Will we ever see any new Super 8 gear?

[Ektagraphic]

Hi Guys-
People have talked and hoped for a new Super 8 camera. Does anyone thing we will ever see one? Will the Lomography people take interest and follow their hand crank "35mm movie camera" with a Super 8 camera? Just some thoughts...

Patrick

[jpolzfuss]

Hi,

I wonder if such a camera would be a toy (like the GAKKEN that -unfortunately- didn't made it onto the shelves) or a "real" one (like planned by http://www.lightbreeze.co.uk/ )?

Jörg

[Ektagraphic]

I have seen that projector online....I can't seem to find anything about a new camera on that other site. Is there a direct link?

[jpolzfuss]

I can't seem to find anything about a new camera on that other site. Is there a direct link?

Unfortunately not - just go to the page's bottom or search for "A New Super 8 Camera"

[Ektagraphic]

I actually had e-mailed them about it and got a response back that seems promising. They are working on a prototype and if they can get it so that it is not too much money to produce, they plan to make it available.

[Pj]

We're almost ready to show off our new camera and are getting photographs taken of the new camera and will post them soon. As I said on the website every so often there have been discussions about whether there should be new Super 8 camera, but nothing really happens.

I am realising that most of the 'old' Super 8 cameras do not always get the best out of today's Super 8 film stock and having a new camera would be ideal. Advanced cameras are selling at high prices; due to the age of these cameras no one can really give guarantees. A new camera would be a great boost for Super 8 filmmaking and would mean working with a camera that is more reliable, a camera that can be easily serviced and fixed.

Over the past 12 months I have been quietly working away with a small team. I had first seen people make their own cameras at some workshops in 1996. These were crude and simple wooden boxes, the camera mechanisms were taken from parts of existing cameras such as the Nizo 800, the reason for building them was to add a c mount plate at the front so they could use additional lenses. Since the beginning of 2011 I have studied repair manuals, striped complex cameras as well as simple basic ones apart to understand how they work and to determine the best way to build one.

The camera we have built has a c mount for using additional lenses; it runs at 1 - 40fps with set speeds of 18, 24 and 25 fps and has reflex viewing. We are now testing various lenses, some Super 8, some 16mm and some CCTV lenses, there are loads of lenses out there. For new lenses we have tested some ½” CCTV lenses, they work very well for Super 8.

The reflex viewfinder was working out very difficult, problematic and very expensive, we have now used a beam splitter prism, I was told that having a beamsplitter would affect the flange focus distance but I can’t see that and don't know of an adverse impact if any the beamsplitter will have. For instance Bolex have reflex lenses for their cameras that have a beamsplitter. I know both the Leicina Special and the [Mekel] VIC SP-1 Cine-8 have interchangeable lenses and beamsplitters similar systems for the viewfinder, but is the flange focus distance different?

P

[Simon Lucas]

We're almost ready to show off our new camera and are getting photographs taken of the new camera and will post them soon. As I said on the website every so often there have been discussions about whether there should be new Super 8 camera, but nothing really happens.

I see from your site that you are busy making a film right now, but I'd love to see and hear more about the Super 8 camera you have made.