New Handbbok about SUPER 8

Jurgen Lossau · May 25, 2011

Dear friends of Super 8,

it took a while - but now it has been finished: The new handbook about filming with SUPER 8 will hit the market in a few days ;) Here you can see the table of contents:

01. Let’s get started – 17 insider tips for absolute beginners

02. Inventors and their creations – A tangle of film formats

03. You can’t avoid theory completely – What’s inside a movie camera?

04. Let the fun begin – Choosing the right camera

05. The agony of choice – Which film for your camera?

06. Camera ready, film loaded – Shooting with Super 8

07. Follow the doctor’s orders – Keep your camera running and running and running

08. Doing it yourself can be fun – Dazzling development!

09. From analog to digital – Scanning Super 8

10. Snip, snip – Cutting, splicing and viewing

11. The real thing – Choosing the right projector

12. Fit for the future – Film care and storage

13. Submit your film – Super 8 festivals and competitions

14. Labs, Shops and Internet sites from – The Super 8 Universe

15. Super 8 Market – Small format shopping

SUPER 8 has 290 pages, hard cover, with more than 200 colour photos and illustrations, ISBN 978-3-938619-03-2. Have a look at some pages on http://en.atollmedien.de/SUPER8 If there are any questions, don't hesitate to ask me...

Edited May 25, 2011 by Jürgen Lossau

Jurgen Lossau · June 4, 2011

Hi,

the new handbook SUPER 8 is out - finally. All pre-orders have been shipped yesterday.

Jurgen Lossau · June 14, 2011

For all overseas small format fans: the handbook SUPER 8 is available on eBay for a special US $ rate, shipping from Hamburg takes only one week: My link

christophernigel · June 22, 2011

Hi Jurgen,

Just got my copy of super8 , the book very nice ,

can see that alot of love when in to this book! keep up the good work ,

Very much worth it and good value for 39.00 euros .

Jurgen Lossau · July 15, 2011

Here are the first reviews from the readers of the book SUPER 8:

Everything you always wanted to know about super8 but were afraid to ask. Or all you can possibly eat super8! A new fresh made book that covers all aspects of making a super8 movie, what more do you want?

Frank Bruinsma, Super 8 Reversal Lab, The Netherlands

The book is beautiful - of the highest quality. I also like to see that the book is relatively small so that it can be easily toted around as an on-set reference/resource (like LA-411). Some of the information you put in on slice tape, splicers, cement, etc was even used to update our website with more accurate information!

Your book really delves into where to go for any and all services that can be very difficult to find - very good for resources. It also provides current information on what films, splicers, tapes, etc are available and where to get most of them with hints on performance. I also see very detailed info on many cameras with tips on what to look for. Plus detailed charts on all the film formats I can think of (very nice)! I also enjoyed reading about film storage options.

In addition, if the book price is low enough I think it may be worth showing to a few colleges I know of. You want this since college texts are normally a mandatory purchase for all students. But, the colleges will only go for it if the books are not too expensive.

Doug Thomas, Spectra Film & Video, North Hollywood, CA, USA

Here’s good news for anyone who is interested in using real film because it answers all those important questions that a prospective film maker might ask themselves.

For example... "How is film different than video? How do I find the right camera? What film stocks are available today? There are more than 30 types! Where and how is it developed? How can I do it myself? Who should I let repair my camera? How do I maintain it? What digital scanners are available for Super 8?"

Taking it into the digital age it answers the questions: "How do I edit film on computer and use the additional possibilities it offers: Image stabilization, colour correction, film improvement with Avisynth?"

And then goes on to the nitty-gritty of: "How do I work with wet or tape splicers? What projectors are most efficient? Which competitions can I submit my film to?"

Adding, finally: "What I need to know about the history of film formats: 9.5 mm, 16 mm, 8 mm, Super 8, Double Super 8 and Single-8?"

Researched and written by Jürgen Lossau, the long time editor of 'Schmalfilm', he is well acquainted with both digital and analog media and produces this book from a highly qualified background. It is in dual language for - English and German - printed on good quality paper with first-class descriptive illustrations throughout.

There is also a touch of humour in its chapter titles such as 'Follow the doctor’s orders – Keep your camera running and running and running'. Surely a book that should be in every film makers library, and you can find out more about it by clicking on the EITHER illustration.

Tony Shapps, London, United Kingdom

Wow! I thumbed through the new book and was excited! My compliments! Great design, clear structure, profound information. A must for all users of Super 8.

Daniel Wittner, Wittner Cinetec, Hamburg, Germany

Just got my copy of SUPER 8, the book very nice, can see that a lot of love went in to this book! Keep up the good work. Very much worth it and good value.

Christopher Nigel, USA

Great design and illustration as usual! Congratulations, looks like much work went into it.

William Montgomery, Dallas, Texas, USA

I just received my copy of SUPER 8 and have to say the book is very nicely designed, up-to-date, and quite comprehensive. Great job, Jürgen!

