Of Slides and Movies

[thuggins]

Since most of the discussion around the new Ektachrome has been on this forum, I figured it is the best place to post this question. As those who have anxiously followed this new release know, we are getting a new slide film as pretty much an afterthought to Kodak wanting to bring out an amateur movie film. I just recently read that Kodachrome was originally introduced as a movie film and was only made available in still formats a year or two later, This leads to the obvious question. Is there actually more demand for Super 8 movie film than 35mm, 120 and even sheet size E-6 film?

When I was growing up in the '60's and '70's, I don't recall anyone who had a movie camera. I even had an uncle that had one of the big old Polaroids where you had to wipe the picture with the lacquer. Given all of the expense and inconvenience to set up a screen and projector for about a three minute snippet of silent, moving images this must have always been a niche market. Obviously it was used extensively for filming news events and a great deal of the combat footage from WWII was filmed on 8mm, but that market hasn't existed for decades.

When consumer video cameras first came out in the early 1980's, people who would have never have bothered with a movie camera flocked to get them. Even the huge, ungainly ones with a separate camera and a recorder that you carried in a satchel became an immediate "must have". For anyone who wanted to record their kids, or to record themselves making kids, videotape was the obvious choice. Even before the consumer models came out, news reporting had long before gone to tape.

The consumer video recorder must have devastated the market for amateur movie film. But the film companies soldiered on and continued to produce a product for a niche of a niche of a niche market. And now Kodak thinks enough folks will shell out $70+ for film and processing to merit bringing a on new movie film. So let's do a survey. How many folks will be using the movie film and how many will be shooting slides?

 

[MattKing]

When I was growing up in the '60's and '70's, I don't recall anyone who had a movie camera. I even had an uncle that had one of the big old Polaroids where you had to wipe the picture with the lacquer. Given all of the expense and inconvenience to set up a screen and projector for about a three minute snippet of silent, moving images this must have always been a niche market.

My father was the Customer Service manager for the Kodak processing laboratory in North Vancouver BC between 1961 and his retirement in 1983.
The Kodachrome line was a high volume line that processed huge volumes of film. During much of the year, they ran 24 hours a day, with staff working 3 different 8 hour shifts.
A very high percentage of the Kodachrome processed was movie film.
I have all my Dad's slides and movies. There are thousands of slides, and hundreds of rolls of movie film.
I worked in retail camera stores in the 1970s and early 1980s. In each case we were Kodak dealers who offered 1-2 day turnaround of Kodachrome and Ektachrome processing - movies and slides. Kodak picked the film up from us and then delivered the processed film back - usually the next business day. Customers would drop off their film one day, and frequently pick it up the next - all with no additional charge for the Kodachrome, which was sold processed paid in Canada.
I sold more slide film than movie film, but I still sold a lot of movie film.
Movie film was a big deal.

 

[AgX]

I just recently read that Kodachrome was originally introduced as a movie film and was only made available in still formats a year or two later.

You hardly can compare the situation 1935 in the USA with the situation today. Moreover, New Agfcolor was introduced In Germany in November 1936 both as small gauge cine film and as still film type-135.

 

[AgX]

Given all of the expense and inconvenience to set up a screen and projector for about a three minute snippet of silent, moving images this must have always been a niche market. Obviously it was used extensively for filming news events and a great deal of the combat footage from WWII was filmed on 8mm, but that market hasn't existed for decades.

Super-8 was a major market over here, though lesser than still projection.

One european manufacturer alone had over 6000 people only making S-8 cameras and projectors.
(At the end around 1980 still 3000.)

 

[trendland]

Since most of the discussion around the new Ektachrome has been on this forum, I figured it is the best place to post this question. As those who have anxiously followed this new release know, we are getting a new slide film as pretty much an afterthought to Kodak wanting to bring out an amateur movie film. I just recently read that Kodachrome was originally introduced as a movie film and was only made available in still formats a year or two later, This leads to the obvious question. Is there actually more demand for Super 8 movie film than 35mm, 120 and even sheet size E-6 film?

When I was growing up in the '60's and '70's, I don't recall anyone who had a movie camera. I even had an uncle that had one of the big old Polaroids where you had to wipe the picture with the lacquer. Given all of the expense and inconvenience to set up a screen and projector for about a three minute snippet of silent, moving images this must have always been a niche market. Obviously it was used extensively for filming news events and a great deal of the combat footage from WWII was filmed on 8mm, but that market hasn't existed for decades.

