Retro Thing

Ingmar Bergman's Super 8 Camera

This Canon 814 Auto Zoom Super 8 camera belonged to legendary Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman. It hits the auction block on September 28, 2009, along with dozens of other items from his estate.

The camera is nothing special, but wouldn't you love to see the home movies he shot? They're probably fairly normal stuff, except for uncle Olaf's awkward habit of dressing up as the grim reaper and cutting the roast beef with a scythe. All kidding aside, film buffs might be interested in the set of 31 chess pieces that look suspiciously like those featured in The Seventh Seal. Poetically, the white king is missing.

The Canon 814 camera is expected to fetch between € 150 and € 200, including a leather case and Linhof tripod. Absentee bids are accepted for those unable to attend the auction at Bukowski's in Stockholm. Other movie cameras and projectors are up for bids, including a complete Arriflex set.

Ingmar Bergman's Canon 814 Auto Zoom [via OnSuper8]

Zi8: Kodak's Newest Home Movie Camera

Forgive me for digressing into the heretical world of digital imagery, but this is worth a mention. The new Kodak Zi8 is a remarkably good little pocket video camera. It shoots 1080p/720p, has an external mic jack (for those who understand that decent audio is critical to making a video "look good") and includes a macro mode for crisp close-up shots.

Not bad for $180.

I can hear the "professionals" in the back row whimpering about the lack of optical zoom, manual exposure and focusing, but the truth is that 95% of buyers rarely use anything but auto mode. This little gadget fits most people's needs perfectly.

Finally - 45 years after the development of Super 8 - Kodak is back at the top of their game with the kind of no-frills movie camera they became famous for. Let's hope the Zi8 is just the tip of the iceberg. I never thought I'd say this, but perhaps it's time to get my hands on a new Kodak.

Kodak Digital Video Cameras

Tondo Super 8 Projector Proves The 1970s Were Curvier

Let's not mince words; the Italian Tondo 8mm projector is a mechanical work of art. Made possible by the wonders of ABS plastic, G.L. Cernuschi's Tondo Junior CT1 Super 8 projector was released in 1969. It was followed a year later by the CT80 (above + below), which accepted both Super 8 and Regular 8mm formats and came in dashingly modern red, green or blue.

Of course, the toy-like design virtually ensured that these little machines would never be taken seriously by die-hard collectors, especially since manufacturer Polistil got its start in the early 1960s molding plastic model cars. Nevertheless, the cheery Tondo lineup proved irresistible throughout Europe and remained on the market until the mid-1970s.

With designs like this, it's no wonder that futurists in the 1970s envisioned people of the 21st century living in a streamlined plastic world. Little did they know we'd just end up lounging around graffiti-infested housing projects, quietly caressing our sleek iPhones while wondering where the future went.

The Tondo Super 8 Projector [DC Hiller]

related:
Clairtone: Vintage Canadian Hi-Fi
The Muplet Super 8 Projector

My Chemical Romance

When Super 8 film burst onto the moviemaking scene in 1965, it was a breath of fresh air. The format was designed to be as simple as possible - pop a cartridge into the camera, point and shoot. The world had never seen anything like it, and the resulting Super 8 revolution heavily influenced several generations of filmmakers and amateur movie buffs.

The simplicity of the technology helped to assure its long-term success, and the affordability of the format encouraged millions of eager filmmakers to experiment. Some even said it was magical. And - twenty five years after the "end" of Super 8 - this enchanted format continues to cast a powerful spell.

The Super 8 industry collapsed almost overnight in the early 1980s. I was a young and impressionable teenager when the army of sleek VCRs and camcorders rudely elbowed their way into homes around the world. Super 8 instantly became quaint and old-fashioned. Video, on the other hand, offered instant gratification and predictable results - just like a trip to McDonald's for a quick bite to eat.

Manufacturers shifted their focus to the new electronic technology immediately. Those that couldn't - Bell & Howell, Eumig, Elmo, Chinon and dozens of others - vanished. The film era had come to a sudden and premature end. Worse still, we had unwittingly stumbled into a technological dark age.

Fuji Announces The End of Single-8 Movie Film

Fuji Film has formally announced the end of Single-8 motion picture film. You have less than a year to purchase RT200N (tungsten balanced 200 ASA), which will be gone by May 2010. Fujichrome R25N (daylight balanced 25 ASA) will remain available until March 2012. Fuji's in-house processing service will continue until September 2013, giving you lots of time to capture your memories on this venerable vintage format.

Single-8 cartridge film was introduced in 1965 and was intended to compete with Kodak's famed Super 8 format. It didn't enjoy much success outside Japan, even though it was technically the better format. Unlike Super 8, it could be shot backwards and uses an in-camera metal film pressure plate that captures more stable footage than Kodak's plastic design.

