A camera in the attic

September 7, 2010 @ 1:40PM

A camera in the attic

By Daniela Bowker

If you follow Small Aperture on Twitter, where we’re known as smallaperture, you might have noticed my incredibly enthusiastic announcement last night that we found a Canon Auto Zoom 518 Super 8 movie camera in the attic of the Small Aperture mansion. Then again, I’m surprised people the other side of the city didn’t hear me squeeing. It was certainly the most exciting thing that happened to me yesterday.

Anyway, now that I’ve calmed down—if only marginally—I have a 1967, or thereabouts, home movie camera in my possession. Apparently it has a 9.5-47.5mm f/1.8 lens, shoots at 18 frames per second normally as well as having a slow motion option, has manual and automatic settings for aperture, and a super-zoom. It’s in its cute carrying case and everything.

It comes in a cute case and everything!

But I don’t have any super 8 film cartridges, hence my task is to locate some of those. I don’t think it’ll be too difficult, though. Then, I need to find out if this baby still works. Although she isn’t exactly antediluvian, it looks as if she’s been up there, amongst decades of accumulated junk and curios, for quite some time. It gets me thinking about what she might’ve shot, too, and maybe if any of the films are up there in random boxes.

Definitely a camera in there

Okay, I know that there isn’t exactly a great deal to tell you all right now, but I was far too excited to keep this to myself. I shall doubtless keep you updated on progress!

My new toy!

Comments

Anonymous

1 year ago

That's awesome!

Whose attic? Where? Does it seem as if it works?

~ Haje

Anonymous

1 year ago

My uncle donated me a wind up Regal 8mm EEPZ movie camera the other day, it's wonderful and feel so uber cool for having it. I can't find anything about it however. We also got a projector working and watched some films he had taken in the 60's, I love the flicker and the way you can see each frame. The colours were excellent!

You can get film from www.bluecinetech.co.uk , they'll do developing too or put it to disk, though there's loads of other place that sell super 8, Kodak still sell it too apparently.
Have fun with your new find!

Anonymous

1 year ago

If you want to pay a bit of a premium there are a lot of places in the United States that still stock and sell Super-8.
Some examples: B&H, Adorama, Freestyle.

Anonymous

1 year ago

I have recently decided to go back in time and load some film in my Zorkie 4K and my Yashica twin lens film camera, one roll of transparency and one roll of monochrome, now I just have to find my projectors (35mm and 6x6) can't wait

Anonymous

11 months ago

That's awesome. I actually found this same exact camera in an Antique Mall around where I live for $18. I put AA's in it and it works. On top of this find my grandmother gave me a super 8 editing station, a silent movie 16mm projector, and two nice size boxes of super 8 and 16mm films. I am excited about this. The only issue i'm having is finding the proper batteries for the Mercury eye right now. Does anyone know where I can find batteries like this? It says in the manual two 1.3v M20 (#625).