As you well know Mike, 'sharpness' is an ancient myth in all film based mediums, and an element in the alter-ego of all super8 shooters...a dirty little secret, an impulse that drives many on their quest for the holy grail of cameras...and even cameras with expensive prime lenses, a habit, an addiction that needs to be fed...
Ignoring the good advice (even their own advice) to buy the cheapest, lesser known cameras they begin their journey.....the camera collection steadily grows. They post pictures of all their experiments on forums, begin discussions like this one, maybe even put together a website discussing the pros and cons of various models. But despite what they say in public, at home, with the lights off and the projector running, all those ebay super8 purchases are feeding nothing but disappointment. And thats when they start to dabble with the dark side.
It starts with 'normal 8'. Doesn't sound that dangerous does it? Soon the collection is expanding in a new direction...things are getting sharper, its all becoming clearer...scouring ebay for all those rare H8 primes. But the quest continues, and soon, we've entered the strange world of Double super8. Our hero might have a pang or two of guilt here, realising that they've now bought a 16mm camera in all but name. And this is where they are suddenly struck by a moment of incredible clarity, a sharply focused zen realisation. The answer lies in the East.
They do not renounce their former words. There is no need now to change their name or appearance. What matters now, is the clarity, the sharpness of it all. Rejecting the false gods of the other formats and the profanity of prime lenses, they begin to follow a simple life. Indeed, a Single life. A simple philosophy, little known outside its native Japan, this is the true creed, the righteous path. And so, the homage begins, to that holiest of places.
The towering moutain that is Fuji.
Hope this helps,
Fogo
