Which of these 2 cameras is better for night?

[slashmaster]

I have a choice between a super 8 nikon 8 x zoom (with a 170 degree shutter and zoom lens) and a 16mm bell and howell speedster magazine camera like this but a slightly different lens http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bell-Howell-16m ... 45fef6efee the bell and howell only has about a 145 degree shutter but the lens is just 2 pieces of glass for the light to go through and only that. No zoom lens and no prism. Which of these cameras will give me better night time results? I guess I only have a choice of 500 asa for either super 8 or 16mm don't I?

[Patrick]

I notice the lens on the Bell & Howell has a maximum aperture of f1.5. How fast is the Nikon lens? With that information, we could come a little closer towards a proper conclusion.

[mr8mm]

Is the 16mm magazine still available. I have not seen 16mm magazines for some time.---John S.

[Lunar07]

I have a choice between a super 8 nikon 8 x zoom (with a 170 degree shutter and zoom lens) and a 16mm bell and howell speedster magazine camera like this but a slightly different lens http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bell-Howell-16m ... 45fef6efee the bell and howell only has about a 145 degree shutter but the lens is just 2 pieces of glass for the light to go through and only that. No zoom lens and no prism. Which of these cameras will give me better night time results? I guess I only have a choice of 500 asa for either super 8 or 16mm don't I?

I'd go with the Nikon which has an F1.8 lens I believe. But you should be aware that its light meter needs 2 PX13 batteries (translates into two MR9 adapters if you need correct results). With night time photography/film shooting you'll soon discover that auto exposure mode is useless. With auto exposure you may need to zoom, measure and fix the exposure at certain points in the scene. At night, the zone system rules! The Nikon allows for manual exposure also.
The 16mm camera has a faster lens but this is offset with the 145-degree shutter. It also needs a magazine. And you'll need a light meter to go with it.
I'd choose the Nikon. Use Vision3 500T and push process by one stop if the need arises.

[audadvnc]

Is the 16mm magazine still available. I have not seen 16mm magazines for some time.---John S.

Magazines are plentiful, but you have to load them yourself - with double perf 16mm stock, because, due to the design, the magazine uses the perfs that are normally left off for S16 use.

[slashmaster]

Thanks for the replies everyone! Sorry I have not been back for a while. My Bell and howell has an f 1.9 lens so not the same one as in that ebay ad. So the numbers are bell and howell, 1.9 lens with about a 145 degree shutter and the nikon is a 1.8 lens with a 170 degree shutter but the penalty of going through the prism for the viewfinder. How do I do the math?

[woods01]

What exactly are you shooting at night? And what kind of look are you desiring? If there is no light sources it won't matter what camera you have!

[slashmaster]

What exactly are you shooting at night? And what kind of look are you desiring? If there is no light sources it won't matter what camera you have!

I want to try to shoot a city at night. Probably by the railroad. So I will probably have street lighting.

[Will2]

Hands down 16mm is going to be a better choice. You'll have smaller grain and sharper image.

[woods01]

Are you just shooting cityscapes & night life or are you shooting actors? You can get good results with
200t if you just want to shoot neon and well lit promenades. Tri-x can also be impressive in low light as
well. Check youtube/vimeo for samples.

If you have actors you'll likely need some fill light for their faces. Consider doing some test photos on a
DSLR with shutter and asa settings similar to your camera. Its a good way to figure out what you can
expect from your film and is a technique commonly used on professional film sets to get an idea of what
is too dark/bright.