8mm Forum: Best camera for slow-motion effects?

This is topic Best camera for slow-motion effects? in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001324

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on July 23, 2005, 10:56 PM:

More and more I'm thinking about shooting super-8 film in slow-motion (for a project combining slo-mo and time-lapse), but the only camera I currently own doesn't have anything faster than 18fps or 24fps.
What are some of the fastest (in terms of frame rate) super-8 cameras out there? I'm looking for something like 72fps... or even 80fps. The bottom limit would be 54fps for me, the faster the better. (I know there are mechanical limits, of course, I'm not looking to shred my film while shooting. [Big Grin]

)

Posted by Alan Rik (Member # 73) on July 23, 2005, 11:20 PM:

I think you would be looking at a Beaulieu 4008, 6008 or 7008. Or a Nizo 6080.
I have used all of the above and I thought the best footage was shot with a Nizo 6080. However if you are thinking out of the Super 8 box...the BEST was a Canon DS8. You can film unlimited slow mo and the footage was awesome. That was the best I have ever shot/seen. Sometimes due to the Super 8 cartridge you may get jitter.

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on July 23, 2005, 11:40 PM:

Thanks Alan (or should I say Mr. Rik!) [Wink]

... but I was looking for something more affordable actually, for my income is indeed limited. Still, I'll keep an eye out for the models you mention.
Anybody else? [Smile]

EDIT

Is a Nizo S40 any good? Seems I'm limited to 54fps slow-motion speeds if I don't want to spend several hundred dollars on a camera. Argh, and then there's the consideration of Kodak E64T compatibility... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7532821335&category=628&ssPageName=WDVW&rd=1

[ July 24, 2005, 12:45 AM: Message edited by: Jan Bister ]

Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on July 24, 2005, 02:53 AM:

Hi Jan

You might want to consider the Elmo 110, I use one of these and it is a great camera. It has a slo-mo speed of [I think] 54 fps. It also has a great 10x zoom lens and is very nicely made and pleasing to use, but most importantly perhaps, the 110 are capable of reading the notches correctly and setting the exposure for Kodaks new 64T film.

They often come up on Ebay Germany and the price varies considerably, I bought mine for £5.00 at the BFCC but you will see them going for upwards of £100.00

Mike [Cool]

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on July 24, 2005, 03:36 AM:

THANKS MIKE! Sounds like it's just what I'm looking for. Indeed, after browsing the Filmshooting forums and coming to the conclusion that speeds faster than 54fps are bound to cause unacceptable jitter, I've decided 54fps is the thing to go for. [Big Grin]

(I wonder, though - with a camera capable of 72fps or even 80fps, and a super-8 cartridge using the metal pressure plate from GK-Film... man, that would be sweet... *drool*...) [Smile]

Posted by Joe Taffis (Member # 4) on July 24, 2005, 01:57 PM:

Wow...you guys like to really slow it down! I shot a lot of excellent slo-mo at only 34fps and I thought that was slow enough.... [Smile]

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on July 24, 2005, 02:57 PM:

Joe, have you perchance ever seen one of those science/discovery TV shows where they show you extreme slow-motion shots of flies landing and taking off, or glass shattering upon the impact of a bullet? And I mean extreme, as in several THOUSAND frames per second. Obviously they use very high-tech, specialized cameras (and film) for those... I've always found that very fascinating [Smile]

and while I have no need to go quite that far with super-8 slow motion, of course, I'd like to go slow as much as I can... film people on the street, gently setting one foot in front of the other at snail's pace as if in a trance... lawn sprinklers throwing droplets in the air that sail down for a soft landing... the list goes on. Anyway, I think even with "just" 54fps I can get a nice effect like that, especially if I then project the film at 18fps rather than 24fps (for a 1:3 ratio)... as I'm also musically inclined (have composed my own synthesizer music in the past) I can just imagine slapping a new-age soundtrack on those slow scenes as well... and techno music for the time-lapse scenes... There, I just gave my whole project idea away so now y'all can go steal it without crediting me [Big Grin]

But what can I say? Imagination is the beginning of everything... [Smile]

P.S.: the Elmo 110 camera is bloody hard to find. Sheesh. [Eek!]

Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on July 24, 2005, 03:06 PM:

Jan

Here's one; http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=21165&item=7532618296&rd=1

Mike [Cool]

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on July 24, 2005, 04:07 PM:

Ah, thanks... actually saw that one, but bank transfer only, won't ship outside of Germany, and a new seller with 0 feedback... I dunno about this... I'm currently watching a LOT of Bauer, Beaulieu and Nizo cameras though. [Big Grin]

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on April 09, 2006, 01:31 AM:

Got two rolls of E64T film.

Looked at my Eumig mini 5 again. Saw it didn't even have manual exposure, which I thought it did. Ack.

Back to looking for a DECENT super-8 camera to buy... yes, with slow-motion still on my wish list. Add to that time-lapse (intervalometer) and time exposure... and a macro lens. Drool.

After much research (and the discovery of a few awesome web sites, such as this one and this one), I'm down to deciding between a Nizo S801 (or S561 or S481) and a Bauer Royal 10E (or 8E) Makro. These are my dream cameras right now...

Anybody know anything about these? (Other than technical data, which I already have?) Any praise or damnation? Caveats? What do you think they're worth? Etc.?

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on April 09, 2006, 02:55 AM:

Jan, I had a Nizo (of the Integral series) and the most striking feature was the fantastic lens, providing very crisp images. I guess you're on the right track.

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on April 09, 2006, 01:30 PM:

I agree... those Schneider-Kreuznach lenses are beautiful. [Smile]

My Dad had a Bauer C 1 Super camera (I think that's what it was) with such a lens, and it always made great-looking Kodachrome movies. That is, until the camera developed a fault and started overexposing everything. [Roll Eyes]

EDIT (at 4:42pm EDT)

Yay!!! Just won an eBay auction for a Bauer Royal 8E Makro camera... for chump change at that. [Smile]

Great times are upon me. [Cool]

[ April 09, 2006, 03:44 PM: Message edited by: Jan Bister ]

Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on April 09, 2006, 06:03 PM:

Looks like that is a great little bargain Jan. Nice one [Smile]

Kev.

Posted by Alan Rik (Member # 73) on April 09, 2006, 09:40 PM:

That is great! Now you have to find some Fuji Velvia or Tri-x...

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on April 09, 2006, 09:48 PM:

Yeah, Fuji Velvia sounds sweet... I thought Pro8mm had it but apparently I was mistaken. Wittner-Kinotechnik, on the other hand, does offer it but only in 60m/200ft magazines. It appears, though, that they're going to be offering it in 50ft cartridges soon. *hope* [Smile]

Posted by Dimitrios Kremalis (Member # 272) on April 10, 2006, 03:04 AM:

Jan,
You can order it from here: http://www.german.film-super8.de/.
It's called Cinevia and costs 24,5 Euro, processing included.

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on April 10, 2006, 09:15 AM:

THANKS, Dimitrios!! That was it, GK-Film! Not Wittner... I knew I'd seen the Velvia film before [Smile]

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2