8mm Forum: 8mm basic question

»	8mm Forum » 8mm Forum » 8mm basic question

UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!

Author

Topic: 8mm basic question

Tony Query
Junior
Posts: 6
From: Greensboro, NC, USA
Registered: Jan 2016

posted January 14, 2016 01:03 PM

Hello everyone. I'm new to the forum and new to 8mm and 16mm collecting. I've always been a fan of classic educational and industrial films so this transition was inevitable. At the end of last year, I purchased an Eiki NT-1 and have been enjoying it with little issue.

As luck would have it, I was snooping around at work and located a Bell & Howell 456A 8mm projector that no one even knew about. It was basically a "if you want to fix it, you can have it" situation. So after replacing the bulb and feed tire, the only thing left was to get a film to play on it. Yesterday that film came in and I was ready to go.

This is where I encountered a problem. The film doesnt fit onto the arm. The hole is too big. What am I missing? What is the piece that I need called?

I apologize for the stupidity of this question and I apologize if this question has already been answered. If it has, could someone direct me to the post?

I know that super 8 has a different hole size, but the film on the reel has sprocket holes on both sides which I thought was a trait of regular 8mm. Help?

--------------------
Tony

| IP: Logged

Pasquale DAlessio
Film God

Posts: 3523
From: Bristol,RI, USA
Registered: May 2010

posted January 14, 2016 01:36 PM

Hi Tony

Welcome to the forum. Sprocket holes on both sides of film indicate 16mm silent film.

Super 8mm and standard 8mm have sprocket holes on one side of film only. The difference between the two is the size of the frame and space and size of sprocket holes.

| IP: Logged

Dominique De Bast
Film God

Posts: 4486
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jun 2013

posted January 14, 2016 01:37 PM

Welcome to this forum, Tony. The 8mm and the super 8 have both the same width...8 mm. There is only one perforation row on these two gauges ; the super 8 having smaller perforations than 8 mm. So, if you have two rows of perforations, it should be 16 mm (but then I don't understand your confusion as you already know this gauge). The thing that may have mislead you is that 8 mm is actually a 16 mm film split in two (and with more perforations) but that is for the camera film, not the film you put in the projector (as it is split). I hope it's clear, otherwise an English native speaker will help you better [Smile]

--------------------
Dominique

| IP: Logged

Tony Query
Junior
Posts: 6
From: Greensboro, NC, USA
Registered: Jan 2016

posted January 14, 2016 04:02 PM

Thank you for correcting me. I made a mistake. Its got holes just on one side.
Here's a pic that shows the film and the reel.

--------------------
Tony

| IP: Logged

Joseph Randall
Master Film Handler

Posts: 437
From: Wyckoff, NJ, USA
Registered: Jun 2015

posted January 14, 2016 04:34 PM

Looks like it could be a Super 8 film.

| IP: Logged

Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted January 14, 2016 05:16 PM

Dominique, as ever, you do a better job of explaining in English than many an Englishman!

--------------------
"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

| IP: Logged

Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted January 15, 2016 03:13 AM

The spool shown is for Super 8, it will not fit on your Bell & Howell 456A as it is. The projector is a dual gauge and will show both standard 8 and Super 8 films.

The spool spindles, however are for standard 8. To fit Super 8 spools you will need an adapter, these should have come with the projector.

See my eBay link for what you need.

http://www.ebay.co m/itm/Super-8-Movie-Projector-Film-Reel-ADAPTER-PLUG-to-REGULAR-8mm-Projector-Spindle-/251486937600?hash=item3a8dca2200:g:TykAAOxyTMdTMwoe

--------------------
Maurice

| IP: Logged

Tony Query
Junior
Posts: 6
From: Greensboro, NC, USA
Registered: Jan 2016

posted January 15, 2016 06:00 AM

Thank you Maurice and thank you everyone for being patient with my newbieness. You were all very helpful and I am grateful. (And Dominique, there's no need to doubt your English. I am from the American South and can assure you your English is far better than many of my native-born neighbors [Wink]

)
I can see this community will be a great asset and hopefully in the future, I'll be able to contribute some info.

Take it easy, y'all!

--------------------
Tony

| IP: Logged

Dominique De Bast
Film God

Posts: 4486
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jun 2013

posted January 15, 2016 06:52 AM

Thank you for all these kind words [Smile]

--------------------
Dominique

| IP: Logged

Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted January 15, 2016 07:21 AM

A warm welcome Tony. [Smile]

--------------------
"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

| IP: Logged

Carter Bradley
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 156
From: Greensboro, NC, USA
Registered: Dec 2007

posted January 15, 2016 11:59 AM

Hi Tony. Welcome to the forum. I also live in Greensboro, and am more than happy to help in any way that I can.

| IP: Logged

Tony Query
Junior
Posts: 6
From: Greensboro, NC, USA
Registered: Jan 2016

posted January 15, 2016 12:07 PM

Thanks Andrew!

And thanks Carter! Its great to know there is a film enthusiast so close!

--------------------
Tony

| IP: Logged

All times are Central

Printer-friendly view of this topic

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2