CANON 518 SV: THE BEST PRESSURE PLATE EVER DESIGNED FOR TYPE-S 8 mm FILM

The Canon 518 SV occupies a singular place in the history of Type-S 8 mm cinematography. Not without reason: it descends directly from the very first Super-8 camera ever shown in Spain, presented as early as December 1964, several months before Kodak officially launched the system on the market. Once again, Canon was ahead of its time.

The Canon 518 SV in its Super-8 version, introduced in March 1971, is in fact an adaptation to the Kodak cartridge of the original model released in November 1970 for Single-8, the Japanese system that uses the same film format (Type-S 8 mm) but housed in a radically different cartridge, which we will discuss later.

Canon 518 SV... Super-8 film in Single-8 cartridge!

A SOUGHT-AFTER CAMERA… AND FOR GOOD REASON.

Even today, the Canon 518 SV in Super-8 remains a highly sought-after and widely used camera, for several clear reasons:

1. A high-quality lens, with excellent coatings;

2. A true circular iris, servo-motor driven;

3. A variable shutter, lockable at any position;

4. Film speed selection from 16 to 400 ASA;

5. All-metal internal gearing, which explains why these cameras continue to operate flawlessly half a century after manufacture.

Canon spared no effort in engineering, and that commitment is as evident today as it was then.

Inspection window. On the left, variable shutter control and electric rewind.

THE SINGLE-8 MODEL: WHERE EVERYTHING FALLS INTO PLACE.

However, the real subject of this article is not the Super-8 518 SV, but its Single-8 predecessor—a camera that, in addition to sharing all the virtues mentioned above, incorporates a series of technical solutions that place it in an entirely different league.

Among them:

1. An inspection window in the film compartment, allowing one to visually confirm whether the film advances or rewinds smoothly;

2. Unlimited motorized rewind, a rarity in cameras of this class;

3. A glass external 85 filter, not an internal gelatin filter, resulting in superior optical quality

4. A film claw positioned after the gate (+2) rather than before it, as in most Super-8 cameras.

   • This means the film is pulled downward rather than pushed, exactly as in 16 mm cameras, resulting in significantly greater image stability;

5. And above all… an absolutely exceptional pressure plate.

Very sophisticated Canon pressure plate

THE BEST PRESSURE PLATE EVER MADE FOR TYPE-S 8mm CINEMA.

The pressure plate of the Canon 518 SV for Single-8 is, without exaggeration, one of the finest—if not the finest—ever designed for the Super-8 / Single-8 format.

• It is articulated

• It incorporates rotating entry and exit rollers, reducing friction and mechanical stress

• It keeps the film perfectly flat at the gate

• And it is easily removable for servicing and cleaning

I would even dare to say that, in this specific aspect, it surpasses the pressure plate of the Fujica ZC1000, which is otherwise an absolute reference camera. This pressure plate is such a thoughtfully engineered component that it is a pleasure not only to film with the Canon 518 SV, but simply to observe its internal mechanics.

Super-8 film between the plate and the gate, in my customized cartridges (not for sale)

CONCLUSION.

The Canon 518 SV in its Single-8 incarnation represents one of the technical summits of Type-S 8 mm cinema. It brings together mechanical robustness, intelligent design, and profound respect for image stability. Its pressure plate is a masterclass in how cinematographic film should be treated: with precision, gentleness, and common sense.

It is yet another reminder that when engineering was done with time, knowledge, and love for the craft, the results could last for generations.

And this Canon proves it—frame by frame.

That said, perfection does not exist: the 518 SV reads film speeds of 25, 50, 64, 100, 160, and 200 ASA, but not 400 ASA (the ideal setting for Vision 500). It also lacks an electromagnetic release, meaning it cannot accept modern intervalometers. Small limitations in an otherwise extraordinary motion picture film tool.