Shane C Collins

May I suggest the Elmo Super 110. Made in the early 70's. It has both automatic and manual controls. I have this camera and have been very pleased with it's performance, and sharp lens. It's one of the quietest cameras you will ever run. It will recognize all the modern reversal and negative stocks on the market today. Here's a link for the camera's spec. I'm also including a photo of the camera. 

Please note: The camera only uses 4 X AA batteries. There is no separate battery for the light meter, even though the link says so below. 

https://www.filmkorn.org/super8data/database/cameras_list/cameras_honeywell_elmo/honeywell_elmo_super_110.htm

James let me chime in on this subject. I've been shooting Standard 8 and Super 8 since 2005. Like others here, I've seen the price of Super 8 continue to rise in those 14 years. However, one must remember the fact Kodak re-released Ektachrome is in itself a miracle! The cost to produce this film has gone up since the days when Kodak axed the film back around 2012. They had to reformulate the chemistry, etc. Many of the chemicals they used on the previous Ektachrome 100D were no longer available. So start-up for them was not cheap. I've shot 2 rolls of the new Ektachrome and the results have been very nice! My most recent film was on vacation to the beach, etc. The colors, contrast, grain, and sharpness are superior to the old formula. I used a Eumig Viennette 8 to film my recent movie and the camera did not disappoint! I also increased the F-stop by a 1/2 a stop. I've found the new film needs a bit more light as well as a neutral density filter to really look nice! This film is in no way muddy, or grainy as others may have indicated. A good camera and shooting close to medium shots will yield excellent results! 

I will say the price of Super 8 is a lot to swallow, but I'm a hobbyist who only maybe shoots 2 to 3 rolls of Super 8 a year. That includes Tri-X and the new Ektachrome. The black and white Tri-X is also a nice stock with good resolution, and sharpness. Like you I only project! I feel to really see your films one needs to play the media the way it was intended. I'm also using a top of the line Canon Cine Projector T-1 with a very sharp F 1.0 lens and 150 watt bulb. I showed a movie just last night with some friends who were in the films. They were amazed how nice the new Ektachrome looked! Others who never saw projected film thought the whole experience of watching home movies this way was awesome! 

Hi Stephen, I did not have a scan done as I only project Super 8. I'm not a big fan of scanned Super 8 prints. I'm amazed how many people who shoot Super 8 never have the chance to see their movies projected. A good projector with a fast lens, and at least a 150 watt bulb can not be beat in my opinion. Although I do understand sometimes a scan is needed for documentaries, or someone who can't attend a projected screening. 

If your planning to shoot in sunny conditions I would highly recommend a neutral density filter. It is a must with this speed film. Once your camera has metered past F-16 sharpness really drops off. I'm even considering a filter that drops the F-stop by 2. The auto-exposure in my Eumig seemed to stay around F-16/11 for most shots. While this did produce nice images I feel a lower reading will yield even sharper images. The filter I am using now only drops the F-stop by 1. 

What I have noticed with the new Ektachrome is loss of detail in the shadows, if your not careful with exposure settings. I noticed this last year when I filmed scenes in a wooden area that had a mixture of shade and sun. Back then I didn't compensate, and allowed the camera to meter on it's own. As I mentioned above, with the Eumig Viennette 8, I set the exposure-slider open by a 1/2 of a stop. 

Just received back my processed roll of the new Ektachrome 100D from Spectra. all I can say is WOW! The colors and resolution of this new stock are amazing! I projected the film last night on my Canon T-1 projector which uses a F 1.0 zoom lens, and a 150 watt bulb. The whole movie just looked speculator! The camera I used was a Eumig Viennette 8 from the early 70's. The camera has the ability to adjust the automatic exposure plus or minus 1 stop. I decided to increase the exposure by setting the auto-exposure 1/2 stop more open before rolling film. I also used a ND 0.3 filter to reduce the light and lower the f-stop. The results.....perfect! Projected the colors were vivid, contrast very nice, and sharpness was spot on. That's another thing I noticed right away the sharpness is much higher than the old Ektachrome 100D. Last year I shot a roll of the new Ektachrome using an Elmo 110 Super 8 camera. While the results were pretty good I felt the film looked darker. This year I shot the film in sunny conditions only! I really believe the 1/2 stop increase in light made all the difference compared to last years film. I also feel a ND filter is a must with this stock under sunny conditions. What have others experienced shooting this film, and how many have projected it? 

