8mm Forum: How long have you been in this hobby ?

This is topic How long have you been in this hobby ? in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on January 05, 2018, 02:55 PM:

With the arrival of 2018 I have been reflecting a bit about the amount of people I have got to know because of this hobby.

Sadly a lot of the "old timers" have now passed away including a lot of the dealers. Taking with them some knowledge and skills they never got a chance to pass on fully.

I have also been thinking about the amount of time that has passed since I first got involved as a young lad of 12 - 13 years old. I am now coming up to my 64th birthday this month.

In all that time I have NEVER once left this hobby in the 51 - 52 years I have been active in it.

In fact I still have my very first print I bought with my pocket money all those years ago: Standard 8mm silent 50' Laurel and Hardy TREE FELLAS which was an extract from THE HOOSEGOW and released on Dixons Photographic PRINZ brand label. Its still in its original box.

I bought it before I had saved enough to buy my first projector a second hand Standard 8mm silent PENTAX P80-1 from Dixons.

That's a long time ago now but I can still recall the thrill I got looking at those 8mm frames via magnifying glass holding the film up to a light bulb.

I can still remember of seeing it projected for the first time on my 3 foot wide wall hanging screen I bought from Elena Mae photographic shop in Aberdeen.

That was another lifetime ago but it still seems like yesterday since I first saw that film via my first slighty yellow light projector which used nothing more that a standard car headlamp for it's light source.

I expect some of you have been in this hobby a lot longer than me.

So how long have you been in the hobby on a continuous / unbroken timeline ?

[Smile]

Posted by Jose Artiles (Member # 471) on January 05, 2018, 04:34 PM:

Im start collecting at the age of 15 and im 47 years old now so im in the film collecting 32 years now with no interruptions and i hope to continue till the end of my life. Film is the best way to see a movie.

Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on January 05, 2018, 05:08 PM:

Jose that is very good to read that. Well done that is real dedication to the hobby. [Smile]

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on January 05, 2018, 05:09 PM:

1962 actually, on and off with 16mm before centering on 8, s8, 9.5, even dabbled over to 17.5 and 28mm - Shorty - Handled 70 and 35, yet never desired more of those

Posted by Clyde Miles (Member # 4032) on January 05, 2018, 05:16 PM:

1962, so how old does that make you joe if i can ask?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on January 05, 2018, 05:21 PM:

In the ways that matter the most, Shorty is perpetually young!

I started in 1979, when I was 16 years old. I took a break when I was in college and then went back in stronger than ever (with Sound!) after I was married for a couple of years.

Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on January 05, 2018, 05:29 PM:

Joe... that's 56 years in the hobby ... WOW !
I wonder if anyone on here can beat that ?

Steve ... You took some time out....Tut Tut Tut ! ! hahaha ! [Wink]

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on January 05, 2018, 05:30 PM:

Started at 14 (1982) filming and projecting my own home made films, in the mid 90's saved the churches B&H 385 from the dumpster and started slowly with 16mm, then in 2005 began collecting and projecting packaged Super 8, 8mm and 16mm. Also began collecting projectors too....I have tons of them!

Bill [Smile]

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on January 05, 2018, 05:36 PM:

Played with Super 8 silent stuff as a kid and stopped shooting in college. About 15 years later discovered a new-old-stock Canosound projector plus eBay, and (oh, my poor wife) haven't stopped for long since.

Posted by Panayotis A. Carayannis (Member # 1220) on January 06, 2018, 03:36 AM:

It all started around 1960 when I was 9 and pestered my father to buy me a projector and films,which he did! The first film was "Oeil pour Oeil",in two reels,the Film Office edition of "Big Business"( And I sensed special pride when sometime later I saw "The Golden Age of Comedy" and saw that it included a shortened version of the film I had complete!) And I haven't stopped since !!!

Posted by Mark Todd (Member # 96) on January 06, 2018, 03:56 AM:

Just about to hit the 30 years mark in April collecting wise.

51 years old now. Though I had dabbled with a toy super 8 projector with a torch bulb in it, at 11 sat in a large cardboard box watching them.

Tried to give it up so many times, but now given up, trying to give up !!!

For me these days, its well over 50% about the nice people, and friends, and contacts in the hobby and filmie community.

A Prinz/Walton 200 of Champion Charlie got me going. Lovely print too.

Best Mark.

Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on January 06, 2018, 04:11 AM:

This is great to read how it all started for you all.
Cheers guys for taking the time to reply.

Panayotis A. ... You are the longest so far. Like Joe that's a long time to be in the hobby from such a young age as 9. [Smile]

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on January 06, 2018, 04:24 AM:

If you exclude a toy projector that had a loop of stills to tell a story (16mm I believe) then I started in when I started work in 1970 with a battery/mains projector (that really scratched films as the gate was not recessed) and a 50ft silent extract from "Easy Street" and a Halina super8 camera. Sound didn't start until 1974 when I had finished my GPO telecoms apprenticeship.

Posted by Robert Crewdson (Member # 3790) on January 06, 2018, 04:26 AM:

I can't match you David, but I bought my first film in 1967, Trooping the Colour by Peak films, I only had a hand cranked projector to see it by. Then I bought a 50ft foot film of The Chimps Tea Party at London Zoo, made by Arrow Films. I eventually sold that to get some money to buy a book. I didn't get into the hobby fully until 1973 when I bought a cine camera, and apart from giving away a few silents when I replaced them with sound versions two years later, I still have all my films. I was never persuaded to change to VHS and watch movies on the little box in the corner.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on January 06, 2018, 04:38 AM:

Started Christmas 1946 with a 9.5mm hand-turned Hunter (Bingoscope).

Posted by Mark Todd (Member # 96) on January 06, 2018, 04:42 AM:

Blimey Maurice its going to take something to be over that one !!!

And you are still so actively enjoying it too.

Best Mark.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on January 06, 2018, 04:54 AM:

Thank you, Mark
My number of 9.5mm films (silent & sound) was greatly enlarged a few years ago when I bought from Roger Spence who had had a series of strokes and sold me his complete collection, including a converted Eiki SNT3.
Sadly he died only a short time after.

Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on January 06, 2018, 05:05 AM:

WOW Maurice that will take some beating !

I remember the name of Roger Spence but I can't recall from where. Was it Movie Maker or Making Better Movies magazines ?

Robert I am glad you never gave in to that VHS tape as your main movie collecting format.

Keep your start of hobby memories coming folks this is great reading for me and of course others. [Smile]

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on January 06, 2018, 05:18 AM:

Roger Spence was a former President of Group 9.5 for many years. He collected and shot films on 9.5mm including sound. This is why he had the Eiki conversion (done in France before Tony Reypert started his Buckinghams) which could also record on magnetic 9.5mm.

I had my 83rd birthday last week. [Smile]

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on January 06, 2018, 05:25 AM:

I joined the hobby the day i got my first job at the age of 16 in 1979 and no breaks, my Brother started in 1972 and also no breaks, he is now 61,In fact like many people, we didn't just collect package movies etc we also enjoyed having a laugh with the cine camera, while most of it was pure fun and laughs we did make one good war time effort which won us a blue seal award in the top 10 of the IAC and a gold star certificate form Kodak, so all in all for me 39 very good years, even making a couple of American set civil war efforts, the films we made here were around 30 years ago.
[Big Grin]

Posted by Mark Todd (Member # 96) on January 06, 2018, 05:26 AM:

Thats a lot of amazing cine years, and cine films and projectors etc too Maurice.

I wonder who our youngest collector is on here ?

Best Mark.

Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on January 06, 2018, 06:19 AM:

Maurice wishing you a belated Happy Birthday and many more of them.

You truly are a traditional old timer in this hobby.

As for Roger Spence I should have remembered him as I am still a Group 9.5mm member.

[Smile]

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on January 06, 2018, 07:39 AM:

Tom, your war film is great! [Smile]

Posted by Neil Massey (Member # 5081) on January 06, 2018, 09:36 AM:

I started in 1980, (aged 20) with super 8 sound - making films and collecting. However, within a year I got a second hand Debrie and started hiring for a small private film club I ran (family and friends). Each month, a member would choose a film. Quickly added a scope screen and lens. This ran through the '80s until I moved out then it went by the wayside. I kept my Elf NT2 which I got in the mid '80s, and it lay unused for 20 years.
Summer 2015 saw me return to the fold, now able to own what I could previously only hire.
May I also added a belated happy birthday Maurice.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on January 06, 2018, 09:40 AM:

Neil
Thank you for your birthday wishes.
I have two grey Debries. Truly professional projectors, but at my age they seem to be putting on weight. [Smile]

Posted by Neil Massey (Member # 5081) on January 06, 2018, 10:19 AM:

Maurice
Mine is the grey model as well, with the 'V' gate. Look on the bright side, they keep your strength up!

