A wide range of Super-8 cameras to suit all tastes from the tiny 104 to the powerful 110.
Overview
Elmo may not be a household name for cameras outside Japan, but they were a huge Japanese manufacturer of Super-8 cine cameras during the 1970s, the heyday of Super-8.
They made a broad range of cameras with the most popular being a series of cameras comprising of the
Elmo 104, 106, 108, 110 and 110R.
With the exception of the 110R these models are very similar in terms of capability with the main difference being the size of the zoom lens.
For each of these models, the model number indicates the power of the zoom lens, so the 104 has a 4x zoom, the 106 a 6x zoom and so on.
Design
In general these cameras are fairly light by virtue of their aluminium body. Naturally the weight goes up with the larger models purely due to the weight of the lenses. The 104 weighs in at 1100g, going up to 1500g for the 110R.
The camera’s power switch is a flip up lid on the right side of the camera which reveals a button that starts the camera shooting. All of the range also come with a handle that screws into the bottom of the camera and which has a trigger button for shooting. When using the trigger you need to remember to flip up this side lid to turn the camera on first. The power lid has a little sliding switch next to the shooting button which will keep the button down for continuous shooting.
A cable release socket is just below the power switch for single shot mode.
All cameras have a removable trigger handle on the bottom of the camera, and a lovely carrying strap on the top. This makes them great for low angle action shooting (think skateboarding !).
Shooting speeds
All of the range offer two shooting speeds: 18 fps (frames per second) and 24 fps, while the larger models (the 108 and 110) also have a slow-motion mode that takes around 50 fps. The 110R adds a switch for single-frame capability. The other models can also take single-frames if you attach a cable release in the side of the camera.
Batteries
The batteries fit into a plastic battery box that slides into a compartment at the top of the camera. Having a separate battery box is a useful feature as if in the unlikely event you leave old batteries in the camera and they leak, most of the damage is kept confined to the box and is unlikely to damage the camera itself.
All cameras run on 4xAA batteries, and a few of the earlier models also need a separate battery for the meter. The battery compartment for this is just inside the left wall of the camera visible when the film chamber door is open. We generally use an SR44 battery (with adaptor) for this when needed which works great.
The cameras have a battery check button on the left of the camera that moves the meter needle. If the needle moves to the centre then the batteries are good.
Viewfinder
One thing that sets this entire range apart is the lovely large bright viewfinders which make the cameras a joy to use – nice and clear so that you can see exactly what you are shooting, even in low light. All show the aperture value at the bottom of the viewfinder.
The smaller cameras have a microprism circle in the centre of the viewfinder as a focusing aid, while the 110R adds a split prism focusing screen for very precise focusing.
The viewfinder tube has a diopter adjuster so you can set it for your individual eyesight.
Zoom
All cameras have a single-speed power zoom operated by a switch to the left of the lens: up for telephoto, and down for wide. The zoom (along with the film drive) is generally very quiet which is a benefit if you are also recording sound while shooting.
Exposure control
All have through the lens automatic exposure control and you will see the viewfinder aperture needle move as you point the camera at bright or dark scenes. A switch on the left of the camera enables you to change to manual exposure mode and when you turn it you can move the aperture needle to any desired value.
85A filter control
As with most Super-8’s film colour balance (daylight or tungsten) is automatically detected when you insert your film cartridge, so no manual intervention is required unless you are using a daylight film under traditional (tungsten) lighting. In that case there is a little filter key in a slot on the top / back of the camera. Simply remove this and slot it into the same position at the top / front of the camera and the camera will adjust for the colour of the indoor lighting.
Which film to use with these cameras ?
The meter on the entire range is calibrated for the following film speeds / types:
- 25-160 (daylight)
- 40-250 (tungsten)
Of currently available Super-8 film you can therefore use any of the following:
- Kodak Vision 3 50D (regular colour film for use in Daylight)
- Kodak Vision 3 200T (regular colourfilm for use in Daylight or Indoor lighting)
- Kodak Ektachrome 100D (Daylight colour film for use in a projector)
- Kodak Tri-X 200 (Black-and-white film for use in a projector)
Note that although Kodak 500T (the most sensitive film) is technically out of the meter range for these cameras it actually makes a very good choice for shooting indoors in low light.
Modern film has the capability to handle too much / too little light rather well. In addition when your film is processed and scanned, the scanner will compensate for incorrect lighting so the results for 500T indoors are very good.
Summary
This range of cine cameras has all of the features that most home cine film makers will need, without having a lot of complex functions and buttons that are rarely used. They are easy to use and create great results and are easy to carry around. Simply choose the size (and zoom lens) that is right for you !