Inside the Super8
Cartridge
The Secret is
revealed!
Here are pictures of what the Super8 Cartridge looks like inside. The
inside part of the Cartridge simply slips into grooves on the outer
Case. These two parts would then be sealed together with
heat. There are the Supply Chamber in the front half, and the Take-up
Chamber in the back portion containing the Spool and Clutch. The
Film in the Supply Chamber is not connected to anything. It is just
coiled-up, and rotates as it unwinds. It is sitting against a Plastic Disc
behind it which helps it unwind. As you can see it is a very tight path
for the Film to travel -- especially after the Film Gate. For the Sprocket
Arm on the Camera to pull the Film down is not the difficult
part. The real challenge is to push the Film down through
the two bottom corners into the Take-up Chamber. It's asking a lot to ask
this Cartridge to function well at 24 Frames per Second. In the Take-up
Chamber, whenever it runs out of slack Film, there is only one post to inhibit
the Spool from tugging on the Film coming down. If the Clutch on the
Camera is too tight, the Film will be tugged in the Film Gate. The
Pressure Plate cannot prevent this. With everything being as it should,
this Cartridge does work superbly at 18 Frames per Second. If it works at
24f/s, be grateful! I hope you enjoy this learning experience.
Mr. Terry Mester
The Supply
Chamber

The Film laterally shifts from the front half to
the back half of the Cartridge as it exits down the
right
corner. You can rotate the picture 90 Degrees clockwise for
upright image.

Plastic Tray

Empty View

The Edge
This is the bottom edge after the Film has passed the
Pressure Plate.

The CaseThis is the
moderately curved bottom corner of the Case to guide the Film through the bottom
Track.

Inside View of the Case

The Pressure PlateFront
View

Back View

Side View

The Take-up Chamber
The Spool turns clockwise. The Post in the right
corner inhibits tugging on the Film.

And that's it. The rest is in the Camera.
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v. 7.28.2008