British electrical engineer Jenny List has unveiled a 3D printable cartridge designed specifically for Fujifilm Single-8 home movie cameras. The Single-8 format, once a competitor to Kodak’s Super 8, saw its last film stocks produced around a decade ago, leaving enthusiasts in search of alternatives.
List’s 3D printed cartridge is a meticulous reproduction of the original B-shaped Single-8 cartridge, accommodating Super 8 film. The key advantage of Single-8 lies in its thinner profile and the ability to be endlessly rewound, a feature absent in Super 8. List’s precision in recreating these cartridges underscores the necessity for high-quality 3D printers operating at their maximum settings, utilizing black filament or resin.
While Fujifilm ceased production of Single-8 film, the demand for Single-8 cameras persists in secondary markets. List’s innovation allows users to utilize the readily available Super 8 film in Single-8 cameras, breathing new life into these vintage devices.
The loading process, as explained by List, involves winding half of a Super 8 cartridge into the Single-8 one, totaling about 7.5 meters. The detailed instructions, available on List’s Github, emphasize the need for caution during the cutting and loading process. The entire project is open source, fostering a collaborative environment for enthusiasts and tinkerers.
In a landscape where analog filmmaking technologies are fading, List’s 3D printed cartridge stands as a testament to the resilience of vintage equipment. As the community of film enthusiasts embraces such innovations, the future holds exciting possibilities for the intersection of 3D printing and preserving analog filmmaking heritage.
Source: petapixel.com
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