When consumer video cameras first came out in the early 1980's, people who would have never have bothered with a movie camera flocked to get them. Even the huge, ungainly ones with a separate camera and a recorder that you carried in a satchel became an immediate "must have". For anyone who wanted to record their kids, or to record themselves making kids, videotape was the obvious choice. Even before the consumer models came out, news reporting had long before gone to tape.

The consumer video recorder must have devastated the market for amateur movie film. But the film companies soldiered on and continued to produce a product for a niche of a niche of a niche market. And now Kodak thinks enough folks will shell out $70+ for film and processing to merit bringing a on new movie film. So let's do a survey. How many folks will be using the movie film and how many will be shooting slides?

A smart question thuggins - wow !

Yes unbelivable but there was a demand (in numbers) for Super8 Films years behind 1980 !
Remember 1980 ? I was very impressed visiting my camera dealer - I worked at this store before I joined the Air Force for several years! My colleguages in the shop asked what the purpose of my visit is (instead of meeting together) I asked about to LOOK at our Super8 movie cameras - and the answer was :
There are no Super8 cameras any longer !
Within just one quarter (may be 2 quarters) all manufacturer canceled Super 8 cameras.

Well the today's demand on Super8 ??

Let me say the "hope" of Kodak that there is a remaining demand will never die !

with regards

PS : Demand on CINEMA Films (ECN2) : just 3 day's behind - on sunday I meet a collegue on the job who is a bit more affected in CINEMA production on negative film than I ever was !
(nice english - I can imagine....)

Never mind pls. ..,.so I asked him about the actually demand in professional movie production without digital (with the use of Film) in Europe - from my point there should be a max. percentage of <10% !

You will not hear his answer : " no sorry you are still not correct it is much less " he answered !


with regards

PS : "There is a demand of 0% today "- I can not believe but it should be correct - but never mind there may be a different situation for amatheuric Film makers - I can't say???

PPS : Film classes demand the New Super8 camera from Kodak and of course the Films ?

I remember a statement of Francis Ford Coppola concerning what ?

8mm Film makers !

(Coppola remembered his very first beginning with 8mm Film (before Super8) and stated about younger filmers with today's 8mm cameras)

But sorry - may be this is Kodaks reference from marked research in regard of movie Film and New camera ?¿

I can't say but first : That very remarcable Interview with Coppola was made 1995 and the system he spoke about younger filmers (14 - 20 years old) was Sonys 8mm/ later " High8"

So Coppola spoke about "Video" for younger people becoming directory later !

But to answer : Super 8 demand is a bit more of 0% in comparison to still film !

 

[trendland]

Since most of the discussion around the new Ektachrome has been on this forum, I figured it is the best place to post this question. As those who have anxiously followed this new release know, we are getting a new slide film as pretty much an afterthought to Kodak wanting to bring out an amateur movie film. I just recently read that Kodachrome was originally introduced as a movie film and was only made available in still formats a year or two later, This leads to the obvious question. Is there actually more demand for Super 8 movie film than 35mm, 120 and even sheet size E-6 film?

When I was growing up in the '60's and '70's, I don't recall anyone who had a movie camera. I even had an uncle that had one of the big old Polaroids where you had to wipe the picture with the lacquer. Given all of the expense and inconvenience to set up a screen and projector for about a three minute snippet of silent, moving images this must have always been a niche market. Obviously it was used extensively for filming news events and a great deal of the combat footage from WWII was filmed on 8mm, but that market hasn't existed for decades.

When consumer video cameras first came out in the early 1980's, people who would have never have bothered with a movie camera flocked to get them. Even the huge, ungainly ones with a separate camera and a recorder that you carried in a satchel became an immediate "must have". For anyone who wanted to record their kids, or to record themselves making kids, videotape was the obvious choice. Even before the consumer models came out, news reporting had long before gone to tape.

The consumer video recorder must have devastated the market for amateur movie film. But the film companies soldiered on and continued to produce a product for a niche of a niche of a niche market. And now Kodak thinks enough folks will shell out $70+ for film and processing to merit bringing a on new movie film. So let's do a survey. How many folks will be using the movie film and how many will be shooting slides?

A smart question thuggins - wow !

Yes unbelivable but there was a demand (in numbers) for Super8 Films years behind 1980 !
Remember 1980 ? I was very impressed visiting my camera dealer - I worked at this store before I joined the Air Force for several years! My colleguages in the shop asked what the purpose of my visit is (instead of meeting together) I asked about to LOOK at our Super8 movie cameras - and the answer was :
There are no Super8 cameras any longer !
Within just one quarter (may be 2 quarters) all manufacturer canceled Super 8 cameras.

