8mm wind up movie camera help

<p>Hello,<br>

I have an old 8mm wind up movie camera and have no idea how to use it. I think maybe it might have some footage recorded on it but i have no idea how to open it to get the film out and there's no button to open it.<br /> I read on the internet that the part you wind up has to be pulled out so you can open the camera but it wont budge. <br /> And after i get the film out how do i watch it?<br>

The camera is a Hanimex AK8 and is similar to this one:<br>

http://cn1.kaboodle.com/hi/img/b/0/0/48/5/AAAAC8YaWxYAAAAAAEhcvA.jpg?v=1241340211000</p>

<p>Any help would be appreciated.</p>

<p>I suppose that this is a rebranded Pentaka AK8. If it is, then there should be a silver 'button' on the back of the camera (the side away from the lens) that slides up to open the camera (pull on the left side as you slide the button).</p>

<p>It was made in the later 1950s in the German Democratic Republic by one of the components of what became VEB Pentacon.</p><div></div>

<p>Unfortunately, if it is loaded, it's almost certainly Kodachrome, and <em>nobody</em> can process that as color film anymore. Even getting it processed to B&W is mighty expensive...</p>

 

<p>If you think there is any possibility that there is film in there, you should first wind up the camera and advance the film, as whatever footage would be in there could be exposed to light if you open it up without advancing the film. <br>

<br />If there is film in there, I would recommend sending it to Film Rescue International in Canada. They specialize in processing old film, and from all accounts, are very reliable (unlike certain other "Old Film" places). It's a little expensive ($48 per roll), but it's worth it in order to find some long-lost footage of your family. </p>

<p>Thank you for all the responses. Yes that is the camera I have. I managed to get the button to slide and opened the camera but unfortunately there was no film.<br>

For future use, what kind of film would I need to buy and where can I get it? And how would i view the film. Is it as simple as buying a projector?</p>

<p>8mm movie film, while not totally obsolete, is now quite difficult to obtain....you are probably looking at mail order from one of the small specialist dealers via the internet.<br />For this camera you will need "standard-8", (sometimes called "double-8"), which is supplied on small spools. (<em>not</em> the later Super-8 or Single-8, which have different perforations and come in plastic cartridges). Standard-8 reels hold 16mm wide film, which is run through the camera twice, then slit by the processing lab to give a 50 ft. lenght on little 8mm spool for viewing.<br />Films are best viewed by projection...make sure that any projector you buy takes <em>standard-8 </em>film<em>. </em>At one time there were various small hand viewers, but, so far as I know, most were rather plasticky things which tended to scratch the film.<br>

There is a huge amount of information on the internet, and an hour or two with Google should give you lots of leads,</p>

<p>Thank you for all the information, it's very helpful. So does the film have to be processed before you are able to view it on a projector or do you just take the film out of the camera and put it straight into a projector?<br>

Sorry I am new at this.</p>

<p>All photographic film has to be processed ("developed") after removal from the camera (just like your old Brownie or Instamatic camera). This produces the finished image and removes any further sensitivity to light. If you take the film from the camera and expose it to light in any way, it will be ruined.<br>

I think that you may be getting confused between this old camera and modern video cameras....it's <em>totally</em> different, just as your digital camera or smartphone is a totally different system of making pictures to your old Kodak Instamatic . :-)<br>

I suggest that you really need to do quite a bit more research for yourself on the internet...if your general knowledge of photography is basic (I'm not been rude, we all started somewhere!) and you're just wanting to make some movies/videos, there are much simpler ways than trying to use 8mm film. The availability of film and processing is now <em>very</em> limited and relatively expensive...I guess it's really only kept alive by a few dedicated enthusiasts.</p>

Richard, I don't know why you say that something is "quite difficult" to get just because you have to order it? I have a big collection of 8mm movie cameras, and I shoot with them all the time. I can EASILY order the film online. There are a bunch of places you can order it from, just do a search on Google. Just to name a couple:

 

Dwayne's Photo

 

http://www.dwaynesphoto.com/

 

Spectra Film and Video in Hollywood, California:

 

http://www.spectrafilmandvideo.com/Film.html

 

Spectra has a bunch of different kinds of Regular 8mm movie film, both color and B&W. I just bought several rolls from them, in fact.

