Super 8 Vintage Movie Cameras

Super 8 Vintage Movie Cameras

The Super 8 collection of cameras, Super 8 movie projectors and filming equipment are manufactured, produced and originally marketed by Kodak, and then taken up by other prominent camera and photography brands. When first introduced in the 1960s, the Super 8 line was a revolutionary series of filming equipment and allowed individuals to make their own home movies for the first time with mass-marketed products. The Super 8 collection name stands for Super 8mm, the class of film that Kodak manufactured for these products, which was high-quality but exceptionally affordable compared to other products at the time.

Within the decade after Kodak's introduction of the 8mm movie camera for home use, many other manufacturers followed suit. On the vintage market, it is easy to also find Canon, Agfa, Beaulieu and Bell and Howell brand cameras as well. Most of these brands also produced suites of accessories and aftermarket products.

Most Super 8 vintage movie cameras were sold with carrying cases as complete sets. However, it was also possible to find tripods, blank 8mm cassettes for recording, film editors and/or viewers, power cords, battery packs and additional lenses.

Only a few of the Super 8 vintage movie cameras featured automatic zoom options, which would automatically focus on the subject. Most models had to be manually zoomed and adjusted. Most Super 8 cameras were formatted specifically for close-up filming, and aftermarket lenses to lengthen the viewfield were very popular.

When filming with Super 8 cameras, it is often recommended to have a fully-charged battery, as the cameras are prone to losing audio as the battery depletes. Kodak recommends a distance of 1.8 to 7.6 meters from the subject for optimal clarity, and shooting from different angles or viewpoints to add interest and complexity to one's home movies.