Zeiss Ikon Moviflex G S8 Electronic

Zeiss Ikon Moviflex G S8 Electronic

Year: 1970-72

Lens: Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 2,8 / 6 - 60 mm

Filter thread Bay 56 (Contarex)

Microprism Focusing

Manual Zoom / Power Zoom (1 Speed)

Frame rates: 18, 24, 54 + single frame

Manual / Auto Exposure

Fades (closes aperture to f64)

Two seperate cable release sockets for remote exposures (black) and single frame (red)

Power supply: 6 AAs (LR6)

No sound

Made in Germany

Manufacturer: Zeiss Ikon Voigtländer

Original price in England (in the year of introduction): £539

Price(s) on eBay: EUR 29,50 (+ EUR 7,50 shipping) for an untested camera plus bag in 12/2005; 39 EUR on ebay.de in 1/2006

Reviews

by Geoval

Marketed and sold from 1970-72 as the most expensive Super 8 camera ever made, this classy, yet very quirky German Super 8 retailed for a cool US$1,200 back in the day. Shooting manually with this Super 8 is downright goofy, but if you can find one in good working condition, don’t think twice, buy it! Why? The Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 6-60mm f/2.8 is the widest, sharpest, most compact Super 8 lens I have ever tested! Outdoors under sunny skies colors really pop and resolution and contrast are so good your images will look near 16mm! Just make sure you’re outdoors because at f 2.8 the Zeiss Vario-Sonnar is also one of the slowest zooms I’ve ever tested. The viewfinder though sharp is a a little too dim, making it difficult to focus in low light. Besides legendary Zeiss optics, the overall fit and finish on the Moviflex is of a high order. The combination black enamel and polished metal body makes for a tastefully compact, perfectly balanced and comfortable to hand hold Super 8 camera. Even the motor sounds expensive – in a hushed, steady, precise sort of way. A big plus of the Zeiss Moviflex models is their ability to meter automatically from 16-160 ASA. Zeiss Ikon Moviflex cameras in general and the GS8 in particular is universally overlooked because so few actually sold in North America - Geoval.

by Super8Scientist, 2018

Putting a special key in a slot on top will deactivate the 85A filter, a coin can be substituted. This is the gold standard of lenses for Super-8, comparing side-by-side film shot from a Bauer 715XL-S, Nikon R10, Canon 814XL-S, Bauer A512 and Zeiss GS8, the Zeiss is the clear and definite winner, easily a 10/10 for me. After testing it against a Leicina and Beaulieu, its only equals are the Schneider 6-66mm and 10mm M-mount lenses and the Angenieux 6-80mm c-mount lens. It is also very light, easy to hold and takes acceptably steady pictures for a Super8 camera. Despite this, you can't shoot manually without a remote cord or without holding the f-stop dial, The handle is not removable/doesn't fold, the footage counter is very basic, there's no frame counter, it's very loud, will not properly meter 500T, and the lens itself only opens up to T3.1. If I could rip the lens off the camera and get it rebuilt to an M mount I would.

NOTE: 1. Good alternatives are the Moviflex ES8 and Moviflex MS8, which are cheaper to buy than the GS8. Both have essentially the same metering system and speed selection as the GS8 and come with another stellar T2.2 10-30mm Zeiss lens.