Brian Foxx Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 Hello! I'm new to the forum, but I have made several student films before... I have a question, I want to try and experiment with a Super 8 camera. I don't have any idea what are the best Super 8's out there, but I would like something with an alright zoom, cheap (under $70), and that records good audio... Does anybody know of any cameras in that description? Thanks, Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Matthew W. Phillips Posted April 28, 2014 Premium Member Share Posted April 28, 2014 No Super8 cams are capable of audio anymore since sound film isnt made or processed. You will have to record audio separately. My favorite camera was always the Elmo 1012S-XL. It has 24 fps option (which you want for sound and cinema look), nice zoom, 1 fps option, and is fairly quiet if you find one in good shape. They are far cheaper, generally, than the other "great" Super 8 cams like the Beaulieu 4008/5008/6008/etc or Leicina Special, or even the Canon 1014. That is my recommendation on the cheap. Won't find better bang for your buck for S8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Matthew W. Phillips Posted April 28, 2014 Premium Member Share Posted April 28, 2014 Another option is this one, the Elmo 612. It is the same as the 1012s-xl except it doesnt have the long zoom. Awesome camera for the price and the red-headed stepchild so its cheaper. I would grab this ASAP if I were you. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Elmo-Super-8-Sound-612S-XL-8mm-Movie-Camera-w-Elmo-8-5-51mm-f-1-2-Zoom-Lens-/131168832396?pt=US_Movie_Slide_Projectors&hash=item1e8a458b8c Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andries Molenaar Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 Considering the price per minute of filming you might want to consider if $70 is the fitting amount for a camera. If you wreck a film it really costs you ;( Nevertheless. Enjoy! Films on a budget: http://www.internationalfilmbroker.com/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart McLain Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 (edited) Talking price about super 8 cameras is a little tricky. Sure, some cameras are well known and always fetch hundreds of dollars - certain Canons, Nikons, Beaulieu etc. And there are definitely people out there who will put an outlandish price tag on a not-so-good camera they are trying to sell because they know other super 8's have gone for lots of dough or they're trying to cash in on the cachet of "vintage cool" or something. However, if you keep your eye out you can still find good cameras for not a whole lot. Most of mine I paid less than $50 for. One Bolex was free. Another late model and very feature-laden Chinon was $10. Generally, this is what I look for: Good glass (no fungus), manual exposure option, 24 fps, light meter that doesn't require mercury vapor batteries, and clean battery and cartridge compartments. Test it with batteries and make sure it doesn't squeak or grind when operated. Of course, I'm always willing to sacrifice one or two of these options depending on the camera (Unless you're talking fungus. Stay away from fungus). It just depends. http://super8wiki.com/index.php/Main_Page is a great resource for specific camera info. Edited May 5, 2014 by Stewart McLain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart McLain Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 I guess since you asked for camera suggestions I should also add that I have generally found Canon and Minolta cameras to be reliable and have quality lenses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Stevens Posted May 10, 2014 Share Posted May 10, 2014 The higher end 8mm cameras have seen their going rate crash the last year. The Canon 1014 XL-S has taken a beating. The Nikon R10 not far behind it. They are being dumped on eBay constantly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Matthew W. Phillips Posted May 10, 2014 Premium Member Share Posted May 10, 2014 I still have a fondness for Super 8. Not so much because of the price because it is still expensive (film+process+transfer) but the easy loading, in daylight no less. Shooting 16 and 35 is so "scary" because you have to worry about anything and everything. S8 is more like pop in the cartridge and get some footage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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