Glenn Brady, North Carolina, USA

Your book just arrived and I have only thumbed through it, but it looks FANTASTIC! Can’t wait to start reading it tonight! Congratulations!

Rhonda Vigeant, Pro8mm, USA

Congratulations on your new book, I hope it is a big success!

Joe Tuffis, Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, USA

I have received the book and it is an excellent effort. As someone who has been shooting home movies since the age of 12 rather than 16, I feel that I can make a couple of comments however: :-)

1. You say that ALL super-8 cameras have a daylight converion filter. Actually, this is not true. The later Kodak XL cameras (perhaps the "Our Gang" 340 and 360?) were made with no filter, to shoot only the Ektachrome 160 Type G film which was an ASA 160 daylight balanced film, not to be confused with the regular E160 which was tungsten. It had some sort of special sensitizing or low color saturation, so it only looked terrible instead of nauseatingly horrible when filming with tungsten light. ;-) I think this concept was an idiotic flop (if only because the user couldn't film with Kodachrome) and wasn't around long, perhaps it was never sold in Germany? Anyway most of the Kodak XL and Ektasound cameras no longer run, because the motor gear was made out of some rubbery plastic (or maybe plastic-y rubber) for quiet running, which decomposed into a powder with time.

2. You say that the Morse G3 processing tank has aluminum adjustable spools. It has been perhaps 40 years since I owned one, but I am positive that in mine they were stainless steel instead. Aluminum would be a poor choice owing to reacting with the chemicals, especially the bleach solution.

3. I think the separation of "scanners" from implied "sleazy projection devices" is an artificial one that does not necessarily reflect the results obtained. We have been told by several customers that our higher end TVT machines put out a far better picture than the 10x-20x the price Flashscan for example. They are just not intended to transfer from negative.

Clive Tobin, Tobin Cinema Systems, USA

Just ordered your SUPER 8 book. It looks fantastic and I can't wait to receive my copy. Funny enough I have just had my Nizo Professional fully serviced so news of your book is a timely reminder!

Matthew Johnson, London, United Kingdom

Woaw. I dreamed of it, and you did it!

Gabriel Goubet, Strasbourg, France

The E-Bay link for the book has changed: SUPER 8 on E-Bay

Dom Jaeger · July 15, 2011

Hi Jurgen,

any chance of a similar book on Standard 8?

The camera photos will be so much prettier.. :D

Jurgen Lossau · July 22, 2011

Hi Dom,

to be honest: I think the interest in Standard 8 is too small to publish a book about this format. But a lot of topics inside SUPER 8 are just as important for Standard 8/Double 8 filming as for Super 8. And all cameras of the Standard 8 era can be found in my book "The Catalog of Movie Cameras", please see: My link

Justin Donoghue · July 22, 2011

Got this book. It's brilliant. I particularly like the chapter on home development.

Martin Baumgarten · July 22, 2011

Anytime anyone publishes a book on such a technical topic as filmmaking and so diverse as the world of SUPER 8mm, there are bound to be some small errors of course. I'm sure this book is as wonderful as everything that has been coming off the presses at ATOLL MEDIA! I look forward to buying my own copy before too long.

Clive Tobin is correct though, not all Super 8 cameras have the built-in Daylight conversion filter. KODAK in their infinite 'wisdom' did offer several variations of their famous "XL" cameras that only allowed use of EKTACHROME 160 TYPE G (or TRI-X since it would fit into the camera and be exposed at ASA 160). The "Our Gang" cameras and the two numbered models, XL-33 and XL-55. All of these cameras actually have a small plastic notch piece to prevent using any other cartridge other than the EKTACHROME 160 Type G (but the TRI-X ones would fit). There is a workaround....and that was to cut a notch in the cartridge so it would fit into the camera, and then put an 85 Filter on the lens, AND a piece of it taped over the Exposure Meter Window. This would then allow use of EKTACHROME 160 Type A films or similar. Today, it's a moot point since as is stated...the neoprene rubber drive gears on those cameras crumbles to a mess with age and most no longer run. The cameras could still be used if a replacement gear were fitted though.

Other cameras without the Daylight Conversion Filter are:

BEAULIEU 6008S

BEAULIEU 6008 Pro

BEAULIEU 7008S

BEAULIEU 7008 Pro

BEAULIEU 9008S

BEAULIEU 9008 Pro

[The above Beaulieu cameras offered either a conversion filter built into the lens, or as a screwin filter, but NOT in the camera body]

and...

COMET plastic simple fixed lens camera with adjustable aperture settings

BENTLY B-3 plastic simple fixed lens and fixed aperture camera

BENTLY BX-720 (same camera as the COMET above)

and some other independant branded versions of the above plastic cheapo cameras.

The processing reels in the Morse G-3 tanks are made of stainless steel....and later in the Arkay G-3 and Doran G-3 versions, of plastic (and without the re-exposure window on the tank either). The stainless steel reels were made in two versions, one which only does 16mm and 35mm and the latter which has 3 positions for Super 8mm, 16mm and 35mm.