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I really only started my Cine career in 1970 - discounting some very limited 16mm work in the 1960s with my father's old Kodak Camera. I inherited my late aunt's Standard 8 Bell and Howell Sundial Camera in 1969, to be followed a little while afterwards by the acquisition of Leicina 8SV. The Sundial has long since retired, but the Leicina performs faultlessly - given a supply of Cinechrome - now alas we are told on the way out. So the Super 8 versus Standard 8 debate largely passed me bye, as I was wedded to Standard 8 until my daughter's wedding in 1999, when I advanced to Super 8 - to make it easy for others to load and use the cameras! So it was with great fascination that I recently found a bound volume of 8MM Magazine from 1965 (in Hay-on Wye's bookshops). Super 8 burst forth upon an largely unsuspecting public in October 1965. The illustration is of the cover of the October issue which has a 10 page spread on the arrival of Super 8. The magazine had reported on the rumours in August. |
As the 40th Anniversary of Super 8 approaches - it is both illuminating and surprising to look back upon those 'halcyon' days. The volume begins in July 1965 - 3 months before the Official Launch in the UK.
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The cover price of the Magazine was 2/6d - one eighth of a Pound. With an equivalent magazine now costing about £4 - the inflation multiplier for working out prices would seem to be about 30x. As an articled clerk I earned £5 per week - whilst the secretaries in the firm earned £8 per week - so 30x does not seem to be very far wrong. The main advertisement on the first inside page was for the Bauer electric 'S' with 7.5 - 30 zoom which threaded itself - tough and elegant - it retailed at £89-10-0 - equivalent today it would seem to 10 weeks wages for a secretary - or £2685.00. We have forgotten just how expensive a hobby it was! Or more to the point, how reasonable it now is with K40 at around £12 or so process paid.
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| A Yashica self threading camera on the next page cost £79.10.
Leitz did not declare their price for the Leicina or Cinovid
projector. SJ Seccombe would produce you (very good) tiles for 7/6d
(£22-50). The Canonet came in at £49.19.6d (£1500.00) and you
could have a Sankyo on the 'never never' for £5.15.0d down and twelve
payments of £4.7.1d. At the 'industrial' end the Quarz was priced at a
very reasonable 17gns and gave you backwind, footage counter, removable
gate. cable release, UV and A/D filters and a pigskin
holdall! Still equivalent today though to £532.50. Certainly
Widescreen were selling the Super 8 Quarz kit around the £200 mark
recently. You could obtain Ilford Film at 25/6 (£37.50). Buy three
however and you were given the fourth one free reducing the cost to
about 19/4d - or just under £30 today including processing - not so
far off the present day cost of Standard 8 developed.
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There was no hint of things to come - the Standard 8 world ruled untroubled. Wallace Heaton advertised their 'Blue Book' for 2/6d (£3-75 to be sent their catalogue!). It was '90% new for the new season - because it covered all makes - if they offer reliability and value-for-money - because it covers all types of equipment; not only cameras and projectors, but every kind of accessory... .'
As to projectors - you could buy the Luch at 19gns - but a Eumig Mark 5 (sound) would have cost you a hefty £99.10.0 - little change from £3000 in today's money - but then video projectors and Widescreen TV's cost that don't they! There was no real 'Editorial' as such. The first article related to planning your film and was the concluding part of a practical guide in a series by A.R.Maugham. Then followed a test of the Bauer 88R - clockwork driven with speeds of 16 and 64fps - automatic feed onto the take up spool and 3.5 zoom (9-32) - cost £78.00.0d (£2340.00). This was a user test over a lengthy period and the camera gave first class results. It was made to a high standard and was recommended as excellent value.
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The readership intended would seem to have been predominantly male as the covers for each of the twelve editions feature various scantily clad ladies - otherwise there is very little use of colour in the magazines other than a page of advertisements in most editions in colour. You could build your own remote control for 15/-. There were thoughts on the BBC series 'The Great War' - which was recently repeated by the BBC to critical acclaim. Film reviews concentrated on Kim Wilder in 'Kiss Me Stupid' and 'les Parapluies de Cherbourg.' |
One might have expected 'New in Cine' to have hinted at things to come - Super 8 was announced in April in the States, but was not to be available here for a further 6 months. The main lead was Ferrania Film being marketed by the 3M Company. Sedic Cameras had arrived? Donald Campbell had achieved a new water speed record of 277.9 m.p.h on Lake Dubleyung near Perth under the watchful eye of six Bolex H16 cameras. It was noted that 'classic' - I presume they mean 'traditional' - timekeeping systems were inadequate for measuring such high speeds. Longines, entrusted with the timing of Campbell's exploit, evolved a system entailing the use of cine cameras. The Bolexes were speeded up to 100 frames per second and incorporated a device recording to 100th second the time printed on the edge of the film, giving the judges an 'irrefutable' record of the run.
Supercine in Romford introduced 'musical miniatures' - Acker Bilk - Frankie Vaughan et al at £1-19-6d for black and white and £3-10-0 for a 55ft reel and Ilford offered a free motor racing booklet. Made to order titles were on offer from FH Wright in Exeter - 5/- (£7-50) for standard title of up to 5 words. Technical Expert Peter West wrote about the principles of magnetic recording. The Club scene was especially lively - a wooden rostrum collapsed under the President of Southern Sound and Cine Club - one Harry Secombe! There were three pages of club news. In the classified adverts a 7" 45RPM record of Sound Effects would have cost you 7/6d - £11-25 by today's standards.
How technology has shrunk in price in real terms! However Super 8 is not yet mentioned - roll on the August Edition, oh and by the way - my daughter prefers the cine film to the video of her wedding!
TMH 2004