Finding information on this BAIA Reviewer 8MM Movie Film Editor and Viewer was nearly difficult. Nearly all web pages related to this device are related to someone selling the item, and most of those sellers seem to be in the same boat as me– in possession of a neat piece of photography history without much knowledge on the topic.
This device, which was advertised as “the easy way to better movies,” was released in the 1960s. It was used to view and edit movie film– essentially a light screen projector. It was originally sold for about $20. One piece of information that I was able to find is this advertisement in the Niagara Falls NY Gazette from 1968. In the advertisement, the Baia Reviewer is said to have the following features:
- Big, bright 7 square inch picture area
- Convenient slip-in loading eliminates threading
- 400′ capacity, geared rewinds fold-away
I found this film editor for $5 at a garage sale and sold it online to a vintage photography collector in New Jersey a few weeks later for $69.99. One of the biggest selling points for this listing is that it included the original box, manual and accessories. As I was unable to test this item, I sold the viewer as-is/untested. An expert with vintage photography equipment who could verify that the item is fully-functional would be able to sell the same viewer for $100 or more.