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The Revere 8 Model 88 is a vintage double-8mm cine camera manufactured by the Revere Camera Company of Chicago between 1940 and 1946, historically used by both news organizations and home cinematographers of the era. It’s a classic wind-up home-movie camera from before the age of video and digital recording, valued today by collectors for its rugged, mechanical design and mid-century industrial styling.
The camera uses double-run 8mm film loaded on 25-foot spools, a format that actually exposes one half of standard 16mm-width film; once the first side is fully exposed, the reel is flipped and respooled to expose the other half, after which a developing lab splits the film down the center and splices the two halves together into a single roll of usable 8mm footage, typically yielding a few minutes of finished film. The lens is a coated Wollensak-Revere Cine Raptar, generally cited around 12.5-13mm with a maximum aperture in the f/1.9 to f/3 range depending on the specific example, mounted on an interchangeable screw mount.
As a fully manual camera, focus, aperture, and frame rate are all set by hand, with the shutter and film advance driven entirely by a spring-wound clockwork motor rather than batteries, meaning the camera needs to be wound before shooting and will run for a limited time per winding. Frame rates are selectable from 8 to 32 frames per second, giving photographers some control over motion effects such as slow motion at the higher settings. The camera uses a direct-vision optical viewfinder with a frame marking for use with a telephoto lens, along with a built-in exposure calculator on the body to help estimate correct aperture settings for the available light.
Build quality centers on a durable, textured metal body construction typical of Revere’s cameras from this era, with an available gray/brown or gray finish. The camera measures approximately 125 x 100 x 55mm and weighs roughly 875g, though exact dimensions and weight can vary slightly depending on the specific lens and configuration fitted to an individual example.
Key Features
– Double-8mm cine camera (Revere Camera Company, Chicago; produced 1940-1946)
– Wollensak-Revere Cine Raptar lens (approximately 12.5-13mm, f/1.9-f/3 depending on example)
– Interchangeable screw lens mount
– Spring-wound (clockwork) motor drive, no batteries required
– Selectable frame rates from 8 to 32 fps
– Fully manual focus, aperture, and frame rate control
– Direct-vision optical viewfinder with telephoto framing marks
– Built-in exposure calculator
– Durable metal body construction
– Uses double-8mm film on 25-foot spools
