James's Camera Collection: Revere Eye-matic 8 (Model CA-2)

Revere Eye-matic 8 (Model CA-2)
Revere Eye-matic 8 (Model CA-2) movie camera
Format: 8mm
Transport: Spring-wind
Exposure: automatic (selenium cell)
Approx. date of manufacture: 1958
Original price: $139

Revere made a long line 8mm cameras they called the Revere 8. The ones with selenium photocells built in were Eye-matics. An advertisement I have puts it at 1958.

There are two nearly identical versions of this camera. The CA-1 has a single "normal" lens; the CA-2 has a three-lens turret. The lenses are Normal (13mm, ƒ/1.8), Wide (9mm) and Telephoto (32.5mm). The ƒ numbers on the Wide and Tele are unpublished. The CA-1 could accept accessory Wide and Tele adapters (catalog numbers 808 and 809 respectively).

Revere also made the CA-3 and CA-4 models, which are identical to the CA-1 and CA-2 respectively, except that they took magazine instead of spool film. Magazines were convenient and, in my opinion, a lot better than threading spool film. But they were also more expensive ($30, in 1958), so a lot of people figured they couldn't afford the luxury.

Revere Eye-matic 8 (Model CA-2) movie cameraclick for larger imageOne thing I definitely don't like about it is the winder. Rather than using a crank, this one has a hinged paddle, so you had to wind it like a clock, in half-turns while you cock your wrist each time. Cranks are so much nicer.

A sad fate for a lot of movie cameras: it's in a very nice tan leather case, with a little color correction filter for Type A film, and even the product literature.

The next version of this camera would feature a zoom lens, but it was too late. This was the camera that Revere hoped would take it to the next level. Instead, problems with the automatic aperture plagued it, and Bell & Howell's electric eye system ate its lunch.

PDFI have the original instruction manual for this camera on my manuals page.

Related Pages

Roundup of Revere and Wollensak Movie Cameras
Wollensak 43 Movie Camera

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