SINGLE-8 STORY: THE BIBLE OF SINGLE-8

All my readers know that I’ve been a firm supporter of the Single-8 system for over half a century — ever since my pre-university days. The film itself is identical to Super 8: 8mm-wide with S-type perforations. What changes is the cartridge: while Super 8 uses a coaxial design with a single spindle, Single-8 employs a dual-spool system, allowing full rewinding and reverse shooting — a huge advantage. 

The Single-8 cartridges are reloadable, lack internal pressure plates (since even the most basic Single-8 cameras come with precision metal pressure plates), and — crucially — the pull-down claw operates BENEATH the gate, pulling the film forward just like every professional film format. In contrast, Super 8’s claw pushes from ABOVE, which compromises stability.

All these factors contribute to Single-8’s legendary image steadiness and cartridge reliability, without jamming.

And let’s not forget: Single-8 gives us the best 8mm camera ever built — the legendary Fujica ZC1000N, my faithful companion through African deserts and Antarctic expeditions alike, never once failing me in half a century of professional work. This masterpiece boasts a double variable shutter, digital frame counter, C-mount lens system, true 72 fps, a plug-in slow exposure motor, a double-tooth claw after the gate — and an additional claw before the gate to ensure perfect registration even when shooting in full reverse without change in the frame line.

Despite these undeniable advantages, Single-8 never reached the popularity it deserved (outside of Japan and Holland), largely because Kodak never offered Kodachome in Single-8 cartridges. (Although I did — by reloading my own and sending them to Dwayne’s for processing.) Still, it’s worth noting that early Fujicolor stock (1965–1973) was nearly as stable as Kodachrome, and the Fujichrome Type N made between 2000 and 2012 offered truly outstanding quality.

Having filmed my entire life in Single-8, I had high hopes for the book Single-8 Story by Jürgen Lossau and Samuel Preston — and it exceeded every expectation. Printed in English and German, it's a lavish large-format volume packed with never-before-published information, superb illustrations, and outstanding print quality.

The book is divided into sections, including a detailed comparison between the original ZC1000 (1974–1979) and the upgraded ZC1000 New (1979–1982), which introduced a reinforced bronze C-mount capable of supporting heavier lenses. For newcomers, this guide makes it easy to distinguish the two versions at a glance. Unsurprisingly, the ZC1000 is studied in depth.

Lossau’s research thoroughly covers every Single-8 camera model ever released — not just by Fujifilm, but also from Canon, Elmo, Konica and others — and even includes a timeline listing the release year of each.

Another section dives deep into the origins of the Single-8 system, tracing its development from 1959 to its commercial debut in 1965. One remarkable chapter is dedicated to the Fujica ZS400, a rare camera capable of recording optical sound on any silent Single-8 cartridge.

A particular highlight is the recent interview conducted by Tak Kohyama with Shigeo Mizukawa, the designer of the ZC1000 and other Fuji cameras. I know Shigeo personally, so I was especially touched to read his words:

"Ignacio Benedeti shoots documentaries all over the world with the ZC1000 and Kodak film loaded into Single-8 cartridges. His camera has never stopped working, not even in the freezing temperatures of Antarctica."

And from the master Kohyama himself:

"Ignacio Benedeti has been filming with the ZC1000 for nearly half a century. I always admired his projects — which is why I bought a ZC1000 for myself."

The book concludes with a gallery of original brochures and promotional material released over the years by Fujifilm — a priceless archive in itself.

In short, Single-8 Story is essential reading for anyone passionate about small-format filmmaking. It’s one of the best investments I’ve ever made — a book I’ll return to again and again in the years to come.

The book will be presented in Spain at IX edition of Sellier Film Festival, in december, 2025.

 You can order the book here: https://www.super8mag.de/

I wrote this text taking care of my 92 years old beloved mother, with serious health issues last 6 weeks