[Leica] Adventures in Obsolescence

[jshul at comcast.net (Jim Shulman)]

Don't laugh--in a few years virtually all Leica film camera users will be in
the same boat!

My fondness for Standard 8 movies continues, despite all sorts of bugaboos
along the way: finding a working projector (thanks to the LUG!), finding a
properly-working 8mm camera (it seems that virtually all mechanical movie
cameras from the 50s and early 60s are now reaching their terminal
windup--with one exception!), and of course sourcing film and processing
(the film comes from J and C Photography, purveyors of Efke; the processing
from Yale Film Labs on the west coast, so far as I know the only place that
still processes, slits, and mounts 8mm film.)

For those not familiar with old home movies: The 8mm film gauge dates from
1932.  It was Kodak's attempt to make movies affordable to the middle class.
Kodak did a quickie R&D on this one: they doubled the number of perforations
on 16mm movie film.   8mm cameras use a 25' spool.  Film is run through the
camera, the film is flipped over, and then run a second time.  The processor
slits this 16mm wide film strip in half, glues the two ends together, and
voila--a 50' 8mm film that runs as long as 100' of 16mm. Not the most
convenient system in the world, but it was the amateur standard until 1965,
when Super 8 superseded it.  

I suppose I love it because it's so tactile--threading film, winding
cameras, adjusting lenses--hell, any Leicaphile (especially LTM users) can
identify.  Sure, you can screw up, but then you can also misload a IIIF.
Super 8 is just too automatic: plastic cartridges that set film speed,
automatic everything, no key wind.

I discovered a fellow in Phoenix who completely rebuilds small-body 8mm
Bolex cameras (not the H series), including a complete CLA, motor
re-adjustment, light meter rebuild/calibration, etc.  Having cursed several
gorgeous-looking, but malfunctioning examples (one of which died in the
middle of an antique car parade), I swallowed hard and got the right one.
My goodness, it was really night and day--equivalent to the difference
between a pristine old M3 versus an M3 just returned from a Krauter CLA.  

Over the years I'd acquired quite a few Bolex D-mount lenses (standard
screwmount for 8mm cameras in the 40s and 50s).  They were made in three
tolerances: Switar (the best), Yvar (somewhat slower), and Pizar (least
expensive, usually in a fix-focus mount.  I had three Switars on the camera.
Bolex also offered an anamorphic lens for this camera (wide screen movies!)
and a 13mm f0.9 lens (13mm is roughly equal to a 50mm lens in 35mm still
photography.)  I'd love to find the 13 f0.9 someday at a reasonable price.

The 8mm Fomapan R film stock is rated at ISO 100, which is a bit too fast
for normal bright light shooting (silent speed is about 1/40 of a second).
Since the Bolex has a variable shutter, I set it at the halfway point, and
set the meter for ISO 50.  The film is really beautiful--sort of
impressionistic, reminiscent of 1920s and early 30s films.  Lots of grain,
but again not unpleasant.

However, I get all kinds of stares when I shoot films.  This evening I went
to a community party, and received an ovation from the local TV news crew.
They thought it was "so cool" that I was shooting film, and winding up my
little camera.  Another fellow was shocked when he saw me rethread the
camera for the second run.  At another gathering some wiseguy asked if I was
Zapruder.

Well, for all this trouble I get a four-minute movie for about $25.  Is it
worth it?  I think so--I haven't seen a decent home video yet on a full-size
home movie screen.  All told, there's a lot to be said for an amateur film
that ONLY lasts a few minutes!

Keep this in mind when you try to get a roll of C-41 processed in 2020.

Best,
Jim Shulman
Bryn Mawr, PA


PS: I was in Tar-jay the other day and saw a disposable video camera for
about thirty bucks.  It contains 20 minutes of shooting time (or whatever
they use to store images).  You return the camera to Tar-jay, and for
another ten bucks you receive a DVD.