kind hearts willing to help?

[Guest]

helloooo, i have a boyfriend who is an aspiring filmmaker and we're going on our 2nd cross country road trip in a few weeks and he's mentioned wanting to get a silent 8mm camera to capture our journey. so i'm looking to buy him one, he doesn't know too much about the topic either so hinting to him to tell me what sort he'd like wouldn't do much good.

what i actually need to know are specific suggestions on brands, i've been looking on ebay but can't tell the difference between any of them :\ also, does one have to get the film developed? how readily available is the film and is either the film or developing very expensive?

thanks to any charitable help yall can give.

sarah

[feelthisname]

i'm not sure why it did not post my username but if anyone would like to email instead of reply in here, it's feelthisname77@hotmail.com

thanks

[Paul L.]

These are my recommendations:

1. Shoot "super8" film, not 8mm film. It will be easier for him to handle, both film and camera-wise.

2. Look for a super8 camera that uses AA batteries and has a 24 frame per second setting.

3. The camera needs to be clean and in good working condition.

4. He should definitely do some reading before attempting to film anything. Understanding how to use his camera is vital. Film is expensive, unlike video. Each roll (2.5 minutes) will cost him between $12-$20 to buy and process. It would be a horror to come home and discover that his footage is out of focus or has a brown tint because the filter was used improperly.

5. Make sure he adjusts the eyepiece to his own eyes or his footage will be out of focus!

6. USE A TRIPOD!

7. Check out this camera on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 1367009574
The guy selling this camera is totally legit and a good guy who would be willing to help you out. This is a quality camera... I regularly use this camera's "big brother", the 1012, all the time.


There are many knowledgeable people here that can answer questions, but he would definitely be wise to check out a FAQ or some sort of beginner's tutorial to learn the basics... good luck!

[feelthisname]

thank you very much paul, i'll keep all those things in mind. that helps a great deal

much appreciated.

sarah

[filmbuff]

I agree with Paul, Super 8 is the way to go with its quick and easy loading.

I would say that you may prefer to shoot at 18 fps so that you get more time (3 min 20 sec) per cartridge. The most important thing is you have to get the camera shoot and develop a test roll first to make sure it works. I would hate to see a whole trip worth of film wasted.

You also did not mention your budget for a camera.

If you want just a small point and shoot camera, I actually have a camera I just picked up (Bell & Howell 376), Since I have others and won't use it you can have it for $2.00 + shipping. It runs and I see the aperture opening/closing to changing light. Its very small and runs on 4 AAA batteries. I would just test it out with film before you go on the trip.

[feelthisname]

wow thanks that'd be great, what kind of film would i need to get for it? i have a few weeks before he comes out... how long does it take to get the film developed?

[jessh]

wow thanks that'd be great, what kind of film would i need to get for it?

Super 8 film cartridges, K40 is the most popular and cheapest(atleast when you take developing into acount), only drawback is unless you have high powered lights (Such as a couple 500watt+ lights) you can really only use it during the day either outside or in an area that has plenty of sunlight comming in. Ektachrome and Tri-X are good when you have less light, but still require a decent amount. Ektachrome is disliked by some because of the fact that it is very grainy, but can still be a good stock for some things, Tri-X is Black and White and granier than K40 (or PlusX which is the K40 equivilent B&W)
you can check out and buy film at http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/store/c ... CATID=6147
if you are a student you can get a 20% discount on the film by calling Kodak to order it and sending them a copy of your student ID, you can also get K40 w/processing form them for a really good deal, again requires calling them but saves you a bunch of money on processing, you can find the number in some older posts, or if you cant find it I will look it up for you.

i have a few weeks before he comes out... how long does it take to get the film developed?

Kodak processing suposadly takes about 2 weeks, you can get K40 processed much faster using Dwaynes (http://www.k14movies.com I think) They will have it processed and mailed back same day if they get it by 8am, or next day if recieved later.

hope that was of some help.
just curious, where are you located?

~Jess