Jim Hoene Posted December 25, 2006 Share Posted December 25, 2006 Can someone fill me in on the features and capabilities of the Bell & Howell 1222 Soundstar PZ? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hoene Posted December 27, 2006 Author Share Posted December 27, 2006 Can someone fill me in on the features and capabilities of the Bell & Howell 1222 Soundstar PZ? Thanks. Wow, this must be an obscure one. I can't find hardly anything on the net either. I know soundfilm is obsolete so I hope this can use readily available cartridges. I wondered if anyone knew what fps settings this has. For some reason I am fearful that it is only 18fps. Thanks for anything Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hoene Posted December 28, 2006 Author Share Posted December 28, 2006 I guess that since this was a sound recording model it must have 24fps...doh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Buick Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 http://super8wiki.com/index.php/Bell_and_H...22_Soundstar_PZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Alessandro Machi Posted December 28, 2006 Premium Member Share Posted December 28, 2006 Wow, this must be an obscure one. I can't find hardly anything on the net either. I know soundfilm is obsolete so I hope this can use readily available cartridges..... Sound cameras are always backwards compatible, meaning they can use silent cartridges as well as sound. So that is a good upside. One potential downside is a sound camera may have less "fun features" and options because it is a sound camera. For instance, a sound camera will usually have 24 frames per second (except for some Elmo and Chinon sound cameras) but it will usually have less of a slow motion speed (presumeably because of the sound head), or may have no slow motion capability at all, and the sound cameras are usually more bulky. So there are advantages and disadvantages. Sound cameras are generally newer cameras as well because silent cameras came out well before sound cameras were introduced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hoene Posted December 28, 2006 Author Share Posted December 28, 2006 Thanks for acknowledging the existence of my question. I was beginning to worry. I tried Super8Wiki and they had like 3 bits of info that dont help me too much being a novice. Lens: / 11 - 33 mm 18fps Manual / Auto Zoom Cable release socket Auto Recording Level Control Sound Camera 6 X AA batteries Aren't all sound cameras equipped for 24fps? And I guess that lens isn't too spectacular either. Does anyone have that Juergen guy's camera book that could look this one up? Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Buick Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 (edited) I added the ''18fps'' section because I wanted to bulk out the info I was giving you, obviously all Super 8 Cameras can do 18fps. Sorry, :( Matthew Buick. EDIT : Tis corredted. :D Edited December 28, 2006 by Matthew Buick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hoene Posted December 28, 2006 Author Share Posted December 28, 2006 I added the ''18fps'' section because I wanted to bulk out the info I was giving you, obviously all Super 8 Cameras can do 18fps. Sorry, :( Matthew Buick. EDIT : Tis corredted. :D Thanks, I was surprised to see the 18fps line since I looked yesterday and it was not there then. Are you saying it only has the one frame rate? Thanks Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Alessandro Machi Posted December 28, 2006 Premium Member Share Posted December 28, 2006 Thanks, I was surprised to see the 18fps line since I looked yesterday and it was not there then. Are you saying it only has the one frame rate? Thanks Jim Most sound cameras have a 24 frame per second option, but the cost savings of offering 18 frames per second were also a consideration, plus the camera will run quieter at 18 frames per second versus 24 frames per second. Some Elmo and Chinon cameras and I guess this Bell & Howell camera only have an 18 frames per second option. I've seen older cameras have a tiny speed selector switch located under the underside of the camera, it's not too common but you might want to check to see if there is a filming speed adjustment on your camera. Hopefully, besides 18 frames per second you have single frame capability as well. I don't mind shooting at 18 frames per second and you get an additional 50 seconds of shooting per cartridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hoene Posted December 28, 2006 Author Share Posted December 28, 2006 Most sound cameras have a 24 frame per second option, but the cost savings of offering 18 frames per second were also a consideration, plus the camera will run quieter at 18 frames per second versus 24 frames per second. Some Elmo and Chinon cameras and I guess this Bell & Howell camera only have an 18 frames per second option. I've seen older cameras have a tiny speed selector switch located under the underside of the camera, it's not too common but you might want to check to see if there is a filming speed adjustment on your camera. Hopefully, besides 18 frames per second you have single frame capability as well. I don't mind shooting at 18 frames per second and you get an additional 50 seconds of shooting per cartridge. Yeah, someone posted a thread about a Yashica xl20 (or 20xl) that was a sound camera with only 18fps. I dont have access to the camera right now to check for a speed selector. I just cant believe that a company like Bell & Howell would produce a sound camera presumably in the mid-to-late 70's with only 18fps. I know Bell & Howell is not considered one of the great camera makers in the Super8 gauge but even my dad's old "Two-twenty" circa 1953 had at least 9 and 18fps. Your point about the quietness of the camera at 18fps v. 24fps makes sense, particularly for a low end sound camera which probably has a built-in mic or one of those little "boom" mikes. Still, isn't 18fps below the "flicker threshold"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Buick Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Are you saying it only has the one frame rate? No no, of course not, I was just trying to bulk out the data on that camera (since there wasn't a lot when I arrived) every Super 8 has 18fps, so I added that, I know now that Super 8 Sound Cameras are equipped with 24fps so I have since added that. Happy shooting. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hoene Posted December 28, 2006 Author Share Posted December 28, 2006 No no, of course not, I was just trying to bulk out the data on that camera (since there wasn't a lot when I arrived) every Super 8 has 18fps, so I added that, I know now that Super 8 Sound Cameras are equipped with 24fps so I have since added that. Happy shooting. :D Very good-thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Buick Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 You're welcome. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Tobin Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 ...For instance, a sound camera will usually have 24 frames per second... Not in my experience. I have owned about six different super-8 sound cameras made by Kodak, Elmo, Sankyo and possibly others that I have forgotten about. Not one of them had the 24 FPS speed available. I have also transferred a lot of old super-8 sound film to video, and none that I can recall was filmed at 24. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Alessandro Machi Posted December 29, 2006 Premium Member Share Posted December 29, 2006 Not in my experience. I have owned about six different super-8 sound cameras made by Kodak, Elmo, Sankyo and possibly others that I have forgotten about. Not one of them had the 24 FPS speed available. I have also transferred a lot of old super-8 sound film to video, and none that I can recall was filmed at 24. It's really an economy issue, at 18 frames per second, a 50 foot cartridge lasts 3 minutes and 20 seconds, or 200 seconds, at 24 frames per second, a 50 foot sound cartridge lasts 2 minutes and 30 seconds, or 150 seconds. Gaining 50 seconds while quieting the camera and also gaining 1/3 stop of sensitivity are all good reasons to shoot at 18. I was very happy with the look I got when I shot on 500T at 18 frames per second. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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