Question

Forum covering all aspects of small gauge cinematography! This is the main discussion forum.

Moderator: Andreas Wideroe

User avatar
beamascope
Posts: 156
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2011 7:47 pm
Real name: Jim Gibbons
Location: Oklahoma City, OK.
Contact:

Question

Post by beamascope »

A buddy of mine says he sent me a link about a camera that shot 8mm as well as Super 8 film. I know the extreme difference in these formats and any camera that did this would require a place for a super 8 cartridge as well as a separate place for a double 8mm roll in order to pull this off. I have no memory of the link he claims to have sent but if this actually existed I figure somebody here would know.

HIT ME WITH YOUR KNOWLEDGE! :D
carllooper
Senior member
Posts: 1206
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2010 1:00 am
Real name: Carl Looper
Contact:

Re: Question

Post by carllooper »

Hmmm.

You sure your friend isnt talking about a projector? Some people refer to projectors as cameras.

Doesn't sound right. There is hardly any mechanisms the two formats could share in common.

It would have to be some sort of rig in which you could interchange transport systems. Effectively a lens in which the bodys were interchangeable. Which is conceptually equivalent to two bodies between which you could interchange lenses.

Hmmm.
Carl Looper
http://artistfilmworkshop.org/
User avatar
beamascope
Posts: 156
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2011 7:47 pm
Real name: Jim Gibbons
Location: Oklahoma City, OK.
Contact:

Re: Question

Post by beamascope »

I know what you mean. Sounds insane and pointless. There was that Wittenuaer (spelling?) gizmo that was a camera and projector. This guy knows his stuff pretty good but I still think he's confused. I'll shoot him an email and see if he remembers.
nickrapak
Posts: 81
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 12:51 am
Real name: Nicholas Rapak
Contact:

Re: Question

Post by nickrapak »

Such a camera did exist. It was called the Elmo C-300 Tri-filmatic, and it took Double-8, Super-8 and Single-8. Later, Elmo made it compatible with DS8, making it in essence a "quad-filmatic." It achieved this by using separate backs for each film format, which (I assume) led to different pulldown claws and gears being engaged.
User avatar
BAC
Posts: 355
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2010 5:27 pm
Real name: Bryan Chernick
Location: Bothell, WA
Contact:

Re: Question

Post by BAC »

There's one on ebay right now:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ELMO-C-300-Movie-Ca ... 4aa905432d

It looks like it uses magazines for each format.

It has been talked about on this forum as well:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=19942

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8290

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1349
carllooper
Senior member
Posts: 1206
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2010 1:00 am
Real name: Carl Looper
Contact:

Re: Question

Post by carllooper »

Well there you go - never say never. :)
Carl Looper
http://artistfilmworkshop.org/
User avatar
beamascope
Posts: 156
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2011 7:47 pm
Real name: Jim Gibbons
Location: Oklahoma City, OK.
Contact:

Re: Question

Post by beamascope »

Very cool...Not $199 cool but cool indeed. Thanks
john59
Posts: 160
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2010 7:40 pm
Real name: John Almond
Location: Wigan, England
Contact:

Re: Question

Post by john59 »

User avatar
BAC
Posts: 355
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2010 5:27 pm
Real name: Bryan Chernick
Location: Bothell, WA
Contact:

Re: Question

Post by BAC »

john59 wrote:http://home.pacbell.net/mnyberg/super8mm/super8_31.html

must admit, ive not seen one before
It sounds like you have to load your Double 8mm film into a cartridge that came with the camera rather than using something like the Kodak 8mm magazine cartridge. I wonder if you have to flip your reels in the cartridge or can you just flip the cartridge over and re-insert it.
User avatar
Mana
Posts: 293
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2003 9:27 am
Real name: Todd Pinder
Location: Honolulu
Contact:

Re: Question

Post by Mana »

You just flip the magazine over to expose the other half. Pretty niffty.
R8: Bolex B8

S8: Beaulieu 7008 Pro, Beaulieu 4008zm2 "Jubilee", Leicina Special, Eumig Nautica (24fps)

DS8: Bolex H8 Rex4

S16: Bolex Rex4
einzelhaft83
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 4:20 am
Real name: Robert Rodriguez
Location: Oregon, U.S.
Contact:

Re: Question

Post by einzelhaft83 »

I believe there was also a dedicated reg 8 made by Sekonik....? The part that held the reels would just be flipped at the end of one side. Always wanted to try one.

How would one know when to flip the reels, just by looking at the footage meter? Seems like that would not be too accurate.
User avatar
BAC
Posts: 355
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2010 5:27 pm
Real name: Bryan Chernick
Location: Bothell, WA
Contact:

Re: Question

Post by BAC »

einzelhaft83 wrote:I believe there was also a dedicated reg 8 made by Sekonik....? The part that held the reels would just be flipped at the end of one side. Always wanted to try one.

How would one know when to flip the reels, just by looking at the footage meter? Seems like that would not be too accurate.
I have one, it's the Sekonic Dualmatic Zoom. When the counter gets to 25' it stops automatically. You then flip it to continue and the counter continues up to 50'. It's a nice well built camera but I have not shot any film with it yet.
super8man
Senior member
Posts: 3980
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2003 11:51 pm
Real name: Michael Nyberg
Location: The Golden State
Contact:

Re: Question

Post by super8man »

I had both of those cameras. Very bulky at the best of times. But still very cool in application/concept and the fact they were marketed to the masses.

Currently, I like the Agfa Movex 8mm camera that has the faux-magazines that you load with 8mm film and then the camera stops to allow you to flip the cart and continue shooting. The problem is I a prefer to shoot the entire reel and really enjoy those fantastic red, orange, and yellow transitions as the light slowly exposes the tails of the regular 8 film. Nothing can mimic that.
My website - check it out...
http://super8man.filmshooting.com/
User avatar
Charlie Blackfield
Posts: 178
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:09 pm
Real name: Klaus Huber
Location: Bradford-on-Avon / UK
Contact:

Re: Question

Post by Charlie Blackfield »

super8man wrote:The problem is I a prefer to shoot the entire reel and really enjoy those fantastic red, orange, and yellow transitions as the light slowly exposes the tails of the regular 8 film. Nothing can mimic that.
I'm with you on this one. It sometimes gives some nice effects. You can also get amazing stuff on black and white Standard 8 film. My favourite is a scene where I filmed a friend of mine walking away from the camera, just as the film reel made the transition from main reel to (inevitably light-spilled) film leader (or rather trailer). While he's walking away from the camera, he and the rest of the picture gradually dissolve into massive white. If I had tried to do this effect deliberately, I'm sure it wouldn't have worked out anywhere near as well.

Charlie
User avatar
beamascope
Posts: 156
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2011 7:47 pm
Real name: Jim Gibbons
Location: Oklahoma City, OK.
Contact:

Re: Question

Post by beamascope »

http://www.hi-beam.net/hi-beam/middle6feet.html

Here is a link about the "middle 6 feet" of 8mm.
Post Reply