Purchasing 5 Super 8 cameras

[John Adolfi]

I got an idea for a summer camp venture. I'll give the teen 5 loaded cameras to do what they want with one roll after 30 minutes of instruction. then develop it and show all 5 rolls in a drive in like format showing. My question is if you were purchasing 5 cameras, which lower end cameras would you buy?

[Alessandro Machi]

I got an idea for a summer camp venture. I'll give the teen 5 loaded cameras to do what they want with one roll after 30 minutes of instruction. then develop it and show all 5 rolls in a drive in like format showing. My question is if you were purchasing 5 cameras, which lower end cameras would you buy?

 

I think the Elmo brand is the friendliest camera for beginners. They made a ton of lower end zoom range cameras such as the 312, 412, and their 200 series cameras were all basic models but durable cameras as well. If I am recalling correctly virtually all Elmo Super-8 cameras have both automatic exposure along with an easy to use manual exposure override and an easy to see F-stop guage in the viewfinder.

[Jim Carlile]

I think the Elmo brand is the friendliest camera for beginners. They made a ton of lower end zoom range cameras such as the 312, 412, and their 200 series cameras were all basic models but durable cameras as well. If I am recalling correctly virtually all Elmo Super-8 cameras have both automatic exposure along with an easy to use manual exposure override and an easy to see F-stop guage in the viewfinder.

 

I'd avoid the older Elmo silent cameras. The meters are almost always broken.

 

Get the later Elmo sound cameras-- they are perfect for silent filming. Big, hefty, extremely reliable, cheap. They're like a real movie camera.

 

Look for the 350SL, the 230, 240, 260. There are thousands of them around--they were big sellers. You won't do any better. They're always on EBAY.

[Nick Norton]

I'd go with the Canon 518 Auto Zoom.

 

Has auto exposure, manual overide, zoom lens and is very easy to find on ebay for about $20-$40.