so much...

2008
The shopkeeper says that the camera has been cleaned a year ago. It looks good on the outside and all buttons and moving parts feel good. It has the original lense and it seems to be ok. Just a little (very little) fungus on the edge of the lense. I don't think it would affect the imagequality at all. when I look to the viewfinder it seems to be basically all right but a little dark. I don't know how dark it should be so I can't say if there is something wrong. It is quite hard to focus. When I move the built in daylight filter I can clearly see that it's not ok. It moves ok, but it has small holes and it's quite dirty. I couldn't remove the lense from 2008. We removed the lens from 4008S just by screwing it of. Should the lense in 2008 come of in the same way? The seller couldn't get it of and I didn't try because I don't want to break the camera. Then I would have to buy it for sure. Ok, let's say that I trust that the camera works with a right poversupply and I don't want to use the built-in daylight filter... then:

What else I should/could test/check in the shop!
How do you remove the lense?


4008S
Seller says that the camera is not clean. From outside it basically ok, but the moving parts seem a little stiff and there is a little rust on some knobs and other places. Not much, but still... Lense has some fungus on the edges and one small scratch. I don't know would it affect the picture, but I'm afraid it will show on film if you look carefully. The shopkeeper removed the lense by screwing it away. The mirror of the shutter is on the half way of the hole (sorry, I don't know the english word for the parts :-) and when you look trought the viewfinder the picture is partly covered. When I move the mirror (there's a small handle on the top of the camera that moves the mirror, is that the single frame thing??) the picture comes clear so do you think it's possible that the mirror has moved from it's place? Or should it be like this? The built-in filter is useless. It has a lot of dirt and small holes on it, but it moves ok so it's not a problem if I use filter on the lense. Overall the 4008S looks old and it has seen a lot of use (or abuse) but it has survived and I think it would make a good camera with some tender care from loving owner :-)

But the big question is... what's the price! Seller said (before I saw the cameras) that they cost about 200 dollars / each. Today I told him that for the 4008S I wouldn't probably pay more than 50 USD and the 2008 I don't know because we couldn't remove the lense and I couldn't examine it more.

Any and every advice is welcome and please response quicly because I might buy the camera(s) tomorrow or the day after. And ask questions because I'm sure I didn't remember to tell everything, thank you.

Yours truly: BigMasi the SoonToBeBeaulieuristNewbie

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ March 11, 2004 05:34 PM: Message edited by: bigmasi ]</font>

[bigmasi]

forgot something... on the 4008S there is also a unfocused spot on the center of the image (actually a quite big area is blurred). I couldn'd see it with the lense removed so I'm afraid it's on the lense! Could it be something else..?

[oldasdirt]

It sounds to me like both cameras are in bad shape.Fungus on a lens is something that will only get worse.
Beaulieus are nice,but over rated in my opinion.I had a serious love-hate relationship with my 16mm Beaulieu.
The only time I have ever seen a high performance camera for a really low price like that (this generally applies to anything not just cameras)is either it's being sold by someone who picked it up with an estate sale and don't know what they have,or it's junk.
Sure it may be only 50 bucks,but if you're like me,you can't afford to lose 50 bucks.
Marty

[bigmasi]

thanks for advice but I was looking for more helpfull information about how to be sure if the cameras are just a piece of crap or could it be possible that they are worth the money?

I need information about how and what to check without power. Any advice on strong parts or weak parts is helpfull. I also have time and money and love to put in to the camera so I just might be able to fix some of the problems...

thanks anyway...

[unni]

I recomend you contact Bjorn Andersson, Sweden, he's one of the "old" Beaulieu technician how is left. He has low priceses and is serious and competent.
He have experience of Beaulieu then 1974.
[email protected]

[bigmasi]

Thanks svabo, I sended him an email... let's see. And just to repeat myself... I need info on what to check and how? Any advice is helpfull. I will be posting more info on the cameras in couple of hours. Yesterday when I first saw the cameras I didn't make any notes so I might have forgotten some details.

By the way, this forum seems to be a good place for a variety of information. I just found it a week ago... congratulations on a working forum, glad to be in it.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ March 11, 2004 03:14 PM: Message edited by: bigmasi ]</font>

[bigmasi]

I MADE UP MY MIND!

So, I'm gonna buy both cameras tomorrow for a complete price of 150 USD. Any comments??
Today I went back to the shop and examined the cameras again more carefully. 2008 is actually in pretty good condition. I have to remove both built-in filters from both cameras and use a filter that you screw on the lense. That's no problem for me. And if the lighting meters are working is not a problem either because with Beaulieu's I have the control over ASA. The 4008S might be ok, but it also might be a piece of junk (beautiful junk, I think) I really don't know. It has clear marks that somebody has dropped it in some point. Maybe that's the reasons why it ever came on the market...

I have another question about the 2008, but I'm gonna post a new topic for that... Thanks for everybody on your advice and please keep posting replys for further information on how to repair a Beaulieu.