Shipping a Super-8 film camera for the journey from seller to buyer is a bit more work than it seems. Unlike Professional E.N.G. Video cameras that can be taken apart into four distinct pieces, most Super-8 cameras cannot be taken apart for shipping.

Super-8 cameras are usually one complete piece so packing the camera is a lot easier to prep for shipping than cameras that have removable parts. 8mm motion picture cameras such as Beaulieu, Leicina, Nalcom, some of the Russian super-8 cameras, and a single-8 camera made by fujica all have removable lenses. If you have one of these types of cameras you may want to check out my ENG Shipping Review Guide which recommends separating the camera from the lens for shipping purposes.

For everyone else that will be shipping the "normal" super-8 camera that does not have a removable lens, use thin small bubble bubblewrap and completely wrap the super-8 camera with it. I'm not sure if there is an ideal starting point on the super-8 camera when wrapping it in bubblewrap but I probably would not start at the lens. Use tape at the selected starting point and apply it to both the start of the bubblewrap and the camera starting point. I would suggest not starting the bubblewrap at the door chamber, lens, or handle if the handle has a hinge on it. It's important that the bubblewrap be wrapped snugly. You may want to use masking tape for the start point since that will come off easier later on and will be easier to remove. Do not wrap bubblewrap around the camera supertight as it is possible that some thin portruding piece of plastic could be broken. Too tight of a wrap could apply unnecessary force to the lens area.

You also do not want to wrap the bubblewrap too loosely around the super-8 camera either. The concept is for the bubblewrap to absorb all the shock and vibration during shipping while also keeping the camera relatively steady inside the box. If the bubblewrap is too loose it won't protect the super-8 camera. After snugly covering the entire camera with at least two to three layers of thin bubblewrap, tape the bubblewrap shut so it does not unravel.

The box within a box is generally considered the best shipping method. The Box within a Box method allows the super-8 camera additional protection both from vibration and from the very occasional "punch-through" in which some sharp foreign object accidentally punches through the outside box during shipping. While it is possible that whatever punched through the outside box can also punch through the inside box, it's also possible that the inside box will just be pushed aside.

Square boxes are the strongest. Rectangular boxes are acceptable but please keep in mind that the longer the rectangular shape of the box, the weaker the longer sides of the box become.

Next, add styrofoam peanuts to the bottom of the shipping box, then place the bubblewrapped camera next, then add more styrofoam peanuts on top. It is VERY IMPORTANT TO ADD THE STYROFOAM PEANUTS as this will increase the stopping distance of the bubblewrapped sealed camera to move around whenever the box is violently shaken or dopped. You will have to make a decision as to whether or not the camera might settle to the bottom of the box. If you think it will, you have a couple of options to consider. Use a smaller size box, put the bubblewrapped camera and sytrofoam peanuts inside and tape the box shut. Now put that box into a bigger box. Caution, please make sure the smaller box can move around inside the bigger box, DO NOT cram the smaller box inside the bigger box as this allows shock and vibration to more easily travel through both outer and inner box and reach the camera! Next place additional styrofoam peanuts placed around the outside of the smaller box, and then seal the bigger box with 2 inch tape all along all the corners and all sides so that each strip of tape overlaps 3 sides of the box. Stick with clear tape so that if you cover the address information you are actually protecting the address from moisture while keeping it visible.

If you only want to use one box, then put the bubblewrapped super-8 camera in a rugged ziplock plastic bag with styrofoam peanuts, an additioal seal of the bag with tape is recommended, and then put the sealed camera in the box with more styrofoam peanuts all around. You may want to mix in some wadded up newspapers underneath and above the rugged plastic bag to help prevent the camera from settling to the very bottom of the box.

