B&H 8mm 2143XL

Matthew Fuller · May 11, 2009

How goes it, everybody.

I'm completely new to the world of 8mm cameras but I am not new to the filmmaking world. I must say, I'm extremely excited with shooting my next film completely on 8mm.

Now the questions and concerns.

I found my parents old Bell & Howell 2143 XL over the weekend. This camera is in brand new condition. Original Box, Original Pamphlets/ registration slips/ warranty slips...etc. It's just as if they bought it yesterday.

Here's a pic of the model I have... http://www.super8shop.com/bell_howel_2143_2.jpg

Now, I see it only shoots at 18fps and 1fps. I'm obviously going to shoot the film on 18fps. Will this effect me in any way. I know the standard film frame rate is 24 or 23.97 technically. But if I am shooting at 18 will that make it look weird? Will it make it look oddly fast moving?

Also will this effect me when I record audio on a dat recorder (or whatever I decide to use)?..

Those are my main concerns on the camera itself.

---FOOTAGE Concern---

Upon finding my parent's camera I also found the projector and it was like new in the original box as well. I took it out, fired it up and watched old movies from the late 70's and early 80's... Home videos. The footage didn't look that great. So here is my concern. How do people get such crisp, good looking footage? Is it because when they get it processed they are getting it transferred onto mini-dv, etc. By getting it transferred to something like that (which I plan to do) will the clarity look a bit better than watching it projected off of a wall?

I've seen some footage/shorts of people's 8mm films on here and they look really good. How do they achieve this with an 8mm and not have it looking like those crappy old 8mm home movies?

Thanks!

Jim Carlile · May 13, 2009

That's a good camera-- it's made by Chinon. It wasn't cheap when it was new.

18 fps is fine-- it will look good when transferred. Because you are going to mix your soundtrack later on it doesn't matter the speed.

Most people are posting VISION film results, which is very sharp and nice. Set the eyepiece accurately and watch the focusing, and you will get good results no matter the film. Not sure what you mean by crappy--it should look kind of cool.

Matthew Fuller · May 18, 2009

That's a good camera-- it's made by Chinon. It wasn't cheap when it was new.

18 fps is fine-- it will look good when transferred. Because you are going to mix your soundtrack later on it doesn't matter the speed.

Most people are posting VISION film results, which is very sharp and nice. Set the eyepiece accurately and watch the focusing, and you will get good results no matter the film. Not sure what you mean by crappy--it should look kind of cool.

Thank you for the reply.

Good deal. I was really worried about the whole 18fps deal. Yes, I'll be doing all audio and sound in post so I guess I'll be okay in that department. I'm going to pick up a cartridge and do some shooting tests. I'm in the process of finishing up the script for my Sci-Fi Opus so I might as well test, test and do some more tests.

Tom Houston · May 18, 2009

Thank you for the reply.

Good deal. I was really worried about the whole 18fps deal. Yes, I'll be doing all audio and sound in post so I guess I'll be okay in that department. I'm going to pick up a cartridge and do some shooting tests. I'm in the process of finishing up the script for my Sci-Fi Opus so I might as well test, test and do some more tests.

Matthew,

Buy some Ektachrome 64T and shoot it in your camera. Then take it to your local WalMart and have them process it for $6.88 per roll. Do this a few times to get the hang of the particular camera you're using and to see the results before you take the step toward shooting the Negative type Vision2/3 series stocks. At some point if you're serious about Super8 you'll want to consider a telecine machine to get all of your reversal only stocks into the computer. You can also do Negative with some work as well but it's a little more involved. I've shot some test footage from several cameras I own and put it up on YouTube for reference. Check them out at: http://www.youtube.com/user/thouston314159

If you need some telecine done to get you started, send me a PM and I'll do it for you at no cost.

Jonathan Betz · May 25, 2009

Tom, I just tried to pm you but I got an error message. Anyway here's my message. Sorry if you got it twice:

Given your posts here, it seems like you're the one to ask for transfer advice. I guess I have a few questions:

1. What does the telecine process involve and in what form must the film be in?

2. Is it possible to transfer a film that I have already cut with a bunch of clips? (here's a link to the little film I edited together to practice linear editing and s8 filming with my Canon 814:

Also, as a side note, I used ektachrome 64t and an 85 orange filter, but it seems like the footage is a bit yellow. Does it look normal to you for super8 or do you think i've screwed up somehow? My camera has a daylight filter build in, but I believe I had it turned off. I read somewhere that I shouldn't use the built-in filter and that i should attach my own, but I'm curious to know what you think.

3. How much should it cost to purchase telecine equipment and would an at-home setup produce results equal to the processing houses that charge big bucks?

4. If I purchase a telecine machine, can it do HD or just SD?

I am just getting into s8 and I would really like to get my footage onto the computer. Any help would be greatly appreciated. - Jon

Luca Furgiuele · June 5, 2009

Matthew,

Buy some Ektachrome 64T and shoot it in your camera. Then take it to your local WalMart and have them process it for $6.88 per roll. Do this a few times to get the hang of the particular camera you're using and to see the results before you take the step toward shooting the Negative type Vision2/3 series stocks. At some point if you're serious about Super8 you'll want to consider a telecine machine to get all of your reversal only stocks into the computer. You can also do Negative with some work as well but it's a little more involved. I've shot some test footage from several cameras I own and put it up on YouTube for reference. Check them out at: http://www.youtube.com/user/thouston314159

If you need some telecine done to get you started, send me a PM and I'll do it for you at no cost.

will walmart really process super8 footage??

i never thought about that truthfully, or is this a USA only thing? (i'm in canada)