Double 8mm Perforation... Again

[Jon O'Brien]

In my opinion Super 8 has two benefits over Regular 8.

1) For weddings it's beautifully fast to load a new cartridge. The chances of something going wrong seem, to me, roughly about equal with Regular 8 (cartridge jamming as opposed to double 8 film 'unspooling' or doing something equally horrific in the film compartment). But I could be wrong about that.

2) The slightly jittery look of Super 8 where the image kind of dances up and down a bit is actually, these days, a bit of a charming feature which lets all seeing the image know that, yes, this is indeed real film and not just a slightly low res video with grain added (even though you can add this effect digitally, in post).

In some ways though I wonder if Regular 8 is cheaper. But I've decided to go the Super 8 route. Or, that is, to go back to it, since Super 8 is where I started. I intend to offer Super 8 mainly for wedding cinematography.

Edited July 12, 2023 by Jon O'Brien

[Simon Wyss]

-I know a number of Regular 8-mm. projectors that outperform the vast majority of Super-8 projectors. They have a higher light-dark ratio, better mechanics, and sometimes better lenses.

What is not on the market is a clear-base low-speed panchromatic black-and-white reversal stock. Fomapan R is an ISO 100 film reverse processed. Ektachrome is an ISO 100 film E-6 processed. From 1932 to 1961 Double-Eight stocks were ISO 10 to 40. Early Kodachrome had 10 ASA*. Panatomic-X reversal ASA 32, Agfa Isopan ISS ASA 64. Gevaert Microgran ASA 40 (27 Scheiner). In view of 400 times magnification upon projection (easily) and many camera lenses with stops not beyond f/16 something like Adox CMS 20 would suit well. It might thus be worthwhile to contact Mirko Böddecker of Fotoimpex for a talk about cooperation. I would be willing to think about manufacturing a small butt welder for 8-mm. film in case polyester-base CMS 20 comes as 2 × 8.

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* At the change from DIN/10-ASA to a new ASA system about a doubling of nominal speed came into being, therefore ISO and ASA figures cannot be held against each other across the 1961 line.

[Jon O'Brien]

7 hours ago, Simon Wyss said:

-I know a number of Regular 8-mm. projectors that outperform the vast majority of Super-8 projectors. They have a higher light-dark ratio, better mechanics, and sometimes better lenses.

Yes I wouldn't doubt that. That's the good thing about Regular 8: generally, the cameras and projectors are on average better made. Though, Super 8 cameras on ebay can come at a very low price.

The other good thing about Super 8, which I should have put in my list above, is that the very name "Super 8" seems to have great meaning to younger people these days. It's the magic word that conjurs images of real film .... and all that.

[okto simaia]

On 8/6/2021 at 6:38 PM, U.G. Wilson said:

Hello, I'm new here.  I'm an crazed engineer with a machine shop who likes shooting Double 8mm.

Hey, I'm a crazed machinist with an engineering shop who wants to perforate 16mm microfilm! Let's team up.

I was going at this from an entirely different direction: my thought was to try to 3D print punches for fitting to a sprocket wheel in e.g. a synchronizer, since I wouldn't need a perforator that operates at anything close to commercial speeds or efficiencies. If I have to replace a set of teeth every 200' I would be fairly happy.

Have you made any progress since this thread was started?

[Sandy McLennan]

If a working machine comes out of this discussion I'd love to be a patron buying some Double 8mm film stock or perhaps be a kickstarter contributor to help get it going. Not looking for large quantities, just want to see perforation of 16mm film available in the world.