Beginner Is this the forum to talk vintage (film) cine cameras?

Messages
43
Name
Richard
Edit My Images
Yes
Is this the forum to talk vintage (film) cine cameras? Is there anywhere specifically dedicated to talk vintage (film) cine cameras? Thank you. Rich
 
Welcome to TP and Film and Conventional (F&C), it's as good a place as any, I don't recall anything cine specific anywhere else, I'm sure folk will be along in due course, what was it that you wanted to discuss?
 
I fancy tinkering with the old technolgy by buying vintage cine cameras / cine projectors (Ebay probably). Could be therapeutic. Just gone and bought a book on Basic Motion Picture Technology. Had it years ago when I was wondering whether to go into a career in film making. Never did go down that path.
 
Last edited:
Just one question before I get the book. Does the film actually come to a stop when a frame is in a position to be projected onto a screen? I'm assuming that the frame to be projected is stationary when the shutter allows light to pass. I think folks are going to say "YouTube is your friend". :) EDIT: If I may answer my own question: Of course, the film is stationary when it is either in a cine camera or cine projector. If it was not, there would be a blurring.
 
Last edited:
Welcome to TP and Film and Conventional (F&C), it's as good a place as any, I don't recall anything cine specific anywhere else, I'm sure folk will be along in due course, what was it that you wanted to discuss?
I think Nick @RaglanSurf had an interest in Super 8 a few years ago?
 
Is this the forum to talk vintage (film) cine cameras? Is there anywhere specifically dedicated to talk vintage (film) cine cameras? Thank you. Rich
Moving pictures are the work of the Devil!
Just one question before I get the book. Does the film actually come to a stop when a frame is in a position to be projected onto a screen? I'm assuming that the frame to be projected is stationary when the shutter allows light to pass. I think folks are going to say "YouTube is your friend". :) EDIT: If I may answer my own question: Of course, the film is stationary when it is either in a cine camera or cine projector. If it was not, there would be a blurring.
Youtube is your friend :) (though with the flashy bit, probably not if you have photosensitive epilepsy).
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gznn9k4X0SE

I always fancied the Leicina Special:
 
It is doable but, there are lots of buts. There are some new Super 8 cartridges available with Kodak now selling their new Ektachrome 100D emulsion and the 1st but is price - £50 for the film only https://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/kodak-ektachrome-100d-color-reversal-super-8-film.html . Kodak also produce super 8 negative film in colour or B&W at around £35.

Other brands of Super 8 are occasionally available. E6 (reversal) super 8 developing is extra typically £25 plus but this seems at the cheaper end https://www.johnsalimphotographic.co.uk/motion.html.

Now with Super 8 cameras you can get them extremely cheaply however, yes another but, most could only correctly expose Kodachrome 25 or 40 which hasn't been available to be processed in the UK (well Switzerland) since 2007 and anywhere in the world since 2010. (Of course Kodachrome was well regarded in both still and cine - my last film I purchased in 2006ish cost £12.70 and included the processing in Switzerland!). If buying a used Super 8 camera today you need to buy one which can correctly expose your chosen cartridge ISO. Plus forget Super 8 with sound (a magnetic stripe on the film) which is not available and probably never will be again.

Another 8mm format which I'm not aware of having new film available is Single 8 - basically Fuji's cartridge attempt to compete with Kodak's Super 8.

Mechanical cameras (clockwork) which are plentiful and you can set the exposure is Standard 8 (aka Regular 8)- another 8mm format but not in a cartridge. I never got into shooting this format but a quick internet search doesn't show much film regularly available.

B&W reversal film is available from Fomapan (R100) quite cheaply but in oddbal formats such as Double Super 8 and Double Standard 8mm. Basically these films require a specific format camera but when processed are slit down the middle and can be projected as Super 8 or Standard 8. I'm not aware of anywhere commercially in the UK reversal developing R100 but a company in Germany does or Foma sell the chemicals for you to develop yourself.

16mm (single or double perf) film is available but being twice as wide as 8mm it's twice as expensive to buy or have processed.

Projector are readily available in any of these formats and can be had quite cheap rising to silly money for top of the range stuff

(As an aside a further format is/was 9.5mn developed by Pathe in 1920's and had a very active community until the late 2000's but I've no idea of film availability in that format now)

I'll repeat https://www.johnsalimphotographic.co.uk/motion.html as this has a good overview of the E6 reversal cine films that have been available in the last 15 years.

So, in summary, doable but not easy or cheap! Clearing up for house moving I've found a couple of Super 8 cartridges (Kadak E6 2008 vintage) which I'll risk shooting when i'm in my new house.
 
Last edited:
Of course if Richard9897 wants to watch moving pictures on film then pick your format wether sound or silent, buy a projector and films and start watching old home movies, Laurel and Hardy shorts or full length features. All available from not much to mega quids on that there auction site,
 
I'm very much a technical tinkerer. It's the mechanical nature of the vintage cine film cameras and projectors that appeal. I'll probably take a shot at buying some projector and "mess" with it. But also, there is also a kind of magic associated with projecting from a mechanical device.
 
Last edited:
You can still buy Super/Standard 8 scanners from Reflecta on the evil bay, only £399! (There may of course be others, I just noticed this while looking for something else.)
 
Crumbs.....this thread takes me back.....

My dad loved his technology though he was in no way techy. But he bought initially Standard 8 cine camera and projector and then a Super 8 when he upgraded. I certainly remember doing the editing with the 'cutter/splicer' and tape with the editing viewer.

As I recall our Eumig projector had an interchangeable 'gate' i.e. we could swap between projecting Standard 8 and Super 8 movies. The commercially purchased b&w Laurel & Hardy shorts were always Standard 8 not Super 8

I found this site that may be of interest https://onsuper8.cambridge-super8.org/camera-guide/the-basics/
 
Actually, just to emphasize, at this time it's cine film projection that's grabbing my particular interest. That book, Basic Motion Picture Technology, does look at technology from the cine camera angle. I'm not sure what books if any deal with cine film projection technology. Of course, a manual for your projector model would be helpful as well.. I've just bid on a projector or two. See if I win one. :) EDIT: I have found this, but I'm sure it's from the professional side of film projection, not the amateur or hobby side: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Film-Projection-Beginners-Guide/dp/0935398317
 
Last edited:
Back
Top