Fuji Film Announces The End of Single-8 Movie Film [via OnSuper8]

eBay: Beaulieu 6008S Super 8 Camera

The French Beaulieu 6008 S is one of the best Super 8 cameras ever made. These high-end devices were manufactured from 1979 -1983, right at the end of the Super 8 era. This particular unit includes a tack-sharp Schneider Kreuznach f/1.4 6-70mm zoom lens, as equipped from the factory.

The 6008 S includes a time-lapse intervalometer (see the auction description for potential issues), guillotine variable shutter, a wide range of frame rates from 4-56 fps, single frame mode (for stop-motion), macro capability, manual/auto focus, and manual/auto zoom.

The auction includes the original charger (220V European plug), earphone, box and manual remote. Of course, the best thing about Beaulieu cameras (apart from their exceptional image quality) is that professional service is still available.

My conclusion? This camera looks nice and might sell for less than its worth because of the glitchy time-lapse circuit.

Beaulieu 6008s high end super 8 camera, like new! [eBay]

Where To Find Regular 8mm Film

Kodak still manufactures Super 8 film cartridges, but there are millions of older home movie cameras that need a steady diet of Regular 8mm film (also known as Standard 8mm or Double 8mm) on spools.

Luckily, John Schwind offers a variety of specially cut Kodak stocks to keep your vintage 8mm camera running. His prices are remarkably low - $10 for a 25ft spool of Cine-X 100 ASA B&W film, or $16 for Kodak's beautiful Ektachrome 100 D color reversal stock.

For the uninitiated, Regular 8mm film comes on 25 or 100 ft reels. The film is 16mm wide and you expose one half of the film before flipping it to expose the other half. The film is split down the middle after processing, leaving you with 8mm wide film strips that you can run through a projector.

Regular 8 cameras - even the beautiful Swiss-made Bolex H8 - often sell for next to nothing because their owners are under the illusion that film is no longer available.

John Schwind: International Film Brokers

Then & Now: Kodak Movie Cameras

The Kodak Zoom 8 Reflex retailed for $190 in 1960 (the equivalent of $1350 today). It shot 25 ft reels of Regular 8mm film at 16 fps, using a clockwork motor that required winding every 40 seconds or so. You could only film for about 2 minutes before having to flip the reels to expose the other half of the silent film.

Fast forward 49 years and Kodak is set to introduce the Zx1 ($149.95). This weather resistant solid state camera shoots 720p video at 60 or 30 fps. It accepts SDHC cards, storing up to 10 hours of video on a single 16 GB flash card.

Unlike the old Zoom 8, it has no optical zoom capability. However, the Zx1 includes a 2" LCD for instant playback (try that with film) and comes in black, red, pink, blue and yellow. The package includes editing software, an HDMI video cable and AA Ni-MH batteries with charger. The Zx1 should hit stores in March 2009.

The big question: Is this truly progress?

Kodak Zx1: tiny, weather-resistant 720p camcorder [CrunchGear]

Kodak Introduces New Super 8 Film

Forty-three years after launching the Super 8 home movie format, Kodak has quietly released Vision3 500T color negative film in Super 8 cartridges. Vision3 is Kodak's newest line of professional motion picture film. Unlike the old Kodachrome and Ektachrome home movie films, Vision3 500T is a state of the art tungsten light balanced film intended for digital transfer rather than projection.

Vision3 500T is a replacement for Kodak's popular Vision2 series. It incorporates Advanced Dye Layering Technology (DLT) to reduce shadow grain and provide higher signal-to-noise ratios when scanning low light scenes. The new film retains the overall look and image structure of its predecessor while offering extended highlight latitude, offering as much as two f-stops of highlight detail to avoid blown-out details.

By adding Vision3 500T to their lineup, Kodak continues their recent trend of positioning Super 8 film as the "gateway drug" for aspiring young filmmakers. Of course, Super 8 also serves as a mainstay for professionals seeking the unique look of 8mm film in modern productions.

I admit to being an incurable retro junkie. With that in mind, it’s worth making Super 8 part of your digital image arsenal. Even though few Super 8 cameras have been manufactured since the early 1980s, Kodak still offers a solid lineup of color and black & white film for as little as $10.59 per 50 foot cartridge (which lasts 2 minutes and 30 seconds). Once you start shooting motion picture film, there’s no turning back — there’s something addictive about the sight of genuine film grain and the way film responds to light.

