Finding Super 8 Vintage Movie Cameras
Designed to use 8mm film, the Super 8 camera format was created by Kodak in 1965, and soon after, many brands like Eumig offered their own version of the movie camera. Many of these cameras were produced in different models with various features, and several brands manufactured 8mm film as well.
What Are Some Facts About Eumig and Its Cameras?
This brand is based in Austria and was founded in 1919. It's a purveyor of all types of electronics, from audio and stereo equipment to cameras.
- The brand launched its first Super 8 camera the same year Kodak did in 1965, and it was known as the Viennette Super 8 model.
- During this particular era, this was the only brand from Europe offering these types of cameras and equipment.
- By the time the 1970s came around, the brand had expanded and acquired other brands, such as Bolex, and put out around 500,000 cameras a year, becoming the largest worldwide producer of movie cameras at the time.
What Features Do Vintage Movie Cameras Offer?
Though features like sound may be common to numerous movie camera brands, these Super 8 cameras offered a variety of features specific to this brand or that it was the first to create and offer to the public.
- Most models featured a zoom lens with a viewfinder, allowing users to film subjects from far away or close-up views via manual focus.
- Many cameras were auto-exposure models and shot film at 18 frames per second, and this brand's offerings are no different.
- In 1979, it created a waterproof Super 8 movie camera called the Nautica model. Users could submerge this camera 40 meters underwater and record footage without damaging the camera.
What Are Some Models to Look For?
Though the company offered more than a few standout models, there are some successful and appealing ones to look for based on their features and design.
- The Mini Zoom Reflex was a pocket-sized model that was portable and compact. Created in 1971, this model featured a manual zoom lens and fixed focusing. It also offered backlight control and automatic exposure in a silent-camera format.
- Check into the Viennette Super 8 camera, which came out in 1970 and was also a silent film camera. This model featured an 8x zoom lens and was powered by six AA batteries. It featured macro focusing and auto and manual zoom features.
- Produced in 1976, the 830 XL model is a later-model camera that included sound features along with automatic and manual zoom and split image focusing. Photographers could even do fade shots and shoot at different frame rates.
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