Well the today's demand on Super8 ??

Let me say the "hope" of Kodak that there is a remaining demand will never die !

with regards

PS : Demand on CINEMA Films (ECN2) : just 3 day's behind - on sunday I meet a collegue on the job who is a bit more affected in CINEMA production on negative film than I ever was !
(nice english - I can imagine....)

Never mind pls. ..,.so I asked him about the actually demand in professional movie production without digital (with the use of Film) in Europe - from my point there should be a max. percentage of <10% !

You will not hear his answer : " no sorry you are still not correct it is much less " he answered !


with regards

PS : "There is a demand of 0% today "- I can not believe but it should be correct - but never mind there may be a different situation for amatheuric Film makers - I can't say???

PPS : Film classes demand the New Super8 camera from Kodak and of course the Films ?

I remember a statement of Francis Ford Coppola concerning what ?

8mm Film makers !

(Coppola remembered his very first beginning with 8mm Film (before Super8) and stated about younger filmers with today's 8mm cameras)

But sorry - may be this is Kodaks reference from marked research in regard of movie Film and New camera ?¿

I can't say but first : That very remarcable Interview with Coppola was made 1995 and the system he spoke about younger filmers (14 - 20 years old) was Sonys 8mm/ later " High8"

So Coppola spoke about "Video" for younger people becoming directory later !

But to answer : Super 8 demand is a bit more of 0% in comparison to still film !

 

[trendland]

Since most of the discussion around the new Ektachrome has been on this forum, I figured it is the best place to post this question. As those who have anxiously followed this new release know, we are getting a new slide film as pretty much an afterthought to Kodak wanting to bring out an amateur movie film. I just recently read that Kodachrome was originally introduced as a movie film and was only made available in still formats a year or two later, This leads to the obvious question. Is there actually more demand for Super 8 movie film than 35mm, 120 and even sheet size E-6 film?

When I was growing up in the '60's and '70's, I don't recall anyone who had a movie camera. I even had an uncle that had one of the big old Polaroids where you had to wipe the picture with the lacquer. Given all of the expense and inconvenience to set up a screen and projector for about a three minute snippet of silent, moving images this must have always been a niche market. Obviously it was used extensively for filming news events and a great deal of the combat footage from WWII was filmed on 8mm, but that market hasn't existed for decades.

When consumer video cameras first came out in the early 1980's, people who would have never have bothered with a movie camera flocked to get them. Even the huge, ungainly ones with a separate camera and a recorder that you carried in a satchel became an immediate "must have". For anyone who wanted to record their kids, or to record themselves making kids, videotape was the obvious choice. Even before the consumer models came out, news reporting had long before gone to tape.

The consumer video recorder must have devastated the market for amateur movie film. But the film companies soldiered on and continued to produce a product for a niche of a niche of a niche market. And now Kodak thinks enough folks will shell out $70+ for film and processing to merit bringing a on new movie film. So let's do a survey. How many folks will be using the movie film and how many will be shooting slides?

A smart question thuggins - wow !

Yes unbelivable but there was a demand (in numbers) for Super8 Films years behind 1980 !
Remember 1980 ? I was very impressed visiting my camera dealer - I worked at this store before I joined the Air Force for several years! My colleguages in the shop asked what the purpose of my visit is (instead of meeting together) I asked about to LOOK at our Super8 movie cameras - and the answer was :
There are no Super8 cameras any longer !
Within just one quarter (may be 2 quarters) all manufacturer canceled Super 8 cameras.

Well the today's demand on Super8 ??

Let me say the "hope" of Kodak that there is a remaining demand will never die !

with regards

PS : Demand on CINEMA Films (ECN2) : just 3 day's behind - on sunday I meet a collegue on the job who is a bit more affected in CINEMA production on negative film than I ever was !
(nice english - I can imagine....)

Never mind pls. ..,.so I asked him about the actually demand in professional movie production without digital (with the use of Film) in Europe - from my point there should be a max. percentage of <10% !

You will not hear his answer : " no sorry you are still not correct it is much less " he answered !


with regards

PS : "There is a demand of 0% today "- I can not believe but it should be correct - but never mind there may be a different situation for amatheuric Film makers - I can't say???

PPS : Film classes demand the New Super8 camera from Kodak and of course the Films ?

I remember a statement of Francis Ford Coppola concerning what ?

8mm Film makers !

