Super 8 and 8mm

[JackMartinEF]

Whats the difference. And will an 8mm projector play super 8 films?

[BolexPlusx]

I assume by 8mm you mean what is commonly called "Regular-8mm", which is the original 8mm format before Kodak brought out Super-8.

The similarity is the width of the film.

The differences start with the fact that Super-8 has smaller sprocket holes so more of the film is available for the image. (Then you get into other stuff like different film cartridges....etc.)

A Super-8 projector will only play Super-8 films.
A Regular-8 projector will only play Regular-8 Films.
A Dual-8 projector can play either.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ March 15, 2004 10:15 PM: Message edited by: BolexPlusx ]</font>

[JackMartinEF]

What abbout something called an 8mm projector?

[BolexPlusx]

Generally speaking (with the exceptions usually being made by people who don't know the difference....) when you see something called "8mm", it will be what is now called "Regular-8".

The whole "Regular" name tag only got applied to it once Super-8 came into being and a distinction had to be made.

R8 is very interesting in that the equipment is very simple and rugged with the result that a lot of it is still in existence and very usable. It still has a very dedicated following among us post-video film fans!

However, if shooting Super-8 is your goal, an 8mm projector won't work for you.

[oldasdirt]

8mm was introduced by Kodak in 1932.16mm had been out since 1923 and was originally aimed at the home movie market but it became apparent that 16mm was too expensive and complicated for the amateur.16mm moved into the arena of industrial/educational film market.
8mm film for a camera is actually 16mm iin width with twice the number of sprocket holes than 16mm.Usually an 8mm camera could hold 25 feet of film (16mm wide,called also "double 8").The roll was shot,then flipped over and shot again.In processing,the film was slit and then spliced together,yielding 50 feet of 8mm film.
In 1965 Kodak introduced super 8.The relationship between perfs and frame (smaller perfs,bigger frame area by 50%)was altered and the film was packaged in cartridges containing 50 feet of film.
Super 8 and 8mm (also called regular 8,double 8 or normal 8),are not interchangeable except on a dual 8 projector which can handle both.
In the case of mag sound film,there is a difference in where the stripe is and the separation between picture and sound.The main sound stripe on super 8 is opposite the perfs and there is an 18 frame gap between picture and sound,a regular 8 sound film has the strip along the perfs and there is a 54 frame sound to picture separation.
I only know of one sound projector that can handle both super 8 and regular 8 sound films and it's made by Eumig.
Marty