For anyone that collects the silent digests, do you guys find standard 8 films more difficult to come by than the super 8 formatted ones? For me, it's a definite yes. I have considerably less standard 8 films in my possession.

Tim,
I have noticed that searches on sites like eBay bring up fewer Standard 8 prints these days. Depending upon what you're looking for,old catalogs might be a good source of information on Standard 8 titles.When I first got into 8 mm collecting back in the late 1970's. you would still see some titles (usually Ken Films) still offered in the Standard 8 format.

Hi Doug! I've noticed how on occasion you will see some of the latter Ken Films packaging incorporate a white sticker that reads 'STANDARD 8MM' placed directly over the area of the box lid that would normally read 'SUPER 8'. Most of the time, it's the other way around. You'll see older packaging with a 'SUPER 8' sticker on the front of the box. But indeed, I see way fewer standard 8 titles of a highly desirable nature (science fiction, for example). Mostly, I see cartoons or something news or sports related. I've tried to find 8mm digests of features whenever possible (as well as priced reasonably), since I have two machines that can accommodate them.

Even in The North of England 1979, quality standard 8mm prints were becoming harder and harder to find in the stores.

I used to collect colour and b/w silent prints for my then Cinerex 707. Had to get rid of the projector in the end and use the money to go towards my first ever Super 8mm Sound Projector because of the lack of Standard 8mm titles in places like Dixon's.

In 1977 when I first got the Cinerex, Tom and Jerry Standard 8mm titles and the Disney extracts in Standard 8mm, were in every store.

Yes Standard 8mm is harder to find these days. The sad fact is that it is my favourite 8mm format.
In the past I always had a preference for the Standard 8mm version over the Super 8mm version so I would buy that
one.

Still worth having at least one very decent Standard 8mm sound projector just in case that illusive print of the full feature "Psycho" ever appears.
One already did only a few months back and this film was only ever officially released on Standard 8mm.

When I exchanged my Standard 8mm films for Super 8mm ones, I personally noticed a huge leap in the upwards direction from doing so.

The WDHM ones in particular, were just superb. Razor sharp and stunning colours when new!

What i will say though is, there are plenty of "dupey" quality grainy Super 8mm prints out there. Especially from the 70's. By the time we got through to the mid 80's Derann, Kempski and Red Fox features in particular..., it is hard to imagine how such a small frame size could ever look better on a standard 10ft diagonal home cinema screen!

Andrew I often wonder how good Standard 8mm could have looked if the same technical care and attention
was given to later Super 8mm releases. I found some Standard 8mm prints were better than the Super 8mm print.
Even Castle Films Super 8mm prints were graded to light and washed out the contrast and highlights at times.

It's true to say the worse are far poorer than their Standard 8 counterparts David, but equally nothing on Standard 8 could ever surpass the images on here from the very best on Super 8mm.

You only have to look at my recent post regarding Ugo's magnificent set up captured here showing "The Lion King" on You Tube (and here,posted a few days back) to tell us all this. The frame size was after all one full third larger!

A magnificent home cinema!

To a certain extent that is true Andrew, but I'd say that some of the home movie footage from the past, with some "jiggery pockery" from
the TV stations in WW2 documentaries or holiday/social comment 8mm films give a very good account of the format, even with the old film stocks.
Granted, the latter super 8 filmstocks were excellent, back in the day, I always went for standard 8mm " Regular 8 to our American friends, it seemed more robust, and for some reason had better contrast on the 8mm releases, this is on the package 200' releases. It
could be my imagination, but the silents were viewed on a 50watt silent machine, then again, was the same care lavished on the S/8
releases as was in the day when std 8mm ruled in the 8mm gauge, coupled to the pre print material, was it changed? I'd like to add that
the UK held onto the standard 8mm gauge for a few years after everyone else had called it a day.

As a footnote, even Derek Simmonds wondered how good his std 8mm direct reductions would have looked like on projection with the
super lamps we have now. I do know that the reel three I have of Sinbad's 7th Voyage, from Columbia films, was stunning colour, far and
away better than the other three reels, it has slowly faded back to okay colour, but if they had all had been this standard, WOW!