8mm Forum: Recommendations Super 8 viewer/Editor

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Posted by Craig Jarvis (Member # 3856) on August 14, 2013, 01:10 PM:

As usual, what models of viewer/editors are best that are Super 8 and regular 8 capable in a budget model? Thanks.

Posted by Craig Jarvis (Member # 3856) on August 14, 2013, 06:55 PM:

Goko L-120 any good?

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on August 14, 2013, 09:39 PM:

Minette from Italy. Very clear and bright.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on August 14, 2013, 10:36 PM:

I've been editing with my Vernon editor/viewer this week: basic yet pretty decent, not as plasticky as the Baia I bought when I was a teenager.

These come in Dual-8 and Super-8 only models.

It taught me a lesson yesterday. The picture was getting dimmer and dimmer and I was getting ready to tear it down to see what had gone sour inside.

The first thing I did was clean the lens. That helped. Then I took a look at the bulb and the glass was practically black.

-problem solved!

Good thing too, for a while there it was a lot like editing with nothing more than a pair of rewinds.

Apparently without the vibration of a motor these bulbs keep going a lot longer than a projection lamp and you can build up an impressive coating of tungsten on the inside of that envelope before it actually blows.

Posted by Craig Jarvis (Member # 3856) on August 15, 2013, 10:26 AM:

Hi Steve, I found a Vernon 101 Dual Viewer from at guy that looks good. Is that the same as yours? is it hard to get bulbs?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on August 15, 2013, 10:34 AM:

I think that's an older version than mine, but often in this business that's not a bad thing.

Usually editors use a 6V, 10W lamp that's pretty common (actually a motorcycle License plate lamp)

Editor Bulb

(The 101 also uses this.)

Posted by Craig Jarvis (Member # 3856) on August 15, 2013, 11:34 AM:

What model do you have? Is it bright?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on August 15, 2013, 01:25 PM:

Mine is the Vernon 808 Deluxe Super-8

808 Deluxe Super-8

Which apparently is the lower cost Super-8 only version of the 808 Deluxe Dual-8, which could handle either.

It is certainly bright enough (with a new bulb and a clean lens), but the screen is not so huge you can easily tell the difference between footage with OK focus and footage with great focus. The brightness drops of spectacularly with differences in viewing angle. Use it to review footage by yourself, just fine. Watch footage with your friend? Forget it! (I think this is common to a lot of editors, though.)

It is nice though, it has a very solid feel to it and the surfaces the film touches are plated metal rather than plastic.

Posted by Robert Hudson (Member # 3996) on October 25, 2013, 10:35 AM:

"Goko L-120 any good?"

I just picked on an L-120 this week. I was in a second-hand shop and saw the bocx with "GOKO" on it and got excited. I read a GOKO recommendation elsewhere and have been looking for a motorized dual 8 editor and some of the ones on ebay had impressive images showing the screen brightness, by far the best I've ever seen for an 8mm editor. I want that bright image not only to make editing easier, but also to allow be to take some good screen shots.

I have an old Vernon 101 (regular 8 only) and it has a very nice screen image, much better than I have seen on any dual 8 editor - until now.

The GOKO L-120 has a great image! I paid just US $15 for it and in looking around online seem them going even on ebay for under $20 at times. Considering how many other dual 8 editors I've bought that turned out to be disappointments, I would have been happy to get this kind of quality for $50.

Of course it would be nice to have a motorized GOKO (and I've got a bid in for one now), but this L-120 wil be a vast improvement if i don't get the motorized version. I use a Zeiss MOVISCOP for my 16mm editing and this GOKO has a better image than that.

The L-120 does not switch from 8 to super 8 with just tHE push of a button: you have to remove the sprocket wheel and reverse (and push a switch). It's a minor inconvenience, though.

Here's a couple of quick and dirty screenshots from two different 1961 Kodachrome films:

Posted by Bryan Chernick (Member # 1998) on October 25, 2013, 09:50 PM:

I've owned a few different models including a few Vernon's, BAIA, Minette, and Elmo. The one I like the best is my Bolex 180 Duo. It has a large bright screen and the film moves through it nice and smooth. It has the same running gear as the Vernon 808 and the Elmo 912 so it may just be the condition it's in. I think many of these editors were made in the same factory in Japan so there is little real difference. Other than differences in the plastic body the Bolex, Vernon and Elmo dual 8 models share the same running gear as well as a few other brands. The BIAI model I had was junk.

Posted by Janice Glesser (Member # 2758) on October 25, 2013, 10:38 PM:

I just picked up a Vernon 808 Dual8. I have to clean up the lens and screen a little bit...but it's really a nice sturdy editor. I've seen quite a few editors also and even in the same brand there can be a big difference in quality. This is the best Vernon I've seen so far.
The only thing I don't like about the Vernon's and I'm not sure if all models are like this but the reels wind in reverse of many other editors...I guess you get use to it [Smile]

Here's a couple samples. The top is S8mm and is R8mm.

[ October 26, 2013, 02:32 AM: Message edited by: Janice Glesser ]

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