Cameras are inexpensive and plentiful on eBay. You should expect to pay under $100 for a well-equipped device that can shoot at a “professional” speed of 24 frames per second and offers useful options such as slow-motion and timelapse. In fact, the ability to shoot film at a variety of speeds is one of its strongest benefits.

Once you’ve captured images on film, there’s no need to haul out a clunky old projector. Many companies offer pro-quality film to video transfers, starting at around $20 per reel. You can even purchase excellent video transfer equipment for under $1400. Once your film has been copied to miniDV tape you can manipulate it using all of your favorite video editing software.

Announcing KODAK VISION3 500T Color Negative Film [via filmshooting.com]

Gakken's Upcoming 8mm Movie Camera Kit

We first got word of a Gakken Single-8 movie camera kit in March 2008, in the form of some intriguing prototype pics (below). We also heard rumors that the company was uncertain about its release because of the limited amount of Fujifilm Single-8 movie film still available. Fuji produced a final production run of their R25N and RT200N color Single-8 films several years ago. They anticipated this inventory would be enough to meet user demand for 5 years. However, long-time Single-8 users could find themselves without Fuji-manufactured film sooner than anticipated if Gakken releases this camera.

We were understandably surprised when Francesco Fondi at HobbyMedia showed us a couple of images from the June 2008 Tokyo Toy Show that included the prototype camera on display. He followed up with Gakken, and confirmed that the company has plans to release the camera sometime next spring.

Gakken's Single-8 camera design is the essence of simplicity. The Single-8 cartridge format was Fujifilm's answer to Kodak's popular Super 8 design - both films share the same physical dimensions, although they come in differently shaped cartridges. This means that any Single-8 film can be projected using a Super 8 projector. The camera is powered by a single AA battery and accepts 15m film cartridges, which last 3 minutes when shooting at 18 frames per second. The viewfinder is a simple gun sight mechanism on the side panel and the lens aperture is set manually. There's no zoom and it doesn't record sound.

All in all, this is not an impressive cinematographic device - even by the standards of the mid 1960s. That said, it is the first newly designed 8mm camera in over two decades and I can't wait to get my hands on one!

related:
Gakken's Super 8 Projector Kit
Fuji Single-8 Movie Film Outruns The Grim Reaper
Movie Making With Fuji Single-8: Better than Kodak?

A New Chaplin Movie

Award-winning cinematographer Carlo Piaget recently shot his 10-minute film Circus on a 1918 Bell & Howell 2709 camera once used by silent screen legend Charlie Chaplin. The project came about after a chance meeting with Chaplin's son Eugène, who also stars in the film.

"Circus opens in a foggy city as an agitated man is distracted by his mobile phone. He stumbles and finds himself pulled into a seemingly deserted circus. He glimpses a dancer, then a magician (Eugène Chaplin) hypnotises him via a spiral of zoetrope images. When the man wakes up, the circus has vanished but a circular mark on the ground and the music on his phone prove that his experience wasn’t a dream."

Before filming, Piaget painstakingly disassembled and restored the 90-year-old camera and located a set of vintage motion picture lenses. The unmodified camera had to be hand-cranked. Vintage silent films were usually shot at 16 frames per second, but Piaget chose the modern rate of 24 fps (although some scenes were shot slower for dramatic effect), requiring three rotations per second.

Rather than attempting to duplicate the distressed look of vintage film, Circus was carefully photographed on modern black & white Kodak negative film. It was then printed onto color stock with a range of monochromatic tints. The result is a modern re-imagining of silent-era cinematography.

At the end of the day, Piaget was impressed by the performance of the ancient Bell & Howell, “Others have shot films with old equipment, but with more or less modified cameras and newer lenses. This particular camera, the lenses and accessories are all 100% genuine. This little film is a love story between two objects of different ages and a good example of film’s universal compatibility.” [thanks, John Terendy!]

related:
For Sale: Charlie Chaplin's Movie Camera (another unrestored camera)

Soviet Movie Camera Starlets

Soviet movie cameras have an aesthetic style reminiscent of medium caliber machine guns or bomb sights. To add to their mystique, the controls are thoughtfully marked in Klingon. What's not to love?

First to strut her stuff on the Retro Thing catwalk is Miss Zenit K-3M. Born in the Moscow suburb of Krasnogorsk in 1990, this 16mm Special Edition beauty features a high-tension clockwork motor and an elegant Meteor zoom lens. If you're gentle, she'll even let you unscrew it. She's intended for amateur use, so expect her to be somewhat noisy in action. Still, she has a certain exotic charm that'll have your friends wanting to check out her viewfinder and loop formers when you're not looking.

