The Super 8 look!
Super 8 is a dancing screenful of grain, and many film ideas thrive especially well on this canvas. It wobbles slightly, flickers somewhat and is always unpredictable. With Super 8, you never know exactly what to expect. It holds mystery and ambiance deep into the corners - like life itself. Super 8 has something that video cannot offer: a grainy stage for life's stories.
Super 8 is in the headlines - because of the motion picture from J. J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg. It was invented in 1964. New cameras were available until 1985 and the cameras you find today still purr. You can buy fresh film - over 30 different kinds. Show your films on a projector or get digital transfers to show your Super 8 movies on any computer or video projector with the feel of a real motion picture.
Want to shoot Super 8 but wonder how it works? We can explain everything.
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Scrounge a camera!
A.
Ask your father or grandparents! Maybe they have an old Super 8 camera hidden in a closet, since millions of these cameras were sold. Place some new batteries in your newly discovered camera and check if it works. Yes? Problem solved!
B.
Take a look at internet auction sites like eBay. There are masses of cheap high end cameras.
Here are some links:
C.
There are some internet dealers who test and fix up used cameras - the higher price is the result of maintance, but they offer a guarantee and you won't be disappointed.
super8camera-shop.com
super8film.at
widescreen-centre.co.uk
filmcam.co.uk
theoldfilmcompany.com
leescameras.demon.co.uk
super8france.com
super8ireland.com
super8.to.it
www2.odn.ne.jp/camera-seikatu
retro8.com
parallaxe.nl
fotohandeldelfsvaen.nl
super8.si
spectrafilmandvideo.com
pro8mm.com
chamblesscineequip.com
D.
Check out fleamarkets. In bigger cities you can find retailers selling used Super 8 cameras - often near rail stations.
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Grab some film!
For beginners, Kodak Ektachrome 100D is the best choice. This film has great colours, average speed and is affordable. It is a reversal film, so after developing you can show it immediately on your projector or you can send it to be scanned. One important factoid: set the filter switch of your camera to the light bulb icon when filming outside -- the reverse of what you'd expect. Why? In the past, films were only made for artificial light. Filters had to be used in daylight. Today we have many kinds of daylight films which are marked D for daylight.
Films are available at these links:
France
colorcity.fr
super8france.com
Germany & International
andecfilm.de
wittner-cinetec.de
Great Britain
widescreen-centre.co.uk
lightbreeze.co.uk
Japan
retro8.com
Netherlands
super8.nl
USA & International
spectrafilmandvideo.com
pro8mm.com
More about Super 8 film stocks:
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Expose it!
Now you can shoot your film. Every cartridge has 3 minutes and 20 seconds of material. It will go further than you expect if you carefully plan your shots in advance. And you'll have to when shooting Super 8! After filming there are many possibilities for developing and transfer.
After processing, you have two options: watch the film on a projector or viewer, or send it away for transfer. Once you have a digital file you can watch your film on the computer and start editing. Many labs offer one step processing and transfer.
Europe
andecfilm.de >entwicklung
super8.nl
Great Britain
lightbreeze.co.uk
France
colorcity.fr
Italy
movieandsound.it
Spain
reveladoreversible.webs.com
Japan
retro8.com
USA & International
spectrafilmandvideo.com
pro8mm.com
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Where can I get gear fixed?
See our list of repair shops from all over the world
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Where can I find more info?
SUPER 8 is the new film handbook for the digital age - with concise instructions for Super 8 film beginners. How is film different than video? How do I find the right camera? What film stocks are available today? (there are more than 30 types) Where and how is it developed? Can I do it myself? What digital scanners are available for Super 8? How do I edit film on my computer and take advantage of possibilities such as image stabilization, colour correction, and film improvement with Avisynth? How do I work with wet and tape splicers? What projectors are most efficient? Which competitions can I submit my film to? What do I need to I know about the history of film formats such as 9.5 mm, 16 mm, 8 mm, Super 8, Double Super 8 and Single-8?
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More essential movie camera info!
A. Impractical monsters
Avoid heavy, bulky cameras which weigh more than 1.3 kilos with film and batteries. The early, unwieldy sound film clunkers from Bauer, Beaulieu (5008), Bolex, Chinon, Copal, Cosina, Elmo, Kodak, Noris, Porst, Revue, Rollei, Sankyo and Yashica are definitely not recommended.
Ignore all cameras which have a fat autofocus unit attached to the lens. These barely worked when they were new, let alone today. Most of these models include “AF” in their name. Bolex, Canon, Chinon, Elmo, Fuji and Sankyo all made these bizarre contraptions.
Unfortunately, there is a series of cameras which were designed only for filming with discontinued ASA-40 tungsten balanced film:
Agfa Microflex Sensor, Agfa Microflex 100 Sensor, Astral T2 Electric Eye, Eumig Mini, Halina Super Eight, Voyageur Super 8
Some especially primitive cameras did not even include an exposure meter: Boots Comet 121, Boots Comet S8, Mupi Zeta 1, Muplex MR 3, Universa Junior
Avoid Non-TTL exposure meters mounted above the lens that do not take the film speed notch into consideration:
Argus 802, Argus 822T, Bentley B-3, Bentley BX-720, Bolex 233 Compact (S), Braun Zoom Reflex S8, Elmo Super 103(T) and 204(T), Eumig Mini Zoom Reflex 2, Hanimex MZ 200, all Kodak Instamatic Models, Nizo S 40, S 48, S 48-2, S 56, S 560, S 8 E/L/T, S 80, S 800, Silma 3Z and 4Z
B. Help, too many knobs!
Follow these links to find operating instructions for your camera: