Bell & Howell 8mm 134: Son may be having a laugh, or..

[peter k.]

Kids.. haha ah ha what the 'ell...
He may be having a laugh, or ... as in they, him and his wife, may have no idea that its a movie camera!
They know that I'm into old film camera's so, they gave me an old broken 35mm they got at a garage sale one time. But this time, in a Mothers/Father day package they sent a Bell & Howell 8mm camera. Perhaps they have no idea what it is, that it was just an old film camera, but not a regular ... ah normal, for me, one shot at a time type.
Or.... maybe they do... and are pulling one on me.

Looking up info on it, it's from 1939+ Looked on U-tube, found how it will get loaded. Discovered that super 8 and 8mm are same film size just different sprocket holes. The super 8 allows a larger image, and by accident discovered the button that turns the film, after you have cranked it. No batteries! All mechanical!! Great!!!
So some questions:
A) Will this camera shoot the supper 8, AKA Kodak, Ektachrome, when it comes out again?
B) Ah speed dial, .. that can be adjusted from 16 to 64, ... this can't be an F stop setting, for the lens itself can be adjusted from f .. 2.5 to 22. So what is its function?
C) Then there is another dial, a bigger one, that goes 0-25 F S? What is this, and how is it used?
D) Anybody got a pdf manual of this model they like to share?
Sure there for sale on e-bay, but looking into developing the 8mm film looks like it could be a real PIA, so it may become my first museum piece.
Or... get into it, then take it down, and see dem and the grand-kids and shoot dem on FILM, develop it and then project it!!! Think the only thing they have seen projected is at a movie house.
May still have my moms old 8mm projector buried out in the shed with all me old kid shots when I was young. Haven't looked yet, but Ha.. that would be a gas to reverse it on them!

 

[johnielvis]

It shoots double 8mm--not super 8. The 16 to 64 dial is for the frames per second filming speed, which also controls the shutter speed--more frames per second, the shorter the shutter speed. Keep it at 16 for normal operation. the 0-25 should also have a S and an F on it...S is start...run the film till zero...then start shooting till 25--you get 0-25 feet of filming plus a buffer of extra film on the ends--about 3 feet--so you can load in daylight and not expose the "good" film on the inside of the spool. when you shoot the 25 feet run the camera past the 25 to F and you should hear a change in the sound where film is no longer being pulled through--this means the film has all run on the takeup spool. at this point, open the camera and switch the spools around and re-load the film--now you're shooting the other half of the film. You get a total of 50 feet of 8mm shooting in two 25 foot runs.

Developing 8mm is pretty easy--it's only 25 feet--you can do it in a bucket for fun art effects. You'll have to get a film slitter to cut the film down the middle when you're done.

Get some fomapan 100r reversal film from freestyle or b&H and some processing chemicals and you're making movies, dude.

 

[peter k.]

Double 8mm.. Hmm have to look that up..

The 16 to 64 dial is for the frames per second filming speed, which also controls the shutter speed--more frames per second, the shorter the shutter speed. Keep it at 16 for normal operation.

Ah... more frames per second, the shorter the shutter speed.. as in each frame shot?
So the the higher the dial, the faster the shutter, AKA @ 64 .. if their running, when projected it would look like slow motion?
WOW.. 25' then again.. have to look up film slitter.. you can tell I'm in total new territory. Even as a kid never shot movie film.

 

[Truzi]

There are some projectors that can switch between double and super 8.
Remember, you want reversal film if you intend to project. You can use Athiril's resource for developing the Fomapan R100 (I intend to):
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

I've my grandfather's old wind-up double-8, his projector and screen, a roll of the suggested Fomapan, the chemicals, and a slitter. I'm just waiting to get a nice Lomo UPB-1 so I can develop - then I'll test out the camera.

Here is an ebay search for a slitter that will work, though you could probably make your own:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...r.TRS0&_nkw=film+splitting+-filter&_sacat=625

 

[ic-racer]

I get my double-8 processed and split at Yale photo. I use a Bolex M8 for projection. I recently ran out of all my Kodak double-8 film and will be switching to Foma-8 B&W. I shoot at 18 fps.

 

[bdial]

Yes, the faster speeds will be in slow motion, (unless you project them at the same speed the camera used).

Effectively, you have only one shutter speed and you rely on aperture to set your exposure.

 

[bsdunek]

I get my double-8 processed and split at Yale photo. I use a Bolex M8 for projection. I recently ran out of all my Kodak double-8 film and will be switching to Foma-8 B&W. I shoot at 18 fps.

Thanks for letting us know about Yale Photo. I would love to use my Bolex H8 again. Got to look into Foma-8.

 

[peter k.]

Question: How far does one crank the Bell & Howell 134.. to shoot the film.
Till it can't crank anymore, or do you stop after // so many turns.

You can use Athiril's resource for developing the Fomapan R100 (I intend to):

Thanks for that source, @ Freestyle the developer is $60+.. without a proper developing tank for 8mm, and this being an experiment, will look into alternate ways.

Discovery: Never throw anything away...
Went into the shed.. on the very bottom, in wooden trunk my dad made.. under his one for 35mm, found all my mothers 8mm stuff.
I now have an Kalhart EV-8 Mark ll Editor Viewer Eight, (which also has a slitter on it, with a hand crank and reel/take up reals), ... Augus Dual Eight Editor Viewer, ... my mothers editing kit box with misc bulbs for viewers, two #7 Formula Craig film cement bottles, with the glue in them still very liquid, ... another slitter, an a LPL with some brushes and misc ect. Also found a Bell & Howell 8mm/Super 8 projector.
WOW .. yep never throw anything away..
I remember she had a movie camera, probably a Supper 8, but that's buried in another spot. So this will do for now... sooooooo ... onward .. .. but what am I getting into?
This is not GAS, I use what we have, from 35mm to 4x5, but that's all single shot, now this??? Yikes...
OMG ... Next ...
...

 

[MattKing]

Clearly, your son knows you better than you think.