Kodak Ektasound 130 (1973–1977)

The first Super 8 camera that could record sound directly onto film. It is a museum piece now.

Overview

The Kodak Ektasound 130 weighs 1250 grams. It was Kodak's first try at synchronized sound for the amateur filmmaker, a camera that records audio onto magnetically striped Super 8 film while you shoot. No separate recorder and no post-sync. You point, press record, and talk. Introduced in 1974 and built in the USA, it was marketed as the future of home movies, a way to get birthdays, holidays, and backyard dramas with actual dialogue. It added more than a microphone jack, but it was built for a film ecosystem that no longer exists. Today it is heavy, power-hungry, and tied to a format that's all but gone.

The camera is chunky. A fixed handle doubles as the battery compartment, holding six AA cells for the motor and a separate 9V for the amplifier. The lens is a fixed 9mm Kodak Ektar f/1.2, fast for its time and good for indoor shooting. Focus is fixed too, so everything relies on depth of field. You compose through a non-reflex optical viewfinder with an adjustable eyepiece. What you see isn't exactly what the lens sees. That parallax issue is common in Super 8 and still a minor annoyance. Exposure is automatic but not TTL (through-the-lens), so it reads external light, not what actually hits the film. A manual override has sun and bulb icons for daylight and tungsten, and a backlight control button compensates for strong rear lighting. It's rudimentary by modern standards.

What sets the Ektasound 130 apart, though, is the sound system. It was the first camera designed to record sound simultaneously onto magnetically striped Super 8 Ektachrome film, a feature that must have felt like magic in 1974. The recording level is automatic, with two microphone input sockets offering Normal and Reduced sensitivity — a nod to varying sound environments. A mini jack sits just below the lens for the included microphone, and there’s even a phonograph input and auxiliary speaker jack, suggesting Kodak imagined users syncing home footage with records or external audio sources. The camera runs at 18 fps when using a sound cartridge, 20 fps in silent mode, with a 230-degree shutter angle — standard for smooth motion in the format. It uses a DC micromotor for drive, which was quieter and more consistent than spring-wound mechanisms, and includes a cable release socket for steady starts.

All of this depends on film stocks that are no longer produced or compatible. A 2006 article reviewing its viability with modern Kodak Super 8 film gave it a 6 out of ? (exact scale unclear), and bluntly stated its useful life is finished for shooting Ektachrome 64T or 100D. Online, some users flatly call it "useless" for contemporary film. It isn't broken. The ecosystem it needs is gone. You can still power it on, test the motor, and maybe play back old cartridges if you have them. Shooting new film with synchronized sound is not possible.

Specifications

Key Features

First single-system sound in Super 8

The Ektasound 130 pioneered sound in this format. As the first camera designed to record audio directly onto magnetically striped Super 8 film, it removed the need for external recorders and post-production syncing. Home users could capture real conversations instead of silent pantomime. The system used Kodak's own striped Ektachrome film, which had a magnetic strip along the edge for audio. The camera's internal amplifier and auto level control handled the rest. You plugged in a mic and pressed record. No clapperboards, no matching audio in editing. The sound was frame-accurate, and as close to professional filmmaking as a consumer could get in the mid-70s.

Microphone and auxiliary audio inputs

Kodak didn't stop at basic mic input. The Ektasound 130 has a mini jack for a microphone mounted just below the lens, plus a phonograph input and an auxiliary speaker jack. That suggests users might play music from a record player into the camera while filming a dance, or monitor playback through an external speaker. Most owners probably never used the phonograph input. The two sensitivity settings (Normal and Reduced) show Kodak thinking about real-world conditions. Loud parties or parades wouldn't overload the system, and quiet indoor scenes could still be captured clearly.

Non-TTL exposure with manual override

The exposure system is automatic but not TTL, so it doesn't meter through the lens. That can lead to inaccuracies, especially with filters or unusual lighting. It relies on an external light sensor, which works well enough in consistent conditions but can struggle with backlit scenes or mixed lighting. The backlight control button lets users compensate for strong rear lighting. The manual mode has two settings, sun for daylight and bulb for tungsten. It's basic but functional. Film speed is detected automatically via a 1-pin ASA notching system, supporting 25/40 and 100/160 ASA films depending on lighting. It's not precise by modern standards, but for point-and-shoot home movies it got the job done.

Fixed lens with fast aperture

The 9mm Kodak Ektar f/1.2 lens is a standout. A maximum aperture of f/1.2 was extremely fast for a consumer Super 8 camera, and it allowed usable indoor shooting without additional lighting. Since focusing is fixed, Kodak relied on depth of field to keep subjects sharp. That's fine for medium-distance shots, but close-ups could be blurry. The fixed focal length means no zoom, but in 1974 most home cameras were fixed-lens anyway. A built-in 85A color correction filter, activated by a switch, balances color temperature under tungsten light.

Historical Context

The Super 8 format with lip-synchronized dialogue capability opened up sound for the home movie-maker, and the Ektasound 130 was Kodak's flagship for that shift. Before this, home movies were silent, relying on music or voiceover in playback. Recording sound directly onto the film changed amateur footage. Now you could hear your kid's laughter along with the first steps. The Ektasound 130 was positioned as the high-end solution for families who wanted the full experience. It shared its core design with the Ektasound 140, which was identical except for a zoom lens. That suggests Kodak offered a tiered lineup, with the 130 as the fixed-lens, possibly more affordable option.

Collectibility & Value

Today the Ektasound 130 is a collector's curiosity rather than a working tool. Its original price in England at introduction was £132, a significant sum at the time. Current market value is far lower. A complete in-box example was purchased for $20 USD, and one unit reportedly sold for just one dollar. An eBay Germany listing in November 2006 sold for EUR 9.37 plus EUR 7.00 shipping, so even then it wasn't highly valued. An untested unit with microphone listed on eBay for US $17.10 more recently, which fits the under-$25 range for non-functional or untested gear. A 2006 article declared its useful life finished for modern film stocks like Ektachrome 64T or 100D, and some online commentators call it "useless" for current use. It is no longer viable for shooting. Collectors might value it as the first single-system sound Super 8 camera, but as a functional device it's largely obsolete.

Market Value

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ KODAK EKTASOUND 130                                             Nov 2026 │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ High      $49                                     Latest             $21 │
│ Median    $33                                     Trend                — │
│ Low       $14                                     Volume           ~1/mo │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│    $50 ┤                                                                 │
│        │                    .                         .                  │
│        │                                                                 │
│    $29 ┤                                                                 │
│        │                                                                 │
│        │                                                                .│
│        │.                                                                │
│     $0 ┤                                                                 │
│        ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│    vol │█                   █                         █                 █│
│        └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│         2026-02                      2026-04                      2026-06│
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

eBay Listings

Recently sold on eBay: $14–$49 (median $33, based on 4 completed sales, past 12 months)

Kodak Ektasound 130 Super 8 Movie Outfit Camera Vintage w/ M

$59.95

Vintage Kodak Ektasound 130 Movie Outfit in Box + Microphone

$75.00

VINTAGE Kodak Ektasound 130 MOVIE VIDEO Camera WITH CASE MA

$50.00

Kodak Ektasound 130 Super 8 Sound Movie Camera w/ Box Untest

$24.99

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