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Topic: Why we call it "8mm" not "1/3 inch"?
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Bart Smith
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 228
From: Hackney, London
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted July 28, 2009 01:28 AM
American use unit system (inch/feet) for length oppose to metric system in UK (cm/m).
The facts of the matter are that here in the UK we don't use the metric system exclusively, by tradition we use the same measures as are still used in America (we call it 'Imperial').
All distances on road signs without exception are measured in miles and never in kilometers, as are all speedometers in cars (although Km/H are also marked in a smaller font, useful if you take your car over to Europe).
People's heights are always referred to in feet and inches. I know that I am 6'2", but can never remember what this is in metres and centimetres, and I know no native British person who uses the metric system for the height of a person.
The same goes for people's weight, I know I what I weigh in stone, but have no idea what the figure is in Kg.
The milk that I bought from the supermarket yesterday is in a 1.136L bottle, which is 2 UK pints. And when we go to a bar beer is always served in pint or half-pint glasses.
Having said that the metric system is also in use here, as most food produce is sold by the Kg -in fact this is a legal requirement, though shopkeepers are free to also state the equivalent in pounds and ounces.
I always use metric when measuring things if I am building something etc. as it is a much more logical system.
Schoolchildren are exclusively taught metric these days, so possibly in the future the old measures will have fallen out of use, but I can pretty much guarantee that in 100 years time we will still be buying beer by the pint.
British people tend to view these measures as part of their culture, and are generally loathe to get rid of all of them, but will happily use metric where it makes sense or is more convenient. So to us the idea of having 8mm film in 50ft cartridges doesn't seem that strange at all. The best of both worlds!
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www.bluecinetech.co.uk
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Steve Klare
Film Guy
Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted July 28, 2009 10:30 AM
I'm a Engineer, so I work in Metric units pretty much exclusively.
By the same token for the average person, a Mile is a Mile or a Kilometer is a Kilometer. It's only if you have to do calculations based on the measurements that the Metric System really shines.
When we drove in Germany, we swapped the GPS over to Km and drove by the metric speedometer. Other than the fact that it felt really cool to look down and see the needle swing up past "160", it wasn't really any different.
I remember a cartoon in the paper years ago: these two road workers are out installing signs.
Worker One: “We'll, this is the end of an era. We’re finally installing the metric speed limit signs.”
Worker Two: “How far apart should they be?”
Worker One: “Every half Mile.”
(Old habits die hard!)
PS: we call our Feet, Yards, Quarts, Gallons, Slugs, Dynes, Bushels, Cords, Acres and Pounds "The English Measurement System" here.
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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...
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