The Digital Super 8 Camera

The fuzzy square qualities of Super 8 film have made quite a comeback in today's retro culture that aches for a time machine. Most people shoot Super 8-looking stuff, color graded to look like the past, but some people have actually revived the Super 8 gun-cameras and are paying the exorbitant prices to process the film (which may not come out right the first time, since we're all used to low-pressure shooting on digital media). In an effort to condense the contemporary Super 8 experience into a modern compromise, Chinon has created something with the best of both worlds. Meet the Bellami HD-1, a camcorder that looks like a Super 8 camera.

Back in the day, Chinon used to make Super 8 cameras with the best of them, so this design is the real deal, not some hip dude on Kickstarter that copied a trigger recording button and slapped on a gun butt. Instead of a roll of Kodak, Chinon has a 2.1 megapixel sensor and HDMI, USB, and SD connectivity.

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While the video or specs aren't necessarily the most impressive we've seen (sadly, your iPhone is better), it's a pretty neat concept that provides very different ergonomics than the camcorders — or phones — we're used to using.


Ethan Wolff-Mann is Supercompressor's Gear editor. He wishes theaters still projected in 35mm. It just looks better. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann.