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Single-8

Motion picture film format

Single-8, also known as 8 mm Type S, Model II, is a motion picture film format introduced by Fujifilm of Japan in 1965 as an alternative to the Kodak Super 8 format. Single-8 and Super 8 use mutually incompatible cartridges, but the 8 mm film within each cartridge shares the same frame and perforation size and arrangement, so developed Single-8 and Super 8 films can be shown using the same projection equipment. Although never as popular internationally as Super 8, the format continued to live in parallel.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

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Single 8 cartridge r
Photo: Carlitospradera, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons4

Single-8, also known as 8 mm Type S, Model II, is a motion picture film format introduced by Fujifilm of Japan in 1965 as an alternative to the Kodak Super 8 format. Single-8 and Super 8 use mutually incompatible cartridges, but the 8 mm film within each cartridge shares the same frame and perforation size and arrangement, so developed Single-8 and Super 8 films can be shown using the same projection equipment.2

The story

Both Single-8 and Super 8 were launched in 1965. The company Konan, also known for developing the Konan-16 subminiature camera, claims in its history page to have developed the Single-8 system in 1959. Single-8 proved to be quite successful in Japan, capturing 80–85% of the domestic market for home movies until 1973, but in the United States and other parts of the world, the Super 8 was the dominant format, in part due to Kodak's influence. At least one camera was made which accepted both Single-8 and Super 8: the Honeywell Elmo Tri-Filmatic Super 100, manufactured in Japan by Elmo and sold in different countries as the Elmo C300, which uses interchangeable magazines for Regular (Double) 8, Super 8, Single-8, and 100-ft reels of Double Super 8.

Fuji announced it would cease production of 8 mm film in 2006, but reversed that decision in 2007. At the time, Fuji was manufacturing two versions of Single-8 film: Fujichrome R25N, a daylight-balanced (5500 K) filmstock, and Fujichrome RT200N, a tungsten-balanced (3400 K) for indoor filming. The Sound Film brand is no longer made, although a magnetic sound stripe could be added to the film after processing. This option was chosen whenever sending the exposed film to Fuji in Japan for processing. Fuji discontinued sales of Single-8 film in March 2012 and stopped processing exposed film in 2013.

In addition to the Fuji color films, black and white film is available from Japanese company Retro Enterprises. This Single-8 black & white reversal film, named Retro X, is film speed 200 and is manufactured in Germany.

Although Fujifilm stopped exportation of Single-8 Film to other countries, individual companies in the United States and Europe import the filmstock independently. Single-8 is readily available in its home country of Japan where even used cameras can reach high prices in online auctions on Yahoo! Japan. For example, a used Fujica ZC1000, the top-of-the-line Single-8 camera, can fetch prices upwards to 250,000 Japanese yen (approx $2900).

Daicon Film of Japan (now Gainax) produced a series of well-known tokusatsu films in the 1980s using Single-8 film, some of which are now available on DVD.

From Wikipedia’s article on Single-8, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Products and brands

Super8 Reversal Lab Netherlands, a company selling most Single-8 films and processing some stocks

Retro Enterprises, in Tokyo, Japan - source Single-8 (and other format) films and processing

From Wikipedia’s article on Single-8, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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