Ever see an 8MM Sound Camera?

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Desmond Godwin
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Ever see an 8MM Sound Camera?

Post by Desmond Godwin »

:o Desmond
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Michael Slowe
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Re: Ever see an 8MM Sound Camera?

Post by Michael Slowe »

Amazing coincidence! I was sorting out some archive papers that I had from a year's study trip to America from 1960 - seems like yesterday to me.
I found a brochure for a "Fairchild Cinephonic" described as "The only 8mm motion picture camera in the world that synchronizes sound and action automatically ON THE FILM"
It doesn't actually say so but I feel that they had to use film which had been magnetically striped. This became standard practice in the middle 60's with the widespread use of Super 8mm cameras using striped film and the Eumig Super 8mm Sound projectors. Anyone filming in those days will be familiar with that equipment. I'm amazed that Desmond doesn't know about all that, must be very young!
Desmond Godwin
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Re: Ever see an 8MM Sound Camera?

Post by Desmond Godwin »

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tom hardwick
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Re: Ever see an 8MM Sound Camera?

Post by tom hardwick »

I didn't know pre-striped Standard-8 was ever made available over here. As it was double perfed 16mm that was running through the camera, was the magnetic stripe (presumably on the edge of the film away from the perfs) sliced cleanly down the middle on processing? This wouldn't have done the audio recordings much good I'll wager.

tom.
Frank Maxwell
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Re: Ever see an 8MM Sound Camera?

Post by Frank Maxwell »

I know it is a late post. But Fuji Film pioneered the Single 8 sound camera. Even today the films i shoot are like new.
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Dave Watterson
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Re: Ever see an 8MM Sound Camera?

Post by Dave Watterson »

Hi Frank - and welcome to the forums. I also remember the arrival of Fuji's pre-striped sound film and cameras that could record in synch!

Did you mean that the films you shot back then still look good today?
Or are you still using that system????
Lee Prescott
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Re: Ever see an 8MM Sound Camera?

Post by Lee Prescott »

8) Hi May I make a comment or two? Ta!

Like Michael Slowe, I too was "surprised" that Desmond "found" an 8mm cine SOUND camera! I thought to myself ooaah would nice to be young again!!!, Well maybe??? - It seems to me that these posts only point up how "aged" membership of the IAC has become! Pity as there's so much scope for "everyone", BUT:-.

As for 8mm sound cameras [Std] and Super et al - I have just completed the transfer myself of 2,600 feet (about 792 1/2 metres) of 8mm cine film - Std and Super 8 included (going back to 1963) to "flicker free" digital video. I found throughout that all except for 4 feet were in excellent pictorial condition! I'd kept the footage in a fairly well controlled cool temperature in plastic cases and in total darkness. This means that from the earliest footage until now a period of 50 years has passed! --

Basically this is all "family film" and starts with our Wedding and moves on through both my lads from a couple of hours after birth in each case, family and other activities over the years, Uni, Naval Service, Royal and Passing Out Parades at
RMA Sandhurst.

However, not so the sound on the magnetic sound striping! Fairly listenable for myself with headphones but in no way suitable for the transfer - so - since I have many notes and most of the original recorded sound sources I am now in the midst of rebuilding the sound tracks complimentary to the originals! An extremely time consuming but interesting exercise!

It has been and is proving a "fascinating journey" - through time!

Best wishes to all:

Lee. :D
Frank Maxwell
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Re: Ever see an 8MM Sound Camera?

Post by Frank Maxwell »

No, Dave. Fuji packed up with the advent of video. Plus getting the film stock became an issue.
I carried on making films for a few more years until the cost of film out-weight the price of video.
I do miss the art of using film as one did not have the luxury as today of using video. In those days every shoot was money and you learned your craft of making films.
Today its all video software can make things like you shoot a Hollywood movie.
I see so many video's on YouTube and there is no art of having learned the craft like we did in the 60s
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Dave Watterson
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Re: Ever see an 8MM Sound Camera?

Post by Dave Watterson »

A 16mm documentary maker once told me it was like having a sewing-machine on your shoulder whirring away at 24 times a second - with every stitch costing £1 ...
Roy1
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Re: Ever see an 8MM Sound Camera?

Post by Roy1 »

Frank Maxwell wrote:No, Dave. Fuji packed up with the advent of video. Plus getting the film stock became an issue.
I carried on making films for a few more years until the cost of film out-weight the price of video.
I do miss the art of using film as one did not have the luxury as today of using video. In those days every shoot was money and you learned your craft of making films.
Today its all video software can make things like you shoot a Hollywood movie.
I see so many video's on YouTube and there is no art of having learned the craft like we did in the 60s
Frank. May I suggest in all humility, some of us do actually put into practise when making videos, the art and methods we used as film makers. The only difference is the medium used. I agree that there is a lot of rubbish in you Tube but if you look for them there are a few Gems. The big majority of videos on YouTube are not made by film/Video makers. Indeed most of the videos are just taken off the TV. How they get away with it beats me as I thought every thing submitted had to be your own work. Perhaps YouTube thinks that the act of recording is the recorder's own work. With regard to Striped Cartridges for super 8 film I always used them but only for post production sound recording, never when filming. It was more costly of course as there was a lot of wastage in the editing stage, but it saved waiting for the edited film to come back from the striping company. Happy days although after 60 years of film/video making I still enjoy it.
Frank Maxwell
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Re: Ever see an 8MM Sound Camera?

Post by Frank Maxwell »

Roy you are correct what you said. I guess using YouTube as an example was wrong. Today presentation of video material is on a massive scale.
Working on the film "The Music Lovers" I used my Fuji sound camera for filming behind the scene, and the camera man gave me a tip how to eliminate the mechanical sound of the camera.Use the material from a Tea cover.
I never had trouble using my sound camera use a mike.
Anyway enough of the past. Today we have wonderful technology and one can achieve better results.
Peter Copestake
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Re: Ever see an 8MM Sound Camera?

Post by Peter Copestake »

Our striped films, one or two Agfa, mostly Kodak, still look good today and transfer well to video, sound and picture. The only exception was one that I think I over dosed with old 222 cleaning fluid that developed brown spots that worsened unfortunately between my making my own copy and NW Film Archive making a copy. Now effectively ruined. Lesson learned!

Sound was only in synch in the sense of being so when played through the projector. The one second, 18 frame gap between actual frame and sound was a pain. There was even a suggestion that you took the sound off onto tape and put it back in frame synch before cutting. It worked but the treble was much reduced as the process had to be reversed after the cutting. It was much better to allow a second gap and reckon on using the stripe sound as background only but one still had to do something when recording lip-synch speech.

Thank goodness for NLE editing and video though it took a long time for the picture quality to match up, if it has.

BTW I have 2 sound cameras, a Canon and a Braun, that might as well go. Do get in touch via Pendle Movie Makers.
Peter Copestake
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