It's unclear whether the K-3M went into large-scale production, since they're few and far between. This particular model was rescued from eBay by Jian Cyrus Farhoumand. It's not for sale.

Super 16 Filmmaking Goes Digital

Ikonoskop - Swedish makers of the diminutive A-cam Super 16mm movie camera - have unveiled their next camera, and it's revolutionary.

The € 6,950 ($9,800) A-cam dII digital motion picture camera features a 10.6 mm x 6 mm image sensor - the same size as a Super 16mm film frame. It captures uncompressed 1920 x 1080 pixel images in RAW format onto a proprietary 80GB solid-state memory cartridge capable of recording at 240MB/sec. That's twice as fast as its nearest competitor.

The camera can shoot at variable frame rates between 1 and 60 fps and captures 2 channel 48 kHz audio (good enough for many documentary applications).  It measures only 22 x 9 x 8 cm and weighs less than 1.5 kg with memory cartridge and battery. It can be equipped with various lens mounts including PL, Leica M, IMS and C-Mount (it ships with Ikonoskop's 9mm f/1.5 wide angle cine lens). The wide range of lens mounts is critical, since good cine lenses often cost many thousands of dollars. Compatibility means that independent filmmakers will be able to use their favorite lenses and rental companies will not have to purchase new optics.

Ikonoskop is currently taking pre-orders with production slated to start in "late 2008." If the image quality is up to snuff, the dII could prove to be a favorite camera for indie film production. It's bargain priced (for pro gear), extremely compact and gives filmmakers the option of printing to film without losing resolution or risking ugly compression artifacts.

I'm somewhat sad to see a vibrant young company like Ikonoskop step away from chemical film, but at the same time I'm excited to see them meld traditional filmmaking ideas with cutting-edge technology. Me want.

Ikonoskop A-cam dII - The camera loves you

The Agony Of Film Editing

Anyone who's edited a movie on film knows that it often feels like back-breaking work.  The torture chamber designers at Da-Brite introduced this home movie editor some time in the 30's.  It's design is so awkward that you'll quickly limp away from your edit session for an early appointment with your chiropractor.

As you can see, the Da-Brite is a very simple editor.  It's not intended that you' watch your whole movie on this device to make edit decisions (though I know masochistic editors who have).  After all, there's no screen or even a shutter inside the viewer.  Without a shutter the film just whizzes by your eye without conveying the illusion of images in motion.  So you have to make your edit choices elsewhere - probably using a projector.  Then you're ready to make your cuts with the Da-Brite.

The film travels through the eyepiece affair over a dim bulb (no jokes about your friendly film editor, please).  Then you use the built-in splicer to make your cuts.  You can also see the cutouts in the base where you slot in  bottles of film cement.  Though the Da-Brite is a very simplified editor, you can cut at the exact frame you want, but there's still no good way to test how your resulting edits flow.  You'll need to thread up your movie on a projector to really get an idea of how your edits are working.

Perhaps it's the early availability of these microscope styled editing devices that put home movie enthusiasts off of editing their films.  After trying to use this awkward device to execute just a few simple cuts, I can concur that editing movies on the Da-Brite is a genuine pain in the neck.

Related:

Kalart's bright red plastic film editor
Bolex cameras in the 21st century
Make your own microscope for one dollar

Capturing Super 8 With The Amazing Red One Camera

Our resident retrofood critic Giles Perkins has revealed a "pre-prototype" of what could turn out to be an amazing Super 8mm video transfer system. Matthew Greene is hard at work pairing the Red One Camera with the surprisingly affordable MovieStuff Video Workprinter. The result should be high-resolution single frame capture at up to 30 frames per second. The Red One supports resolutions up to 4K (4092 horizontal pixels), far outstripping the resolution and bit depth of Blu-ray hi-def video (and 8mm film, for that matter).

The MovieStuff Workprinter is a film projector modified to offer frame-by-frame digital capture. Unlike companies who recommend projecting film on the wall and videotaping the result, Moviestuff's equipment digitizes each movie frame sequentially using a digital camcorder connected to a Windows or Macintosh computer. Over 1000 units have been shipped, with prices starting at a mere $1395.

WorkPrinter owners usually mate their equipment with a decent standard definition prosumer camcorder, but Matthew Greene has chosen to integrate the Red One HD camera, which offers cinematic quality at a starting price of under $20,000 - a mere fraction of the price of comparable high-end digital cinema cameras. The Red One is capable of significantly outstripping the resolving power of Super 8 film, enabling HD transfer that captures the magical look and grain of Super 8.

I can't wait to see footage captured with this setup, which brilliantly combines technologies developed four decades apart.

Red One and Super 8mm at last! [onSuper8.org]