[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Regular 8 and Super 8



Donald,

Regular 8mm film is produced by slitting double 8mm film (which is 16mm
wide and produced from the same stock as 16mm camera film) down the middle.
 Both regular 8mm and 16mm film have the same size sprocket holes (although
regular 8 will have twice as many sprocket holes as 16mm per the same
length of film to account for the smaller frame size).  Super 8mm film was
developed in the 1960s (some 30-40 years after the introduction of regular
8mm) to allow for a larger image within the same 8mm width of film.  One
basic aspect of the innovation was smaller sprocket holes which were
aligned closer to the edge of the film and spaced farther apart, thus
allowing for a larger area of the film surface to be exposed.  So, if you
have both types to compare, the super 8 will have much smaller sprocket
holes, and they'll be aligned closer to the edge of the film, whereas the
regular 8mm sprocket holes will be wider and will extend further in from
the edge.  If you have any 16mm film for comparison, the regular 8mm
sprocket holes should be the same size as those of the 16mm.

This change in sprocket size required a change, or diversification, in the
manufacturing of cameras, projectors and editing equipment as well.  (Some
"dual-8" models were also developed.)  So you won't be able to project
regular 8mm film on a super 8 projector, nor vice versa.

Regarding Arthur's statement, both regular 8 (once it's been exposed,
processed and slit) and super 8 have sprocket holes on one edge of the film
only.

I hope I got that right.

FYI -- both formats are still manufactured and used to this day.

Chris McDonald
The Bancroft Library
U.C. Berkeley

At 10:23 AM 2/4/00 -0500, you wrote:
>Dear colleagues:
>
>Is anyone out there who can help me to tell the difference between Regular
>8 and Super 8 movie film? I have four films in the collection of the
>Barnard College Archives from 1962, and I need to purchase the right kind
>of reels to re-spool them. I believe the difference has to do with
>perforations.
>
>Many thanks,
>
>Donald Glassman
>Barnard College Archivist
>
>A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!
>
>To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
>      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
>                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
>To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu
>
>Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
>     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html
>
>Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>
>
>

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>