posted August 25, 2005 01:39 AM                   

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SUPER 8mm, Double REGULAR 8mm, and SINGLE-8mm Films <~~
By Martin W. Baumgarten (C) 2001 Email: Super...@aol.com

<< Is there a difference between 8mm and Super 8 film stock? Could I load super
8 stock into an 8mm camera?

---> Yes, there is a major difference. The only similarity the two share is
that they are both 8mm's wide. Double Regular 8mm filmstock is film that is
16mm's wide but has more perforations than 16mm movie film. It normally comes
on 25ft spools and is first filmed down one side, then turned over and filmed
down the other half. After processing the film is slit into two 25ft sections
of 8mm film and spliced together The frame image size is 1/4th that of a 16mm
movie frame. It was introduced in 1932 and was supposed to be replaced by the
introduction of the easier to use Super 8mm which came out in 1965. Regular 8mm
film also briefly had a sound film period via the Fairchild cameras, and the
magnetic sound to picture separation standard for 8mm film is 56 frames. The
magnetic stripe is on the side where the perforations are. The normally
intended running speed for Regular 8mm film is/was 16 frames-per-second, and
was upped in 1960 to 18fps. The sound speed is/was 24fps for commercially
produced films. A rarely used optical sound standard did exist, however by
the time it was marketed, Super 8 had already been introduced along with its
many advantages. Double Regular 8mm film also existed in a metal Magazine form
for easy loading....which also had to be turned over to film on the other half
once 25ft of film was exposed. There also existed a Straight Single 8mm
version which was single width 8mm film on little 25ft spools for a few cameras
that were made for this. For obviously short running time reasons....these
were not popular and were discontinued by the 1950's.

---> Super 8mm film is film that is 8mm's wide, but comes in a plastic easy to
load cartridge form, which also automatically indexes the builtin light meter
in 95% of all Super 8 cameras and also automatically removes the builtin
daylight conversion filter for certain filmstocks (on those cameras that have
that feature). Super 8mm film has smaller perforations which are centered on
the frame allowing for a 25% - 50% larger image area over Reg 8mm film (Kodak
claimed 50% picture increase based on projector cropping standards; actual
increase varies depending which projector is used). Regular 8mm is 1/4th the
frame size of it's 16mm big brother format, and Super 8mm is about 1/3rd the
size of a 16mm standard frame.

---> In 1974 Kodak introduced their single-system sound cameras and many
manufacturers made sound cameras for Super 8mm, which recorded live sound right
onto the film's main magnetic sound track. Some projectors allow stereo or
dual-track sound recording since sound Super 8 film has two magnetic sound
tracks. The sound to picture separation standard is 18 frames. The normal
intended running speed for Super 8mm film is/was 18 frames per second, however
many that use it professionally are shooting it at 24fps.

---> Super 8mm film cannot be used in a Regular 8mm camera, and Regular 8mm
cannot be used in a Super 8mm camera. There are however, dual 8mm projectors,
of which the lower cost ones are a quality compromise. It is best to use a
dedicated projector for each format, as it will have a sprocket drive and thus
is best for minimal wear and tear on the film.

---> Not to totally confuse you, FUJI introduced their Single-8 film in 1966
which is dimensionally identical to Super 8mm film and will play in Super 8mm
projectors etc.....but is on a polyester film base making it much thinner and
tougher. FUJI used their own cartridges which could only be used in their
cameras or any camera accepting Single-8 cartridges.......and do not fit into
Super 8 cameras. This is not a problem in the USA, as FUJI no longer imports
Single-8 film due to its low useage. Yes, it is still made and works
fine....but must be purchased from overseas and processing is in Japan for the
process-paid films.

---> Also, another less popular format, DOUBLE Super 8mm, came out shortly
after Super 8mm premiered back in 1965. This is based on the same principle as
Double 8mm (Regular 8mm) in which the film is 16mm's wide, but has Super 8mm
perforations down each side. The film is run through the camera once to
expose it along one-half of its width, then the film is reloaded again and run
through a second time exposing the other half of the film down the second
side's length of the film. After processing, the film is slit down the middle
into two sections which are then spliced end to end in the order of exposure
(Side 1 first, then Side 2), yielding a total film length double that of the
original 16mm width camera film. Thus, a 25ft spool yields 50ft, and 100ft
spool yields 200ft, and in the converted Bolex H- Reflex Rex 4's with magazine
saddle and Pathe Duolights with magazine saddle....and using the 400ft
magazine....yields 800ft of film. Double Super 8mm film never really caught
on in popularity. In the former soviet bloc countries....several spring-wound
clockwork cameras were made based on their previous Double 8mm counterparts.

---> BOLEX H-8 cameras after serial number 104,000 were converted by a few
companies (Paillard Bolex in Switzerland, Swiss Professional Equipment in NYC,
JK Camera Engineering in Oakland, CA and a few other places) to run Double
Super 8mm film. These cameras also had their viewfinders enlarged on the
Reflex models, and the super wide angle 5.5mm lenses modified to cover the
Super 8mm frame. Other purpose built Double Super 8mm cameras are: ELMO
C-300 (TriFilmatic) which accepts a motorized 100ft DS8 magazine, CANON DS8
Scoopic type design based on their 16mm Scoopic sister camera, PATHE's Weboflex
(spring wound) and Duolight (motorized magazine accepting camera), and the
Russian LOMO QUARZ 2 x S8 cameras. Double Super 8mm film (DS8 for short) is
still available from Kodak under minimum special order. Also, a Black & White
reversal film made by FOMA in the Czech Republic called Fomapan R-100 (ASA 100)
is being made. Kodachrome 25 and 40 Type A, and a some other stocks are also
available from: Germany - KAHL-Media Art Film Wittner Kinotechnik , England -
The WIDESCREEN-CENTRE , and U.S.A. - CHAMBLESS CINE Equipment Home Page
CAMERAS PRO (Nevada, USA), and INTERNATIONAL FILM Home Page (best place in USA
for Fomapan) . Due to the small numbers of actual DS8 filmmakers.....film
types and quantities are much more limited than that of Super 8mm.

---> So, a quick rundown of the 8mm formats again:
* 1932-1965 Double 8mm 25ft spool loading cameras (after 1965 only LOMO in the
USSR continued to make Double 8mm cameras until about 1978), Bolex H-8 cameras
use 25ft, 50ft, or 100ft spools.
* 1934-1956 Straight 8mm (30ft spool loading cameras or 30ft cartridge using
cameras)
* 1934-1978 Straight 8mm (30ft magazine loading Russian-made cameras )
* 1934-1964 Double 8mm 25ft magazine loading cameras.
* 1960-1964 Kodak and Bell & Howell have their own 25ft spool loading user
reloadable magazine cameras (not interchangeable between these two companies).
* 1965 to present: Super 8mm from Kodak (Agfa, Scotch 3M, GAF, Svema and
others all ceased making Super 8mm film by 1989, with only Kodak still making
it).
* 1965 to present: FUJI Single-8 film still being made (by 1980 FUJI ceased
making their Neopan B&W Single-8 filmstocks, and by 1999 FUJI ceased making
their sound film stocks).
* 1965 to present: Double Super 8mm (DS8) still being made by Kodak, Foma,
and custom production by Kahl Media Art in Germany.

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posted August 25, 2005 09:35 PM                 

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The 24 volt in the C Model, was it brighter than those in the A & B models.

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