I also agree with Martin. If your just shooting home movies, or other scenic films, etc 18fps is ideal. I project only and feel 24fps is a waste of film, considering how high prices are these days. I am some what frustrated with the price of the new Ektachrome. I bought one roll last year and it looked pretty good. Although I felt it was a bit dark in some scenes compared to the old Ektachrome. Tri-X is my favorited film. Much sharper than Ektachrome, and has great latitude. Although I have found a ND X4 filter is a must with Tri-X when filming outdoors. This past New Year's Eve I shot a roll of Tri-X indoors, with a vintage movie light bar, consisting of 4 bright halogen bulbs. The results were stunning! Anyways I can highly recommend 18fps over 24fps. 

3 minutes ago, Jon O'Brien said:

If my budget could stretch a bit further to a projector yes I'd be in to reversal projection in a flash. At the moment I'm aiming for things that can pay themselves back hopefully, so I'm really into photochemical scanned to digital - which I love the look of too. I actually love the latest digital technology. I look at the latest phones, tablets and tvs and think, wow, imagine my film footage showing on that absolutely wonderful device. 4K cinematography on the latest tvs I see in department stores I find amazing but am absolutely uninterested in as a medium for my own filmmaking. Most of my filmmaking in my teens/early twenties was with full photochemical workflow, editing, the lot. So great to hear the sound of a projector. Maybe one day again!

I definitely agree that digital media today is fantastic! The photos my Google Pixel phone are able to take is amazing! Like you I am in awe of the 4K TV's and how good the video looks. But I agree it's almost too perfect for home movies. It's what I like about Super 8 the fact it's not perfect. Plus with Super 8 you can get some crazy cool images and colors that you won't get on digital. We live in some interesting times where we can use both mediums depending on the look we are trying to achieve. 

1 hour ago, Jon O'Brien said:

Great, will definitely check it out Phillip. Nice looking camera. Do you find the tripod thread on the base of the handle makes tripod shots a bit shaky? I notice that the Elmo can remove the handle.

The Elmo Super 110 can indeed be mounted to a tripod. The pistol grip unscrews from the bottom of the camera. I usually shoot handheld but often thought about using the Elmo with a tripod. I have to ask have you ever seen the Super 8 image projected on a screen? I only watch my movies this way as I feel the digital conversion looses a bit of the fun with Super 8. I mainly shoot home movies of family and friends. Everyone gathers around and watches the movies up on the screen.  They all comment on how good Super 8 looks this way. It probably helps that I am using an Elmo projector with 150 watt bulb and a prime Bolex "HiFi" lens. 

As you'll see in the photo below the film is loaded into the back of the camera. There are no foam seals on this model. The film compartment door seals itself against the body of the camera. 

2 minutes ago, Jon O'Brien said:

Does this one look okay?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Exc-Elmo-Super-110-8mm-Film-Camera-with-Case-Hood-etc-from-Japan-022/382852141421?hash=item5923c4116d:g:HWoAAOSwQtdb3Tyq

Yes that camera appears to be in nice condition. The seller claims everything works. Of course you may want to reach out and ask questions. 

3 minutes ago, Jon O'Brien said:

Thanks! Food for thought. Do either the Beaulieu or Elmo Super 110 have any problems calibrating themselves with modern Super 8 film speeds, eg. for 50D, 200T, and the new Ektachrome? Can you just pop in the new films in these old 70s cameras and all is good with exposure (providing meter is still working fine)?

The Elmo Super 110 has no problems metering modern film. I've shot both the new Ektachrome 100D and Kodak Tri-X black and white. In both cases the films came out perfect! I ran the camera in the auto setting and did not need to make any adjustments. However with both the films I mentioned here a Neutral Density X4 filter is recommended. It will allow the camera to meter to a much better F-Stop. 

I'd like to also add the Elmo Super 110 is one of the quietest cameras I've ever used! You can barely hear it run. 

If you looking for an all around great camera with good optics the Elmo Super 110 may fit the bill. The "Super" series of Elmo cameras were built like tanks. Of all the cameras I've used the Elmo gives the sharpest images. Here's the Super8wiki link to read more about this camera. The auto exposure on these cameras works really well. Only needs 4 AA batteries to power the motor, zoom, and meter. 

http://super8wiki.com/index.php/Elmo_Super_110