What if you have the original super-8 camera box case? If you have the original super-8 camera box the camera came in along with the original styrofoam inserts that the camera was placed into, you can simply put the camera inside and use a couple of rubber bands to keep the box sealed during transit. The rubber bands help prevent damage to the cover art of the super-8 camera box and if the camera were to be inspected during shipping by the post office it will be easier to open. Next put the rubber banded box inside of a slightly bigger box with the styrofoam peanuts mixed all around. Usually two inches of space on all sides is considered the minimum space that should exist between the bigger and the smaller box. DO NOT COMPRESS THE interior box inside of the bigger box. The interior box should "float" on the styrofoam peanuts and shift around as necessary during transit. For added protection two thin layers of bubble wrap around the smaller internal box is the safest of all, then add the styrofoam peanuts. WARNING, makes sure if there is any small lens attachment that aids in zooming that it be completely free from touching anything in the styrofoam case. I just received a camera and because the lens was left in the telephoto position a tiny plastic "nub" that is attached to the lens ended up jamming against the lens repeatedly during shipment. The result was a locked up lens and the "nub" fell off the first time I touched it. Ugh!

Can you ship a camera inside an the shoulder camera bag/case? If the inside of the camera bag is stiff, and has no shock absorbing material, I do not recommend shipping the camera inside one of these camera bag/cases. The camera must first be wrapped in bubblewrap as described earlier and sealed shut with tape, styrofoam peanuts are then placed inside the camera bag. Now put the camera inside the hardened camera bag/case, seal the camera bag/case, then place that camera bag inside a shipping box with ample styrofoam peanuts all the way around. It's important that the camera "float" inside of the camera bag/case. If you pack the camera inside the camera bag too tightly the shock absorbing capability of the camera bag will be neutralized, and that is not a good thing. The styrofoam peanuts both inside of the camera bag/case and outside of the camera/bag case allow the camera to "float" during shipping.

The odds of someone properly shipping a super-8 camera inside one of these shoulder bags that have the hardened internal supports are very very low so I would recommend these camera shoulder bags be shipped separately from the camera at the cheapest shipping method available. Should you ship a Super-8 camera with the batteries inside the unit? I would suggest NOT shipping the camera with batteries for several reasons. Batteries add shipping weight, makes the camera more dense which can increase the g-force if the camera is dropped during shipping, and can increase the liklihood that the super-8 camera will settle to the bottom of the box during shipping. If the there is a short circuit inside the camera while in transport, that cannot be a good thing ever. Also, if just one of the batteries is accidentally put in backwards, that can cause the batteries to overheat and perhaps create a problem that did not exist prior to shipping. The camera could accidentally be left in the on position or the switch could move during shipping and it is unnecessary to leave the camera powered up during travel as the batteries will be useless by the time they arrive to the buyer.

If you believe that one brand of battery works better than another, then cut out the brand name from a package of batteries and put that in the box so that the buyer will know what brand of battery to get. As strange as it may sound, sometimes either a duracell, energizer or a rechargeable will not work in a super-8 camera, but the other types of batteries will. As far as I know, ALL Super-8 cameras use double AA batteries. Sometimes a Super-8 camera will only work with duracell, or only work with energizers, or only work with a rechargeable, so never give up on a Super-8 camera until you have tried various brands of AA batteries, and do not mix the brands.

Shipping Overseas. If you win a Super-8 camera from overseas the least expensive method for shipping is to ship it via boat! This method can take SIX WEEKS for the item to arrive! Besides the long shipping time, a once sturdy box can buckle and soften after being on a ship for six weeks. The combination of other boxes piled on top of the box during overseas shipping plus the humid ocean air can weaken the box over the six weeks the package will spend in transit. This is why it is important to have additional protection for the camera inside the box.

I also don't recommend shipping more than 2 cameras per box unless the shipper is superconfident and experienced in shipping multiple cameras in the same box. Multiple Cameras in the same box can bounce into each other during transit. It's possible that the shipping box is well protected from outside elements but susceptible to internal collisions between the cameras that are next to each other inside the box.

Thanks for Caring enough to read this guide!