Last Updated 00/01/27 1000 PST


Nizo S560 "Manual"
by Martin W. Baumgarten

---> With the following details, you should be able to operate most 
functions of your wonderful NIZO S-560 Super 8mm motion picture 
camera....it's the best I can offer you...as I haven't been able to 
locate a manual anywhere either.

Braun-NIZO S-560 Super 8mm cartridge loading camera:
model years:  1972-1974 (replaced in late 1974 by the S-561)

Your model, the S-560 has an 7mm - 56mm F/1.8 two-speed power zoom lens 
which is non-macro....minimum focusing distance is about 5ft.  

The other FEATURES are:
(1).  2-speed power zoom, touch two top front mounted zoom buttons 
lightly and you get the low speed...depress them firmer and you get the 
higher speed. (2).  Smooth manual zoom, to switch to manual zoom, turn 
the black front knurled ring at the base of the lens where it meets the 
camera to the "0" position or "Man" position (might be marked either 
depending on vintage of camera).  The zoom gearing disengages and 
allows a nice smooth manual zoom. (3).  VIEWFINDER DISPLAY:
  a.  Aperture scale in viewfinder with over and under RED warning 
zones.  You have to tilt your eye to see the aperture display.....it is 
almost impossible to see the aperture display and the viewed image 
since they are on different planes.  This was changed to a simpler 
direct viewing on the replacement S-561 model in late 1974.
  b.  The F/8 to F/16 range is also a battery check indicator.  To 
check the batteries....depress the slide switch on the side of the 
camera to the battery check side and observe the needle.  It should 
deflect to as least F/8...if not...replace the batteries or recharge 
them (if using NiCads).   The Aperture settings can be set manually by 
turning the chrome aperture control ring off the AUTO setting and 
observing the needle in the viewfinder allowing it to come to rest at 
the setting you desire.  In the center of the aperture setting knob is 
a tiny black button....this is for checking the light meter batteries 
(which are housed separate from the motor batteries in a tiny chamber 
on the bottom of the camera; have to move the folding pistol grip out 
of the way and use a nickel coin to unscrew the compartment lid).  When 
depressed momentarily, the needle will deflect to at least F/8 if the 
batteries are okay;  make sure you turn the camera's power switch to ON 
first...by sliding it over...or the meter batteries won't power up for 
the test.    c.  Film movement indicator:  This is a red light at 
either the top or bottom of the viewfinder that will glow steady if 
film is not moving (competed cartridge or film jam), or will flicker at 
a steady rate relative to the running speed set if film is advancing 
correctly.

(4).  The CONTROL SIDE of the camera (the left side as you are holding 
it) has all the main knobs on it. These are:   
  a.  Auto and manual aperture setting with meter battery test button.  
b.  Intervalometer timer knob with range of zero, 1 frame every second 
down to 1 frame every minute.  Camera trigger has to be held in, or use 
cable release, or use manual run lock switch on right side of camera 
(RED sliding knob).
  c.  Main POWER switch, with OFF in center position, other two 
positions are BATTER CHECK (ONLY tests motor batteries), and ON 
position.   d.  Footage counter (counts in feet and meters amount of 
film used)  Resets to Zero when cartridge is removed...so if you remove 
an unfinished cartridge to switch to a different film type....mark down 
how much footage is remaining BEFORE you remove the cartridge..then 
write that figure down on the cartridge label...so you can keep track 
next time you use that cartridge again.   e.  Red sliding VARIABLE 
SHUTTER LEVER:  When forward....shutter is fully open, when you slide 
it slowly backwards the shutter slowly closes and will effect a 
FADE-OUT.  If you hold it all the way back, then begin filming 
and slowly release it to the front it will effect a FADE-IN.   By 
moving it to the middle position (half darkened circle setting) and 
then pulling it down so it locks into a small detent....you can lock 
the shutter in the half closed setting, which increases the shutter 
speed per frame by a factor of two, and will open the lens up if set to 
AUTO exposure by 1-Stop.  Useful for smoother fast action, or if you 
desire less depth-of-field etc.  By depressing a small black button at 
the end of the fadeout range....you can move the lever into that 
position and then release that button, and it will hold the lever in 
that position.  This will LOCK the SHUTTER FULLY OPEN.   By doing 
this...you can make a timed exposure longer than normal per frame.  By 
using the time lapse intervalometer, you can time the exposure per 
frame from 1/10th second down to ONE MINUTE PER FRAME!   This means you 
can film under a full moon with Kodachrome...believe it or 
not....however....when doing this...you have to use a separate handheld 
light meter to determine your correct exposure, also you'll have to 
lock the run lock switch or use a cable release so the camera 
stays running continously for the duration of your long exposure 
filming session, and you'll want to use a tripod of course.  Using 
this....you can film highways at night...and get those nice long 
colorful streaks from the car lights coming and going like in TV 
commercials etc.   f.  RUNNING RATE KNOB:  This sets the camera's 
running speed to single frame, 18fps or 24fps.  By depressing the 
center marked "54" button while operating the camera, it will go into 
instant slow motion at 54fps, and the light meter will compensate 
automatically as well.   g.  Power socket for operation with 9 volt 
external power pack.