(Coppola remembered his very first beginning with 8mm Film (before Super8) and stated about younger filmers with today's 8mm cameras)

But sorry - may be this is Kodaks reference from marked research in regard of movie Film and New camera ?¿

I can't say but first : That very remarcable Interview with Coppola was made 1995 and the system he spoke about younger filmers (14 - 20 years old) was Sonys 8mm/ later " High8"

So Coppola spoke about "Video" for younger people becoming directory later !

But to answer : Super 8 demand is a bit more of 0% in comparison to still film !

 

[AgX]

The consumer video recorder must have devastated the market for amateur movie film.

The industry reacted on that, as Agfa offered in 1978 a transfer service (connected to their film processing?). The customer thus got back the roll of cine film plus a VHS cassette. I do not how how successful that offer was.
But it shows that Kodak is not entering fresh ground with their planned scanning service.

And in 1978 there were still new S-8 products introduced at Photokina, even the final success of commercial movies transfered to S-8 was hoped for, the same time Agfa cancelled their high-end S-8 cameras due to lack of profitability.

 

[trendland]

Sorry Bad WiFi condition Tablet wasn't able to tranfer message. Now I have to notice it tranfered after WiFi break down ....3 Times doubled

Sorry sorry sorry !

 

[thuggins]

A very high percentage of the Kodachrome processed was movie film.
I sold more slide film than movie film, but I still sold a lot of movie film.
Movie film was a big deal.

That is an interesting and informative insight. But how much of that movie film was 16mm or perhaps even 35mm on long rolls? There have long been amateur "movie producers" out there. I'm specifically curious about the three minute snippets of 8mm film. And more to the point, the size of the market for this in 2018, not 1968.

 

[trendland]

A

That is an interesting and informative insight. But how much of that movie film was 16mm or perhaps even 35mm on long rolls? There have long been amateur "movie producers" out there. I'm specifically curious about the three minute snippets of 8mm film. And more to the point, the size of the market for this in 2018, not 1968.

AS you suggested : On the very beginning it was 100% Kodachrome (16mm also 35mm - last is a guess but some Films looked like) - but that was 1944/1945 : " USAF over Europe (in color)".

During the midt 70th the amounds of Kodachrome should have following percentage :

35mm (movie Film). = 0 %

16mm = 12 %. (TV stations used for news features Kodak 7239 nearly 99%)

Super 8. = 88 %


with regards

 

[trendland]

Super-8 was a major market over here, though lesser than still projection.

One european manufacturer alone had over 6000 people only making S-8 cameras and projectors.
(At the end around 1980 still 3000.)

B R A U N ?

with regards

 

[AgX]

There were two manufacturers named Braun. But instead I was hinting at a more major one, Eumig.

 

[trendland]

Since most of the discussion around the new Ektachrome has been on this forum, I figured it is the best place to post this question. As those who have anxiously followed this new release know, we are getting a new slide film as pretty much an afterthought to Kodak wanting to bring out an amateur movie film. I just recently read that Kodachrome was originally introduced as a movie film and was only made available in still formats a year or two later, This leads to the obvious question. Is there actually more demand for Super 8 movie film than 35mm, 120 and even sheet size E-6 film?

When I was growing up in the '60's and '70's, I don't recall anyone who had a movie camera. I even had an uncle that had one of the big old Polaroids where you had to wipe the picture with the lacquer. Given all of the expense and inconvenience to set up a screen and projector for about a three minute snippet of silent, moving images this must have always been a niche market. Obviously it was used extensively for filming news events and a great deal of the combat footage from WWII was filmed on 8mm, but that market hasn't existed for decades.

When consumer video cameras first came out in the early 1980's, people who would have never have bothered with a movie camera flocked to get them. Even the huge, ungainly ones with a separate camera and a recorder that you carried in a satchel became an immediate "must have". For anyone who wanted to record their kids, or to record themselves making kids, videotape was the obvious choice. Even before the consumer models came out, news reporting had long before gone to tape.

The consumer video recorder must have devastated the market for amateur movie film. But the film companies soldiered on and continued to produce a product for a niche of a niche of a niche market. And now Kodak thinks enough folks will shell out $70+ for film and processing to merit bringing a on new movie film. So let's do a survey. How many folks will be using the movie film and how many will be shooting slides?