Posted by David Skillern (Member # 607) on January 06, 2018, 10:39 AM:

I started when i was 14 and i'll be 52 at the end of this month

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on January 06, 2018, 11:01 AM:

One of mine has the Vee Gate and 4000ft spool arms. Ex. RAF from Cyprus.
One advantage of the Vee Gate is the fact that you do not get any build up of muck to appear on the screen.

Posted by Claus Harding (Member # 702) on January 06, 2018, 11:35 AM:

In 1975, when I was 15, I got my first Bauer C-4 camera and Eumig 807 sound projector. After settling into the joys of shooting and editing, I started collecting the year after. There were some gaps along the way, but I kept my films.
Upgraded to the Elmo ST-1200 in the 80es (a machine I still have) and then found out about this forum years later.

Present day: CineSea twice a year, 16mm included in the projection formats and two S-8 cameras and film stock awaiting action. And on my shelf (as souvenirs) my dreadful Niles 400-ft sound copy of W.C. Fields' "The Fatal Glass of Beer" and my totally red Fox Films "Alien" 400-ft. to remind me of when all of this began... [Smile]

Claus.

Posted by Dave Groves (Member # 4685) on January 06, 2018, 12:37 PM:

Aged 11, I was given a 9.5 Pathescope Ace for Christmas 1950 with a film 'Brumas-Polar Maid'. Films were 30ft 5/-(25p) and 60ft 9/6 (42/1/2p) Then bought a Specto 9.5/16mm and learnt the story by heart to make a vocal sound track. Was given a magic lantern. Borrowed slides of 'Pilgrims Progress from Birmingham Library. Used two stitched double bed sheets for a screen and advertised it as 'in glorious colour on the giant panoramic screen'. The hall was full. I made two discoveries: 1. The slides were b/w instead of colour and 2. If you paint an old lantern with black paint it will burn when the high intensity lamp is lit. The hall filled with smoke but I hid it from the audience who thought the whole thing fantastic. Happy days.

Posted by David Watson (Member # 3614) on January 06, 2018, 01:53 PM:

I guess I started in the mid sixties, when was given a bingoscope projector and a few b/w disney films,but I did'nt really start collecting films until I started work and earning some money back in
1975, I bought a Elmo st800 sound projector turned out to be a good choice as it give a good performance and a great work horse it never went wrong wish I still had it. Now have GS1200's and Fumeos.In those days I quickly discovered Derann Films, Perry's Movies, PM Films,DCR,Powell Films,Mountain Films,Walton Films Etc. Etc.I consider myself lucky to be collecting in the so called boom days when all the major studios were releasing their
films on Super 8 and of course later in the second boom days when Derann were releasing all those great features and cartoons
in the 80'and 90's Etc. And of course attending all the film conventions happy days,Still attending the ones we have left and hope to be for some years yet,see you at Farnworth in Febuary and of at Blackpool for the convention and the dinner
still great events.

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on January 06, 2018, 02:57 PM:

Like many youngsters in the UK, I started with a 9.5mm Pathescope Ace when I was about 15 years old.My first film was the 60ft silent western Northwest Justice, soon to be followed by Disney Silly Symphonies and Popeye shorts. These little films were a huge hit with the kids on my street when I showed them in our backyard shed for the meagre sum of 6 pence a show! I wanted to shoot my own films, so I purchased the then new Pathescope Pat camera. This camera was a disaster, jammed film chargers, a lens like a marbles, and only two aperture stops. I ran only two chargers of film when I saw 8mm Kodachrome projected on a Specto projector. What an eye opener! My 9.5MM equipment seemed primitive by comparison and 8mm color blew away any 9.5mm that I had seen. So I purchased a Eumig P8 projector and Eumig C8 electric camera, and was soon shooting great looking films in black and white and color.
In 1972 my daughter was 6 years old and I wanted to do something special for her birthday party. So I rented a super 8mm projector and a couple of Disney silent black and white shorts. I was amazed at the picture quality and instantly became curious about super 8mm sound films. So I rented a Kodak M100 Projector and purchased my first S8 sound film The Little Rascals in Hook and Ladder. I was really impressed, and went out and purchased a Eumig S802, and began collecting S8 sound digests.
I did not purchase my first feature length film until the 1990's when Derann were producing some incredible quality prints.
I reached the zenith of home film projection with the purchase of a couple of Elmo GS1200's, followed by the wonderful Eumig S938 stereo with which I discovered the amazing quality that can be achieved by stereo re-recording.
Despite having blu-ray projection and 5.1 surround sound, I still find endless joy in all aspects of reel film projection, which to me is the greatest hobby in the world.

