With the love of all things analog trending the past few years and the growing popularity of the Rhonda Cam(rebuilt from the classic Super 8 Canon 310, introduced by Pro8mm in 2012), we are excited to release our second intro to film/consumer-friendly camera, THE RHONDA CAM DELUXE. The Pro8mm R&D camera team was successfully able to break through some of the obstacles that restores this 1975 classic to surpass original factory specs, giving filmmakers a fantastic, compact super 8 camera at an affordable price.
The RHONDA CAM DELUXE is the perfect super 8 camera for the filmmaker who is new to shooting on film, but needs a serious production tool or to gain shooting experience and develop their skills. At the same time, it appeals to the “hipster”, analog resurgence crowd who loves the sustainably cool super 8 look and wants a compact, easy to use point and shoot camera that can capture great images. With a MSRP of $495, The Rhonda Cam Deluxe it is an affordable choice for creating content on Super 8 film.
Similar in size and style to the original Rhonda CAM, the RHONDA CAM DELUXE is restored from a Canon 514 XL, and has a few more sophisticated features. The RHONDA CAM DELUXE has the ability to shoot at 9fps (as well as 18fps), has an F stop scale in the viewfinder with the ability to lock a given exposure, an advanced split screen focusing, and a locking ring in the diopter adjustment which is a larger zoom range than the original Rhonda Cam. The RHONDA CAM DELUXE comes in classic black, or a variety of trendy skins in an assortment of colors and patterns. Pro8mm now also has the ability to create custom skins for clients upon request. This has been a popular choice for brides who have multiple super 8 cameras at the wedding for the guests to shoot with to create a montage of their special day.
Here is some footage shot at Miami International Film Festival at a workshop Pro8mm and Kodak hosted https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn73zzcV9D0
ABOUT THE ORIGINAL DESIGN
The RHONDA CAM DELUXE is a restored Canon 514, originally introduced in 1975. This model was developed under the “compactness” design policy Canon had to be a smaller version of their best-selling Auto Zoom 518SV. A new type of 5x f/1.4 zoom lens was developed, with 13 elements in 11 groups to achieve both high performance and compactness. Macro shooting at both the wide-angle and telephoto ends was made possible. The power source, using two AA batteries, was located on top of the camera, and the compact folding-type grip was folded to the bottom of the camera. This layout renewal achieved a body only 39 mm wide. The extensive use of plastic resulted in a lightweight of 620 grams, including batteries, but it also had a high-grade black body. A unique accessory for this model was a wide attachment lens for super wide-angle shooting at the wide-angle end of the lens.
More than a retro throw back with a modern look; THE RHONDA CAM & RHONDA CAM DELUXE are calibrated to work with modern color negative super 8 film stocks. Pro8mm’s expert camera techs at their Burbank California facility update these classic cameras for proper take up torque, lens collimation and exposure calibration.
Pro8mm also has a special Super 8 film workflow designed specifically for use with the Rhonda CAM or other Super 8 cameras intended for consumer use, called THE SUPER 8 FILM KIT Pro8mm President Phil Vigeant states “We recognize that with the end of color reversal film, consumers need an in-expensive way to work in super 8 film format. The Super 8 Film Kit combines Super 8 film, processing, scanning and Internet delivery for a fantastic modern Super 8 film experience at a great price.
The Super 8 Film Kit workflow (super 8 film, processing, HD scanning, internet delivery) sells for $88.88
The RHONDA CAM DELUXE sells for $495.00.
RHONDA CAM DELUXE Features:
- Custom skin appearance in a variety of colors and patterns
- Power/Manual zoom
- Runs on 2 AA batteries
- Petite Size (7″ x 4.5″ x 1 3/4″)
- Light weight body, weights less than 1 pound
- Auto exposure with a range of ASA
- Built in Canon 9-45mm zoom lens
- 4-32 auto controlled aperture
- F stop scale in the viewfinder with the ability to lock a given exposure
- Split screen focusing
- A locking ring in the diopter adjustment
For More information about the Rhonda CAM Deluxe, contact info@pro8mm, Ph: 818-848-5522 or watch a Rhonda CAM Video on You Tube!
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