Yes your conclusions of Super8 demand in the past had a lack of 70th hype with Super8 Films.
Perhaps you don't remember or feel like. As others stated Super8 was very very popular
(between 1970/71 AS I remember well and 1981/83 that was the end of 90% Super 8 filmers.
AND remember - Video recording came much later 1977/79/79 but in masses it was synchrone to Video cameras = beginning 1980 !
So a lot of movie films were offered for home projection in a short cut of the original CINEMA movie!
I for example remember titles like "The big red one" or " once upon a time in the west " offered in part 1 - part 3 in short cut (25min. each). The pricing was around 55 bucks a Film if I remember correct.
Well that was real expensive because 150bucks for a Version with Charles Bronson in 1hour10 min?
But later I was informed that a whole industry was in business with Super8 coppies......
there must have been other films without Lee Marvin and C.Bronson I did not remember.

with regards

PS : Coppies were not made with Kodachrome and not from Kodachrome of course.
The original masters of this CINEMA movies were on negative Films. But they "Spule" lots of money into a so called "Super8" industry.
The end from that was Betamax and VHS (The big red one Film on VHS Tape I remember cost me just
35bucks) .......the rest of that development concerning Video you should know...what the hell is my WiFi conection....hope it did not transfer this 8times - sorry in advance... !

 

[trendland]

There were two manufacturers named Braun. But instead I was hinting at a more major one, Eumig.

Yes I remembered Eumig just after I asked (silly question) because B R A U N did manufacture excellent Nizo Cameras I guess I remember also a slide projectors from B R A U N but
Super8 projectors from B R A U N ?

YEs that other company we allways called "Braun Nürnberg" was in business beside other stuff with their "Multimag" projectors !

with regards

 

[abruzzi]

I was kind of surprised that they were coming out with ektachrome in super8, and my first reaction was something along the lines of "why on earth would anyone shoot super8 these days?", but of course that is the exact response the general public gives to the idea of us shoot (still) film. It is mostly due to ignorance of the people that do still shoot these antiquated technologies. I haven't shot video/movies in several decades so I don't know how much of a market still exists, but clearly Kodak thought there was one, enough even to announce the creation of a super8 camera (even if it is still vaporware.)

As for slide film, I don't project slides, and I'm guessing most slide shooters today don't. I can print B&W at home on my enlarger, but any color I shoot is purely a hybrid process--I can't print E6 film because the tech doesn't exist anymore, and I can't print C41 color because I don't have the equipment/materials/skills. I suspect a lot of color shooters are in the same boat, living in a hybrid world. In that case it is purely about the kind of images I can take with Ektachrome/Velvia/provia vs the kind of images I can take with Ektar/Portra/400H

 

[RPC]

Given all of the expense and inconvenience to set up a screen and projector for about a three minute snippet of silent, moving images this must have always been a niche market.

I grew up in the 60s and my parents and many of their friends shot home movies. It did not seem to me to be a niche market then. Movie film, processing, cameras, and projectors sold well enough to keep prices reasonable for the average family. Small reels could easily be spliced into larger reels. Today, it definitely would be a niche market.

 

[perkeleellinen]

My dad and many of my other relatives shot Super8 in the 1970s. I've got some great movies of me learning to walk which I still project.
In the 1990s I shot a load of Kodachrome 40 Super8, I used to love filming and projecting. I never really thought of it as a niche within a niche - Super8 was available on the high street in the UK in the '90s.
After my boy was born I shot rolls of Ektachrome 64 and then 100D as he was growing up just like my father did. I rann out of film two years ago and have been waiting to coninue my project. So, yes, I will shoot and project the new Ektachrome Super8 - not much because of the cost but the cost is not enough to stop me having fun.

 

[trendland]

I was kind of surprised that they were coming out with ektachrome in super8, and my first reaction was something along the lines of "why on earth would anyone shoot super8 these days?", but of course that is the exact response the general public gives to the idea of us shoot (still) film. It is mostly due to ignorance of the people that do still shoot these antiquated technologies. I haven't shot video/movies in several decades so I don't know how much of a market still exists, but clearly Kodak thought there was one, enough even to announce the creation of a super8 camera (even if it is still vaporware.)

As for slide film, I don't project slides, and I'm guessing most slide shooters today don't. I can print B&W at home on my enlarger, but any color I shoot is purely a hybrid process--I can't print E6 film because the tech doesn't exist anymore, and I can't print C41 color because I don't have the equipment/materials/skills. I suspect a lot of color shooters are in the same boat, living in a hybrid world. In that case it is purely about the kind of images I can take with Ektachrome/Velvia/provia vs the kind of images I can take with Ektar/Portra/400H

You are so right abruzzi - what shall a Super8 filmers may think when he is reading this here ?
But my critic is just in regard of Kodak marketing (the film devision side) in short to this people (hope he will not read this) who planned the strategy and anounced ?
Good job is made by marketing and all other departements concerned the still films Ektachrome100!

