Happy Anniversary to 8mm

[Joe Caruso]

Eastman ushered it in (1932), so glad to have remained a friend these 90 years (not me, the gauge ...Shorty

[Osi Osgood]

Shorty, when did it first become available to the public? I always thought that it was first available in 1937?

[Dominique De Bast]

Shorty, when did it first become available to the public?

I'm not Shorty, but the answer is 1932. I understand the gauge came on the market during the Great Depression, when people had to make savings on anything (reminds me something...)

[Stuart Budd]

I'm not Shorty, but the answer is 1932. I understand the gauge came on the market during the Great Depression, when people had to make savings on anything (reminds me something...)

Savings, so if I remember reading somewhere, 8mm was born from 16mm.

[Dominique De Bast]

Savings, so if I remember reading somewhere, 8mm was born from 16mm.

Yes, the costs of the stock were cut, if not by two, close to that.

[Brian Fretwell]

I'd have thought that the cost of the stock was cut to a quarter as four standard 8 frames fit into one 16mm one. Four times the running time for the same outlay.

[Dominique De Bast]

I'd have thought that the cost of the stock was cut to a quarter as four standard 8 frames fit into one 16mm one. Four times the running time for the same outlay.

Yes, you're right about the manufacturing costs. I wonder however if it was in that proportion for the final customer.

[Osi Osgood]

I am betting that the quality level got better with 8mm over the years. Sometimes that splitting of 16mm didn't work too well. When Castle Films put out they're Castle Color titles, they used Cinecolor stock, and while it was marginally successful in 16mm, that 16mm Cinecolor stock, split for the 8mm prints, these prints could be incredibly grainy and almost unwatchable
. However, when it worked, it was watchable and, in it's favor, like Kodachrome, the colors, to this very day, are still quite vibrant!

[David L. Baker]

Hello members.
Thank you to "Shorty" Caruso for noting the 90-year anniversary of standard 8mm film. "From Dry Plates To Ektachrome Film" by C. E. Kenneth Mees, tells the story of the introduction of standard 8 film in 1932, but this was originally proposed in 1928 by Kodak. Kodak marketed film for home projector use as Cine Graph 8. I continue to enjoy my standard 8mm film, and project them often. Elsewhere in this forum, I have asked if other members are using a Keystone 75 projector, a favorite of my own, for standard 8mm. To date, there are zero replies. I feel that I may be the "Last Man Standing" for standard 8mm. Thank you for reading this post.
David L. Baker

[Joseph Banfield]

...I feel that I may be the "Last Man Standing" for standard 8mm. Thank you for reading this post.
David L. Baker

David, I can assure you there are several of us who use standard 8mm. I for one, love it, especially standard 8mm sound film since there is never film chatter on loud passages, which can be a big problem with Super 8 sound films and certain projectors. Also, some of the earlier standard 8 films can have better contrast and a sharper image than those issued later on Super 8. And of course there were also some films that simply didn't get a Super 8 release, or a very limited run on that format. So yes, I would say I'm a big fan of standard 8mm.

[Osi Osgood]

While I don't screen
it at present as, well, I do not have a running standard 8mm projector, I have quite a few standard 8mm. One of the greatest things about standard 8mm is how incredibly sharp that it can be, especially those early Blackhawk prints which, honestly, look a good deal better than the super 8 prints look, of the same title, from the same company. I really don't know why, but I would prefer to watch silent movies on standard 8mm, then super 8 mm. Perhaps it's the wonderful vintage, archaic look of the projectors. You know, in a fast paced world, where everything is so big, so loud and so fast, just getting family to sit down for a silent film show, is incredibly difficult.