Minolta XL 401 Super 8 Movie Camera Cine Intervalometer SERVICED & Film Tested !

Description

Long live the analog resurgence! There is nothing like shooting on film…
I've got another one... the very capable
Minolta XL-401
Super 8 movie/cine camera (Made in Japan).
The camera is in great condition and FULLY film-tested (I use actual S-8 cartridges to test motor, shutter, intervalometer, single-frame, etc). That is to say, this movie camera is in PERFECT working order - all features are functional! I know these cameras well - each I sell has been disassembled, cleaned, and lubricated. It runs incredibly smoothly. It is also in excellent physical/aesthetic condition. Every aspect of movie camera is good to go and ready to shoot!
Auction includes:
Minolta XL-401 Super-8 movie camera (Japan, serial # 121431)
The
lens system is completely clear
(no mold, fungus, or scratches - very nice multicoated glass for high contrast imaging) and viewfinder is bright and clean, free of any major dust or debris. The camera body is in good condition - less than normal wear-and-tear for a camera that is 4+ decades off the shelf, and looks very nice. Zoom and focus rings move smoothly, and there is NO corrosion in battery compartment or anywhere else on/in the camera.
For the uninitiated, it's got a
FAST f1.2 zoom lens 8.5-34mm (4x zoom)
, XL (eXisting Light) shutter (220 degree shutter opening allows more light to reach film per frame - better for low light conditions, and also great for normal lighting). This is one of the best super 8 cameras for existing light (potential low-light conditions, such as you might find on a road trip this summer, visiting with friends in the city, trekking hiking around in forests/foliage, sunset on the beach or mountains, indoor parties, candlelight, sitting around a campfire, filming a band playing indoors, etc.)
Obviously it works well with bright light, too (camera stops down to f32), but most movie cameras don't handle existing (low) light as well as these. It also features Auto/Manual exposure options, auto/manual zoom (plus MACRO focus option - focuses right up to the lens), AND... an intervalometer (exposes one frame at a time and you can change the interval between frames - perfect for time lapse photography!).
This camera not only films at the standard super-8 rate (18 fps), but also does single-frame photography (via trigger and remote option). That, along with
MACRO
capability, is excellent for stop motion work.
I would contend that, even though the lens is slightly slower than the 310 XL (that one is an f1.0, this one is an f1.2), this camera is overall much more capable. The Canon is a good XL camera, but this has a split-prism finder (Canon 310 does not), auto AND manual exposure control (310 and 514 XL are ONLY auto - they have no manual aperture - so if doing stop-motion/animation you'll want total control of exposure, which these 401s allow). This Minolta ALSO has Macro focusing, a better zoom range (4x zoom on this vs 3x zoom on the 310).
Finally, this XL-401 has an INTERVALOMETER!
Yeah, no real comparison, actually... but I do compare for a reason. Those Canons (working, tested ones, anyway) go for 0+ all day on eBay (9, before tax, if you buy one through Pro8mm - BTW, excellent company for film, processing, and transfers). My point? You will be getting a superb value (build quality is just as good as Canon or Nikon, and with many more features) when it comes to quality, ease-of-use, and features if you choose to invest in this Minolta movie camera.
Again, this auction includes a film-tested and working Minolta XL-401. These are fantastic movie cameras, and why I've purchased quite a few of these over the years when I have the opportunity. They've been very useful to me in various projects - they're fantastic for on-the-go shooting as well as in more controlled situations. The intervalometer feature is awesome - everybody who has used my XL 401 cameras has loved how easily they are to set up. Pop it on a tripod, switch exposure to Auto, frame your shot, choose the intervalometer variance (that is the time between frames, which ranges from one frame every 1/2 second to one frame every 60 seconds), close viewer (to prevent light leakage - switch on top of camera) and it's done. Great for recording things like chess, sports, setting up camp, recording a climb, family gatherings/dinners, etc.
I'll start the bidding at a
low 9 with NO RESERVE!
There are sellers on eBay that have these cameras listed for 0 or more (and in peak sales seasons - summer - I've sold them for as much as 5), so this is an excellent price/value to start at. If you are in a hurry to make a purchase to use the camera on vacation, an upcoming film class project or production I'll post with a Buy it Now of 9. (NOTE: once first bid is placed the BIN option is no longer available)
S&H will be .99 to the contiguous US. If you live in Alaska, Hawaii, please contact me prior to bidding for a more accurate shipping quote. Or, if buying from Canada or other countries that I ship to, please refer to eBay's Global Shipping program.
I have been on eBay since 2000 and have 100% feedback rating
, so bid with confidence! I'm in the U.S. (west of Chicago). I was a film student at Columbia a couple of decades ago and film is still a hobby of mine. Am I THE authority/expert about super-8 and/or 16mm? No, but I have used quite a few of these cameras, and have a decent working knowledge. And again - I have lubricated internal components as well as cleaned lenses/viewfinder.
If you have any questions, please ask. I will respond ASAP.
That said, there is
no warranty, express or implied. What I do guarantee is that camera will arrive in condition as described in auction.
Beyond that, the camera may function for 8 months, 5 years or 4 more decades (I would think the latter, as long as it is well cared for). I would never sell a camera that I would not want to receive myself! Eventually, I will be selling some non-functional "parts/project" cameras, but those will be explicitly labelled as such. If I say a camera is in very good condition and fully functional, it is. Again, this XL-401 is beautiful and in all around excellent working order...
Thanks for your interest - good luck, and happy bidding!