8mm Forum: A really professional S-8 camera???

This is topic A really professional S-8 camera??? in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Yanis Tzortzis (Member # 434) on December 02, 2009, 07:28 PM:

Saw this yesterday on ebay Germany: an old DS-8 Pathe dating back to 1974 maybe? Love the design! Also watch the lens. As the description says, it takes 120m of 16mm film with S-8 perf, thus offering 2*20' in 24 fps shooting time;never seen this on S-8!!!
Made me wish I was around then, although I wouldn't possibly afford it-still its price is very high [Frown]

....Does anyone know if there was indeed such film around in the'70s, & who manufactured it? Am I right to imagine the project was a disaster?

http://cgi.ebay.de /Pathe-DS8-Doppel-Super-8-Filmkamera-Objektiv-3207-8-9_W0QQitemZ230406085285QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilmkameras_projektoren?hash=item35a545daa5

Posted by Claus Harding (Member # 702) on December 02, 2009, 08:14 PM:

Yanis,
Thanks for bringing that one up; I had almost completely forgotten about DS-8 [Smile]

16mm film with Super-8 perfs, Super-8 gate in camera, run roll through, then re-load magazine and run the other "half."
Lab slits film down the middle, and there you go: a long run of S-8 footage, shot on what amounts to a 16mm transport with good lenses. I seem to recall you could get the Canon Scoopic with this option as well.
Kodak made (and stopped making) 16mm film with the smaller S-8 perfs. If the website is up to date, Spectra in Hollywood has DS-8 film in 100 and 400-ft. loads ($185 plus developing for 400ft) so it can still be done.

Another great idea that unfortunately never took off.

Claus.

Posted by Fabrizio Mosca (Member # 142) on December 03, 2009, 03:40 AM:

I have the spring driven model, dated 1972, and it has been serviced last year near Cremona by a collector that is a guru on pathe cameras. Last time I used it was last year at a Comic Convention in Lucca with a Kodak 100D (sold by Wittner)... I love shooting with this camera, it seems you're working with 16mm (and I also shoot with an arri, so I know what it means [Razz]

)

I don't know if the 120mt magazine was popular or not, I've seen it rarely on ebay.

Posted by Joerg Polzfusz (Member # 602) on December 03, 2009, 05:19 AM:

quote:
16mm film with S-8 perf

That format is called "Double Super 8" (or "DS8"). Back in the 70s/80s DS8-filmstock was at least produced by Kodak, Foma, Orwo and Svema.
New DS8-stock is still available from Kodak, Foma and several companies that apply the DS8-perforation to unperforated 16mm-filmstock from Kodak, Fuji, ... , e.g.:
http://wittner-cinetec.com/katalog/04_filmm/d8_filmm.php#5120
http://www.kahlfilm.de/content.php?nav=19
http://www.unsaleable.com/cinevia/products/?sub=ds8
...

Jörg

Posted by Eberhard Nuffer (Member # 410) on December 03, 2009, 05:24 AM:

Claus,

I don't think that the idea never took off. Of course, DS 8 was never as popular as Super 8 was, but there were (and are) still people out there who love DS 8 especially because of its better sharpness (due to the internal pressure plate of the camera), better picture steadiness (sprockets on both sides in the moment of exposure), the double exposure-possibilities and especially because DS 8 cameras are mostly very similar to their 16mm equivalents. DS 8 was especially popular in the "Eastern Bloc". In other countries, Kodachrome DS-8-stock was sold until the early 2000's. The fact, that even today, in 2009, Wittner offers the Ektachrome 100 D (25ft/100ft/400ft) as well as the Fuji Velvia 50D (25ft/100ft) in DS 8 proves that there is still some demand for DS 8 raw stock.

http://www.wittner-kinotechnik.de/katalog/04_filmm/d8_filmm.php

Posted by Claus Harding (Member # 702) on December 03, 2009, 02:30 PM:

Eberhard,

Yes, I meant in the grand scheme of films. There are still some dedicated groups who love DS-8 and shoot with it, thank goodness. I would love to try it at least once.

Claus.

Posted by Yanis Tzortzis (Member # 434) on December 06, 2009, 06:44 AM:

.....waw fantastic isn't it? Didn't know S8 film is still available in that length!Makes the idea of buying such a camera very attractive-provided it's not as expensive as this [Wink]

who knows might be my next big film buy [Smile]

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