Posted by Joe Taffis (Member # 4) on January 06, 2018, 03:33 PM:

1963 [Smile]

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on January 06, 2018, 03:59 PM:

So there you have it, Joe Taffis and Pan are in it a long time also - Cheers, Shorty

Posted by Joseph Randall (Member # 4906) on January 06, 2018, 04:30 PM:

Since 1974.

Posted by Ken Finch (Member # 2768) on January 07, 2018, 11:35 AM:

Since 1946, at the age of 12, when I saved up my paper round payment of six shillings per week until I could purchase the Pathe Ace projector at £5. 10s from Wings the chemists in Woolwich together with a 60ft disney cartoon "Jog Along Joyride" (Extract from Mickeys Taxicab, Mickey Mouse cartoon.) The following year , I saved enough to buy a second hand Coronet camera for £5. Ken Finch. [Smile]

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on January 07, 2018, 01:03 PM:

I think the first film I had was while still at school. My grandma and grandad bought me a hand held viewer and some 200ft films (Mountain I think). It was sent back because the viewer only took 50ft so the film was a standard 8 water skiing film 50ft.

Started work at 16 so I think my proper collecting must be about 1975 and never really stopped. Hell 43 years.

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on January 07, 2018, 01:36 PM:

First introduced to 8mm film around 1976 by my boss at the aero club buying a Bell and Howell 1230XL sound camera. I was more interested in taking film than collecting although in time that to came along. During the 80s sold of most of my stuff except the ST1200 and disney shorts plus T/J as we were saving up for a deposit for a house.

Then years later a friend told me about this company in England called Derann [Cool]

...the rest... well you can guess the rest [Big Grin]

Posted by John Last (Member # 3414) on January 07, 2018, 03:16 PM:

Now 84, My dad had a Woolworths 9.5 hand cranked thing with one loop of film. Its lamp was a 4.5v bulb lit by a 4.5 v. flat battery which was common in torches in the 1940's. I think it cost 6d.I was fascinated by this thing but did not have money to buy a good camera until I began working but in 1958 I'd saved enough to buy a Bolex B8VS and a Eumig P8 projector. The cine magic lives on and I enjoy helping others with some of their queries.

Posted by Daniel D. Teoli Jr. (Member # 6043) on January 07, 2018, 07:16 PM:

In earnest...a year or so. It was an extension from my still photo archive. I don't collect movies, trailer or commercials. I go for outcasts that are interesting historically.

I got a few hundred films I acquired this year but have only digitized a few.

nsfw

https://filmarchivedanieldteolijrarchivalcollection.wordpress.com/

Well, I have hopes for a lot more digitization in 2018 and beyond.

Posted by Burton Sundquist (Member # 5813) on January 08, 2018, 12:39 AM:

1976, I purchased a Eumig-502 D and a 200' B&W digest of Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed. Silent, as it were But thrilled nonetheless. I moved into better equipment in the early 80's and even added filmmaking as an elective at university. Alas, with the advent of VHS, as a student I could afford a feature at a lesser price so my super 8 days were over... However , I still held on to my collection, hoping for the right time...Until January 2017, when I won an eBay auction of a super 8 print and asked myself... How am I going to see this? Good to be back.

[ January 09, 2018, 12:36 AM: Message edited by: Burton Sundquist ]

Posted by Terry Sills (Member # 3309) on January 08, 2018, 02:39 AM:

First started 1953 when I found a Pathescope 200B in the loft together with an excerpt of 'Our Relations' and Wonders of the Amazon. Hooked on it ever since.

Posted by Allan Broadfield (Member # 2298) on January 08, 2018, 05:26 PM:

About 1950 with a present from an uncle, a toy 35mm hand cranked projector and several small rolls of nitrate.
Innocent days...

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