Ricoh Super 8 800Z Troubleshooting

Camera will not zoom in or out using the zoom buttons on top of the camera.

Look at the manual frame ring at the front of the camera and look for the metal knob. If it is at the top, turn the ring counterclockwise. If the knob is at the side, turn it clockwise.

If the zoom buttons at the top of the camera don’t work, but the manual zoom works, there is probably something wrong with the magnification control motor and it will need to be replaced.

The camera will not capture anything on film when pressing the record

Check to see if the camera has batteries for the film drive. The film drive battery compartment is in the foldable handle at the bottom of the camera. The Super 8 requires 4 AA batteries. Once the batteries are in place, turn the camera on by turning the dial on the left side of the camera.

Ensure the batteries fit properly in their compartment with the positive and negative polarities pointing in the correct directions.

You can test the charge of the film drive batteries by pressing the button labeled “motor” at the rear of the camera. If the needle on the battery indicator points to the red, replace the batteries and retest.

Test the charge of the Electric Eye Battery by pressing the “meter” button at the rear of the camera. If the needle on the indicator points to the red, the electric eye battery needs to be replaced.

If you notice that the film is not rolling properly, and your videos are going faster than normal,  you might have a stiff film cartridge.

The film motor could be faulty and needs to be replaced. With no film in the camera, and the camera on, turn the filming speed dial and listen to how the camera sounds as you change filming speeds. Our guide will demonstrate how to remove and replace this motor with a new one.

The film cartridge may have stiff reels causing the film not to move properly. This can be fixed by turning to the blank side of the film cartridge (the side without the film label), and turning the cartridge spindle in the clockwise direction a few times.

The pull-down claw that feeds the film through the camera may be faulty. The camera will need to be opened up to see if the pull-down claw is the issue and will need to be replaced.

When looking through the viewfinder, the image is distorted.

While looking through the viewfinder, try turning the focus ring and see if the image clears.

Use lens-cleaning wipes to clear the lens of smudges or debris.

If there is a crack, or the lens is shattered, the lens will have to be replaced.

The eyepiece adjuster does not spin or does not alter the view.

If the adjuster does not spin smoothly, it might need to be cleaned or cleared of debris. The best way to do this is by removing the rubber covering over the eyepiece, followed by the three screws holding the adjuster in place. Lift the adjuster slightly out of its socket and spray compressed air in the socket to clear debris.

If the adjuster spins freely, but the view does not change, there adjuster is probably faulty. It will need to be replaced.