And we should ask : What the hell have gave them (the super8 revival group) the idea to such a
catastrophy failure in marked analysis? Have they called film academies ? Have they visited film students ? Have they asked : " What is the max. you want to pay for 3min15 Super8 ?

Are this "experts" of product management familiar with the technical side ?
Did they know the film lenght of a Super 8 cassette filming with 24frames a second ?
Have they ASK students : " By the way ...here at your academy...do you film with 18frames/sec.
or do you use 24pictures a second ....because that is relative to the calculated price/lengh a roll ?

From my point that people are no experts and have to be set OFF imediately ! They had a "Vision"
of filming advertising Video clips filmed with Super8 - yeah what a great demand...?

And today they can be proud of good sellings with still Film EKTACHROME!

The "origin conception" was the opposite : Many many New Super8 cameras to the people, some million feed Super8 Ektachromes per month, some still Film photograpers can partizipate if we let them some thousand feed (just if massive demand on Super8 it will allowe) !

So I ASK to Super8 filmers : Are you happy with pricing of 15meter Film at about 79bucks?
Will you buy 5 Films each month ?

with regards

PS : If you have to do a job (and it is no hobby to you) you have to do this job right !
If you are not able to fullfill tasks (with exception because we are just humans and may fail "sometimes") but if you are totally incompetent in your job - what is the name for this ?
I Name it " louser" !

 

[MattKing]

That is an interesting and informative insight. But how much of that movie film was 16mm or perhaps even 35mm on long rolls? There have long been amateur "movie producers" out there. I'm specifically curious about the three minute snippets of 8mm film. And more to the point, the size of the market for this in 2018, not 1968.

In my Dad's lab there was a fair amount of 16mm - advanced hobbyists and commercial work, plus of course double 8 which was actually 16mm that was exposed down one side, flipped over, exposed down the other side, developed as 16mm and then slit down the middle and spliced for return to the customer.
Anyone in the Vancouver area will most likely recognize a reference to Leo's Cameras. Leo himself used to love to travel and shoot 16mm movies. On more than one occasion he rushed over to the Lab to get his film, and convinced my Dad to project some of it right there on their 16mm projector (being a Kodak dealer had its perks).
A high proportion of my father's movies were double 8.
They did run 35mm movie Kodachrome as well, but I expect labs like Palo Alto would have seen more.
The market in 2018 would be really different, but then I actually saw someone shooting Super 8 earlier this year at a classic car show, because they wanted the result to be more in line with the subject than high end digital.

 

[AgX]

In the second half of the 70s one manufacturer introduced several Super-8 cameras with prices from 4000-5000DM.
And these cameras were listed and described even in a catalog mass spread at common camera stores.

 

[Bill Burk]

I remember taking a film class in high school. It took me a full semester to shoot that 3 minutes of movie that was required.

 

[MattKing]

I remember taking a film class in high school. It took me a full semester to shoot that 3 minutes of movie that was required.

And even longer to edit it .

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

I still have my movie camera from the 1950's. A wind up model with a three lens turret. Unfortunately, it shoots 8mm not super 8.

 

[guangong]

To clarify some misinformation. Firstly, I never heard of combat photographers using 8mm film. For US forces a 16mm B&H was standard.
There are plenty of Super8 cameras available. Mostly high end cameras by Nizo, Zeiss, Nikon, Canon and Beaulieu are in demand. The top of the line Zeiss Super8 was, when new, Extremely Expensive. My favorites are Nizo and Zeiss followed by Beaulieu. The latter has the advantage of manual asa adjustments. All three have very steady images.

The cheap cameras for the tourist and “holiday” photographer are, as one would expect, no more. Not even in thrift stores.
While there may be some rare individuals who only projected the 3 min of Super8 footage , most people splice their film into much longer films. Editing is where film begins. The same thing can also be said of slides.
As for myself, I shoot mostly b/w 16 mm with an Arriflex, Beaulieu or B&H. Those of us who also use Super8 have been eagerly waiting for a color reversal film since the demise of Kodachrome. Slitted still films are too thick and are hard on camera. Ferrania was once the promise. Kodak’s Vision color print films, normally transferred to digital, are oriented towards the professional market, so glad to see Ektachrome. Have 5 cassettes of Super 8 waiting to be shot.
I bought a couple rolls of 35mm, but these days I prefer MF for slides, so waiting for Ektachrome 120.