Ok I'm new here. I'm an HD shooter and never used any type of small format film camera...16mm, 8mm. I found this camera in my mom's house. Just like the one in these ebay listings...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Kodak-Brownie-Movie ... dZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-KODAK-BROWN ... dZViewItem
It seems to work when I wind it up. There's an unopened roll of film from 1976!!! I doubt that's any good. I don't know the first thing about these. Where can I get film that works well for it and where can I process it?
Also, I'm unclear on the instructions. It says to run the film through once and then rewind and shoot it again? Expose one half at a time or something? Can someone please fill me in on what I can do with this thing? Also, how would it stand up if I transfer it to HD for post?
Thanks,
- Jarek
Found Kodak Brownie 8mm camera in attic...now what?
Moderator: Andreas Wideroe
Found Kodak Brownie 8mm camera in attic...now what?
Shoot for the impossible...
...then do it.
...then do it.
Search for John Schwind in Google, buy a roll of film from him and just shoot man and send it to a lab linked on this site (look up on the header and click THE LAB). Film in general looks good and is actually better looking projected but it'll look great on HD, as I heard that a digibeta transfer of 8mm captures all the color and detail.
Hi JesterJJZ and welcome.
You should use the search function on the forum and search the forum for the solution to some of your queries. Also use advanced search on Google.
When you buy 8mm film (not super8 film wich comes in a cartridge) you'll get a small spool of film that is 16MM wide. It is like 16mm film but the perforations for the pulldown claw on the sides are different.
When you put the 16mm-wide fil in the brownie, the brownie will expose only half the width of the 16mm-wide film, wich means it will expose a strip that is 8mm wide.
You run the film through once. turn it over and expose the other part that wasn't exposed yet.
The folks in the lab will split the film all the way, then splice it so you get one 8mm wide film back.
Regards.
You should use the search function on the forum and search the forum for the solution to some of your queries. Also use advanced search on Google.
When you buy 8mm film (not super8 film wich comes in a cartridge) you'll get a small spool of film that is 16MM wide. It is like 16mm film but the perforations for the pulldown claw on the sides are different.
When you put the 16mm-wide fil in the brownie, the brownie will expose only half the width of the 16mm-wide film, wich means it will expose a strip that is 8mm wide.
You run the film through once. turn it over and expose the other part that wasn't exposed yet.
The folks in the lab will split the film all the way, then splice it so you get one 8mm wide film back.
Regards.
Dwayne's Photo and Film and Video services are the two places that process my film - Dwayne's for color (they do either E6 "Ectachrome", or K14 "Kodachrome), and FVS does my black and white.
I second looking for John Schwind's website - I've bought from him several times in the past.
For my opinion, I think you'll have more fun shooting a roll of black and white to start with. First off, it's a fair bit cheaper than color film, and second because in my opinion it has a slightly wider exposure latitude so if your metering is off you'll probably still get something.
My next opinion - I don't own a brownie, but almost all 8mm cameras are pretty similar as far as loading goes anyway. If the manual confuses you, take a look inside the camera itself, and remove the take up reel. You'll probably find it's numbered on each side. Start with the number 1 facing out and thread the film through the film gate. There is most likely a little line diagram inside the camera that shows you what path the film must take. Once you expose the film, all of your film is on the take up reel. Remove that take up reel, and switch the two reels, rethreading the camera so that the film from the take up reel is threaded so as to be wound back onto the original (now empty) spool. When that's done, just remove that spool of film, seal it up in the tin, and send it out for processing.
On the topic of light metering, you should either buy one, or find an exposure table with Fstop recommendations. If you don't know about Fstops or cameras, google the "Sunny 16" rule and you'll get a good explanation of Fstops, film speeds and all that. If you already know all about how a film camera works, great. So many people these days have never used one.
Go to your local goodwill, salvation army, and check your local craigslist to pick up on a regular 8mm projector. You'll find it's a tremendous amount of fun to project movies with family and friends. A regular 8mm projector should cost 10 bucks or less - if you look real hard there's probably one still up there in the same attic you got the Brownie from.
This is a really expensive hobby, but if you try it, you won't have to take my word when I tell you it's really fun and rewarding to project your own home movies. You can also think that someday your films might be discovered by your great grandson in your attic, and the chances are good that he will be able to see the same films you made all those years ago.
That's about it for me.
I second looking for John Schwind's website - I've bought from him several times in the past.
For my opinion, I think you'll have more fun shooting a roll of black and white to start with. First off, it's a fair bit cheaper than color film, and second because in my opinion it has a slightly wider exposure latitude so if your metering is off you'll probably still get something.
My next opinion - I don't own a brownie, but almost all 8mm cameras are pretty similar as far as loading goes anyway. If the manual confuses you, take a look inside the camera itself, and remove the take up reel. You'll probably find it's numbered on each side. Start with the number 1 facing out and thread the film through the film gate. There is most likely a little line diagram inside the camera that shows you what path the film must take. Once you expose the film, all of your film is on the take up reel. Remove that take up reel, and switch the two reels, rethreading the camera so that the film from the take up reel is threaded so as to be wound back onto the original (now empty) spool. When that's done, just remove that spool of film, seal it up in the tin, and send it out for processing.
On the topic of light metering, you should either buy one, or find an exposure table with Fstop recommendations. If you don't know about Fstops or cameras, google the "Sunny 16" rule and you'll get a good explanation of Fstops, film speeds and all that. If you already know all about how a film camera works, great. So many people these days have never used one.
Go to your local goodwill, salvation army, and check your local craigslist to pick up on a regular 8mm projector. You'll find it's a tremendous amount of fun to project movies with family and friends. A regular 8mm projector should cost 10 bucks or less - if you look real hard there's probably one still up there in the same attic you got the Brownie from.
This is a really expensive hobby, but if you try it, you won't have to take my word when I tell you it's really fun and rewarding to project your own home movies. You can also think that someday your films might be discovered by your great grandson in your attic, and the chances are good that he will be able to see the same films you made all those years ago.
That's about it for me.
WOW! Talk about people that know stuff and love to share. :mrgreen:
Lotta good stuff here, thanks! Not really interested in the "home movie" aspect of this find. Just trying to see how I can incorporate it in my own work. I have a couple music videos coming up that might make use of some old film style to it. I've processed my images with stuff like Magic Bullet but I guess you can't really beat the real thing huh.
Thanks again. I'll be sure to post any of my results.
- Jarek
Lotta good stuff here, thanks! Not really interested in the "home movie" aspect of this find. Just trying to see how I can incorporate it in my own work. I have a couple music videos coming up that might make use of some old film style to it. I've processed my images with stuff like Magic Bullet but I guess you can't really beat the real thing huh.
Thanks again. I'll be sure to post any of my results.
- Jarek
Shoot for the impossible...
...then do it.
...then do it.