First Spool of Film I've Ordered and New Camera

The first spool of 8mm film I ordered from a man named John Schwind of California arrived in the mail today. He is recommended by Eastman Kodak as a supplier of hard to find small guage film stocks. His website is: www.zerelda.com/internationalfilm/internationalfilm.html

The film I ordered is ASA 50 Daylight Cinechrome color film. I have tested half of the reel in the Mansfield Holiday Metermatic.

The Bell & Howell 414P, I have discovered, has many problem areas (focus, light meter, and broken power zoom), so I finally tracked down the exact model I was looking for (Bell & Howell 414PD, spool fed. I purchased this camera through eBay yesterday, and I will test exposures on this camera with the other side of the 8mm spool I received.

Bell & Howell made some of these 414 models designed for magazine cartridges of 8mm film. It made loading the camera, and flipping the film half way through exposure more simple for camera users. The draw back to magazine load 8mm cameras, is that the magazines are no longer produced, or available anywhere, and so these cameras make a nice conversation piece, paper weight, or luxury liner anchor. The 414PD that I found is identical to the camera used by Dallas dress manufacturer Abraham Zapruder when he filmed President Kennedy's assassination in 1963. His camera was spool fed like mine, and now I feel like I own a piece of history. I suppose that is why most of us collect antiques- to feel connected to the past, even if we weren't alive at the time the piece was new. Zapruder's camera is in the National Archives, mine will sit with my camera collection on a shelf in my home. In today's money, my 414PD would be worth $1500.00 new. It's neat to think I can own something for a small amount of money that at one time only the elite could afford.

If anyone has questions about 8mm cameras, please don't hesitate to message me, and I will get back to you and possibly blog about your inquiry, which I will pass by you before publishing.

I can't wait for my 414PD to arrive. I'll let you all know as soon as it gets here.

Josh