Viewer/splicer question

I have a trove of old 8mm film and need a viewer/splicer to cut this stock to make one or more shorts.

Any recommendations for brands/models of viewer/splicers? Smaller footprint is better and lower price is preferred. I have some experience doing digital edits of stock footage.

Thanks.
 
Hervic is the standard. Easy to use. Around $20 on eBay.
Minette is a good one.

There isn't a viewer brand that is better than another. It's such
a simple machine anything will do. Elmo, Vernon, Goko. I use
a BAIA - had it since the 80's.
 
The splicer is separate from the viewer. You inspect the film with
the viewer, mark the frames where you want to cut and then use
the splicer to make the cut. Then using the splicer you tape the
pieces of film back together and use the viewer to check that the
edit is right.

Good, affordable ones are Elmo, Vernon, Goko and BAIA.
 
Thanks. I thought I remembered one from the 1960's that combined the two functions. Seems pretty awkward to unspool and re-load every time.
Could be. I never cut 8mm film in the 60's. No argument that
editing film is very different than non-linear video editing. It's
more awkward and labor intensive but with a separate viewer
and splicer you don't need to unspool and re-load every time.
 
First you will want to research whether you have "Regular 8mm" film or "Super 8mm" film. The holes in the film (the "sprocket holes") are not the same size, and one type of splicing tape will not fit the other. In other words you can't splice super-8 film with regular-8 splicing tape and vice versa. (The tape comes with the holes already punched in it). You will also want a viewer that handles either super-8 or regular-8 (some will adjust to handle both). In any case, the viewers are easy to handle, as you simply push the film into one slot to view it, and you pull it out of the slot to make an edit. Your spool of film goes on the left side, and your empty "take-up" reel goes on the right. You will need to buy a couple of empty take-up reels because as you edit, you will be putting the film from the small reels together into one big reel (The biggest reel...the 400ft size...will handle a half hour's worth of footage) One of the old timers who still handles 8mm stuff is Urbanski Film in Chicago.
 
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Thanks. I know that I have 8mm and not Super 8. I also have some older 16 mm. Would be great to find a gizmo that can handle 8 and 16.

Lots to choose from on eBay and Etsy. Many look like there is a viewer and splicer in a single set-up.
 
If I remember correctly, Regular 8mm film and 16mm film have the same sized sprocket holes, so you may be able to find a SPLICER that handles both. But I don't remember any VIEWER that handles both 8mm and 16mm.
 
I have an old Griswald
GRISWOLD-JR-FILM-SPLICER-8mm-16mm.jpg

that takes both 8mm and 16mm. It was my Dad's when he was in the
army in the 1950's. Still works today.

Here is a Mansfield that has the viewer and splicer combined.
vintage-portable-8mm-mansfield-p-950-action-editor-8-16mm-splicer-little-gem_141856836507.jpg

You'll see that you still need to pull the film from the viewer in order to
cut the film - but no need to un-spool and reload every time. Not really
any different than if you have a viewer and splicer separate like this:

8mmEditing.jpg


This is my 16mm setup that I also used for 8mm: #5 is the viewer with
no rewinds, #7 is the splicer. With this set up all I need to do is pull
an 8mm viewer and splicer off the shelf and I'm ready to go.

But if you're more comfortable with a combined unit you can't get much
better than that Mansfield.
 
As rik points out, combined is the same as two units, basically they are just affixed to a base. There is no real benefit if you can score better units separately.

You could screw them both into a plywood base if you want a combo.
 
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