8mm Forum: Super 8mm or 16mm cameras. Which is more popular

This is topic Super 8mm or 16mm cameras. Which is more popular in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Nicholas Katrinic (Member # 7023) on July 17, 2019, 10:49 PM:

I was wondering which is most popular in the 2010 decade. Super 8 cameras or 16mm cameras. When i saw that most 8mm crank cameras worked by mechanics only and not any type of battery,, thats when i got very interested in this hobby. So i got the Argus cinemax 85E crank camera ,,Revere 88 crank camera,, and soon the Mansfield cinemax 8EE crank camera..I also bought the Revere 80 8mm film projector which works really well........ I see how very popular the Bolex H8 and H16 cameras are . And now Im wondering which one should i get if i were to get one of these,, because they are VERY expensive.

Posted by Evan Samaras (Member # 5070) on July 18, 2019, 10:52 AM:

Hi Nicholas,

I think that answer depends on their purpose. For TV or Film 16mm is definitely more popular than S8. When it comes to creating home films, I would say S8. At least this is how I use them. A lot might also depend on their size. 16mm tends to be larger than S8 and not always very practical, with some great exceptions of course! Also, the cost of film stock and development (and possible scanning) also weigh in!

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on July 18, 2019, 11:35 AM:

I really enjoy shooting Super-8, and I've been doing it on and off for about 40 years now. Still the same, as handy as the cartridge system is the steadiness of the film in the gate is not helped by it. Even beyond the larger frame area, this is a leg up for 16mm.

Everything else being equal, I'd shoot 16mm. Then again if everything else was always equal I'd drive a Porsche!

(Don't worry: everything else isn't equal in either case!)

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