Super 8 Film Cameras

[aureliaaurita]

I really want to buy one for my fiance for christmas as he has hankered after one for a long long time, problem being I don't know anything about them?

what make / model should I go for?

where can I buy film? how on earth do you process it?

help!

 

[emraphoto]

canon 814xls or 1014.

depending on where you are check out kodaks site for dealers in your area or contact them direct as they still sell super 8 and are usually the better option $ wise. they deliver it within a day or two.

most major cities have "video transfer" places that will develop and transfer to dv where you can then load into final cut or whatever you use.

if you want sound try a decent field recorder like the zoom h2 ($200'ish) or edirol r-o9 ($400'ish). you can then sync up in your editing.

 

[emraphoto]

http://www.retrothing.com/2005/11/canons_best_sup.html

 

[aureliaaurita]

thank you 🙂

no sound not important.

 

[emraphoto]

You should be able to fetch a very nice 814 for about $300-350. Don't pay too much more than that.

It's a brilliant camera. I own a couple and highly recommend it.

 

[RayPA]

I have a Canon 1014 xls. Wonderful camera. I haven't used it in years, but it does just about everything you would want from a S8 camera.


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[sooner]

I'm pretty sure Dwayne's Photo in Parsons, KS processes the film, so you can always send it straight there. I also know there is a company that makes a brand new Super 8 movie camera, but can't remember the name. Sorry.

 

[emraphoto]

http://www.ikonoskop.com/a-cam-sp16/

these were the folks working on it.

 

[Steve Bellayr]

Bolex! They look exactly like the 16mm Bolex but smaller. Do a lot of research as some cameras need special batteries or upgrades for the meter. Film is still available but processing and then the projectors/screens add additional cost.

 

[sevo]

The H16 lookalike H8 is Double-8. Paillard (Bolex) essentially failed to jump the Super 8 bandwagon - the rare few Super 8 cameras they made look very fancy in a futuristic James Bond super weapon style, and tend to be priced for design rather than their practical value. Eumig (who bought what was left of them) later used the trade mark Bolex for various plain Super 8 cameras made by Eumig or Bell&Howell/Osawa. Besides that, there also are Double Super 8 versions of the H8 and B8 - fairly recent after-market conversions, usually by Bolex International (their former professional division which survived on a small scale and is servicing and modifying Bolex cameras even today). Double Super-8 needs very special film stock which you'll usually get in bulk and must reload/respool yourself - probably nothing for the casual user.

Beaulieu was the only European camera maker who successfully updated their pro Double-8 cameras to Super-8 (the others either dropped their pro lines or went bankrupt), and had a line of very serious cameras with C-mount (usually with Angenieux or Schneider lenses). The only other camera in the Beaulieu 5008 and up class is the Fujica ZC1000, C-mount as well, but Single-8 (with a superior film path and gate, but restricted to film only processed in Japan).

Sevo

 

[rovnguy]

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go for the Bolex.

 

[Paul T.]

NO! As pointed out, the Bolex is hopelessly impractical in 8mm format.

I've had great results with a CHinon 672 autozoom. THey're dirt cheap, take normal AA batteries for the motor, you stack readily available batteries for the meter, have one collar for zoom and one for focusing, reasonably fast lens. Super 8s like this are so cheap in thrift stores you can simply buy another one if it breaks. But for these you need the original K40 film.

The most reliable ong-term option, for the now standard K64, is something like the Zeiss GS8, Zeiss MS8, or the Nikon Super 8X Zoom. Apparently the best place to buy these is on eBay Germany.

I use an Agfa desktop projector, bought off eBay, which is compact and has storage for the extra rolls.

 

[capitalK]

I picked up a Bolex B8 today for $15. Sounds like it needs a little oil but other than that it looks perfect. I can buy the film and process it at Dwayne's so I might order a few reels of Ektachrome when I ship of my next Kodachrome's to be processed.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Most of the Super-8 cameras from 1967 or so have ASA detection in them. My 1967 Canon 814 can take Ektachrome 160 cartridges, and goes up to ASA 250. They were thinking ahead. If you gave any GAF 500 cartridges, you can use it on Manual exposure.

A had a Bolex regular 8mm movie camera. I gave it to my brother over 30 years ago. We did a lot of stop-frame animation with it.

You can spend a lot of money on a 30 year old Super-8 camera. A Nikon R-10 can go for $500. My Yashica SU-600 cost $5 in a thrift store. I like it. It's like the Yashica SU-60e that I used to do the Football game films for my High-School. I wore it out.

 

[David Murphy]

Lots of good ones around. Look for the later high-end Japanese models like Sankyo that have manual override for exposure - there exist new-old-stock versions. The Beaulieu, Elmo, Minolta, Canon, and Nikon higher end models are also great. Super 8 and regular 8 film and processing are still available (even at Walmart for processing). It's a great medium if one takes a serious approach.

 

[rolleistef]

Wow you still can process regular 8 in the US! Nearly impossible in France, and it costs about 30€ all inclusive to use a 100ft cartidge...

 

[sevo]

Wow you still can process regular 8 in the US! Nearly impossible in France, and it costs about 30€ all inclusive to use a 100ft cartidge...

That is not really expensive. You save a bit by directly buying film at Wittner and having it processed by Andec, but not really that much - most companies offering a 8mm service in Europe do the same, and neither Wittner not Andec will undercut their partners/resellers on small volumes. But if you do full length feature films on a H8, you could get better deals from them...

Sevo

 

[kubilai]

Thanks

Thanks

Very interesting.
No rangefinder domain, but I am glad to follow this forum, which concentrate so much expertise and various experiences.

 

[EcoLeica]

it really depends on your budget and what you are planning on doing. The canons mentioned above are great but they can be quiet pricey. My suggestion and one that is popular with other super 8 cine fans is the Nizo cameras. They are very well built, have a nice sharp lens and are fairly easy and compact to use. To get the best results i would suggest trying to find one of 800 or 801 models...they offer a good range of frame rates, variable shutter and aperture. The only main problem is that the meter takes older mercury batteries, you could always find some adaptors or just meter externally

I have found this site to be extremely helpful
http://www.super8camera-shop.com/shop/

 

[Sonnar Brian]

It's amazing how much some of these Super-8 cameras go for. For a while, the thrift stores were full of them.

So I'm thinking $20 at the thrift store for a Canon 814 was pretty good. I also bought a Super-8 sound camera, GAF 8xx something. Used it for a longtime. Oddly enough, it did not do 24FPS. But my sound projector does both speeds. It was $1 at a yard sale. My original Eumig S-8 sound projector died.