(5).   RIGHT CAMERA SIDE:   is the secondary control side of the camera 
with the following features:
  a:  PILOTONE PULSE-SYNCH TERMINAL:....a DIN socket which will output 
both Pilotone one pulse per every fourth frame or one pulse per frame 
with a builtin pulsesynch generator that will record a signal on a 
corresponding tape recorder....requires the synch plug unit which is 
rare now to locate.    b.  ELECTRIC RELEASE SOCKET:  By using a mini or 
micro jack connected to a lead with a simple on-off switch you can use 
this electrical method of operating the camera (requires the camera to 
be switched on, and set into the RUN-LOCK mode...or trigger-set with a 
locked cable release).   c.  CABLE RELEASE SOCKET:   Allows use of a 
conventional cable release for mechanical release operation of the 
camera for either continous, locked set for timed filming, or single 
frame release mode.   d.  PC FLASH CONTACT:  This allows connection of 
a conventional electronic flash for single frame filming of art work or 
animation etc.  It can also be used in conjunction with a pulse-synch 
generator to gain a reference rate of the camera's running speed used 
for cable-synch double system sound filmmaking.   e.  RUN LOCK LEVER 
(RED):  when moved forward it will trigger the camera mechanically and 
leave it running continously until it is set back again.

TOP OF CAMERA:
(1).   Front: two zoom buttons which are dual speed depending on whether
depressed lightly or firmly.
(2).  Rear:  Round black button with an "R" on it.  This is the lap 
dissolve button.  When filming, if you depress this button, it will 
automatically run a fadeout using the variable shutter (done 
internally), and then allow the camera to rewind the film to the first 
frame at which the fadeout began.  To commence the second part of the 
lap dissolve, you just begin filming and the camera will automatically 
fadein for you.  The lap dissolve system in mechanically interlocked 
with the variable shutter, so you can only do lap dissolves, 
not superimpositions (double-exposures).  The frame fadein/out rate 
using the lap dissolve is 64 frames (approximately 4 seconds at 18fps 
or 3 seconds at 24fps).

BACK OF CAMERA:
(1).  Adjustable diopter viewfinder with split-image rangefinder.   To 
set correctly, exactly measure a distance of 10ft from a wall to the 
camera set on a tripod with the lens set at 10ft.  Tape some newsprint 
or material on the wall for clarity.  Measure from the wall to the 
focal plane on the camera (small film plane symbol;  a circle with a 
line thru it on the right side of the camera) using a measuring tape 
for accuracy.  Adjust viewfinder diopter control until image is clear 
and the split-image rangefinder is evenly matched.  Depending on your 
eyesight.....you'll have to meet a slight compromise on clarity verus 
the rangefinder halves being lined up. (2).  Cartridge loading door.  
Move small lever downward and cartridge door will swing downward 
allowing you to load or unload the film.  The cartridge will 
automatically index the light meter to the filmspeed.  The metering 
system is indexed by the cartridge meter indexing notch...and is from a 
range of ASA 25 to ASA 400.

BOTTOM OF CAMERA:
(1).  Under the swing away pistol grip is the meter battery chamber 
(2-PX13 cells for the light meter)
(2).  Pointed chrome electrical contacts for the battery chamber box.  
Camera will only work with pistol grip in the closed position or 
there's no battery contact.
(3).   Tripod socket (1/4inch whitworth standard 20 thread pitch socket)

---> I hope these instructions from my aging memory can help you out.
Best wishes,
Martin W. Baumgarten

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