 

8mm movie film is NOT difficult to get at all. Granted, I live in the United States so maybe for people in other countries it might be more challenging. But I'm sure all of the places where you can order it online will ship internationally. But my point is, don't discourage people by saying that movie film is "difficult"to get. It's not. It's kind of expensive, sure. But so are a lot of other hobbies.

<p>Thank you so much for all your help.</p>

<p>Chris - the last thing I want to do is to discourage anyone, and I'm fully aware than most specialist hobbies rely on mail order. Even film and supplies for still photography are getting that way very quickly.<br>

My concern was that abi cole <em>seems</em> to have limited knowledge of analog photo generally, and, if they embark on 8mm photography without realising what is involved and the likely costs, they <em>will, </em>most certainly, be discouraged! How is a site like Spectra Film of help to a beginner? <br>

In the past, I've shot thousands of feet of both 16mm, (negative, reversal, scope and sound), and 8mm, so I do know where to still get stock and the mechanics and costs of dealing with pro labs for processing and all the stages through to release prints. And that was why I'm interested in replying to Abi in a helpful way. I was merely pointing out that someone who doesn't yet understand that film has to be processed before it can be viewed (sorry, Abi, :-) ) needs a <em>lot</em> of guidance before embarking on movie photography, and, unless they have some special enthusiasm for film, they may, in 2012, be better advised to go down the video route, at least initially.</p>

It costs a lot of money to buy and develop the film and you need a projector and screen.Then you only have three or four minutes of viewing. Just something to think about.

<p>Here's another place that sells 8mm film, Yale Film and Video at <a href="http://www.yalefilmandvideo.com/filmsales.php?expandable=3">http://www.yalefilmandvideo.com/filmsales.php?expandable=3</a> <br>

They are color 8mm for $15 per roll without processing or $25 with. A standard 50-foot roll (i'ts 25 feet of double 8 then gets slit to result in 50 feet of finished film after processing) runs about 4 minutes at the 16 frames per second speed or a little less at 18 fps. It is silent, no sound. You need a projector for viewing but thousands are available for next to nothing. You can still pick up viewers for editing for next to nothing. 8mm can be fun to play with but there are many easier ways to do filmmaking.</p>

<p>Yikes. Just looked at the Spectra site. They want to sell people eight rolls of 8mm, then develop it and transfer to video for $750. That might make sense for some niche professional use, but to charge that to anybody who's just playing around is truly obscene.</p>

<p>all movie cametras are shelf queens ( ecept)<br>

Refular 8 super 8 and, i believe 16mm cameras, with very few exeptions<br>

have a fixed shutter speed of 1.30 sec this translates with the "sunny 15 rule"<br>

to asa ( iso) 30 film at f/16. since many lenses for these cameras stop fown to f/22, that means asa(iso) film of about 50 could be also used. these is a fuji film of this speed it is e-6 and dwayes apparently will develop it.<br>

I did not see it on there film list., Kodak s3ells a iso 100 ektachrome film. but usually you will need a neutral density filter. As far as I know nobody else makes any movie film.<br>

the exceptions are the Bolex and a few others that have a "variable" shutter. that can be set at 1/60 or even a shorter exposure. that means 100 speed film ( if the shutter speed could be increas sufficiently.)<br>

this is not the fps setting that will give you slow motion.</p>

<p>with the old iso 10 kodachrome you had some choices even with beach or smow scenes, but no longer..<br>

even black and white is usually too fast for these older cameras.</p>

<p>I investigated this for my Virewmaster 35mm camera that has a minimum exposure of 1/60 @ f/22</p>