EXHIBIT 1.2




                      ATEL CAPITAL EQUIPMENT FUND VIII, LLC

                           SELECTED DEALERS AGREEMENT


                            San Francisco, California

                            ..................., 199_

Gentlemen:

         The undersigned,  ATEL Securities  Corporation (the "Dealer  Manager"),
has entered  into an  agreement  (the  "Selling  Agreement")  with ATEL  CAPITAL
EQUIPMENT FUND VIII, LLC, a California  limited  liability  company (the "Fund")
and its  manager  pursuant to which the  undersigned  has agreed to use its best
efforts to form and manage,  as Dealer  Manager,  a group of securities  dealers
(the "Soliciting Dealers") for the purpose of soliciting offers for the purchase
of units of limited liability company interest  ("Units") in the Fund. The terms
of  the  offering  are  set  forth  in the  Fund's  Registration  Statement  No.
__________,  on Form S-1  which  was  filed  with the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the "1933  Act").  Such  registration  statement in the form in which it became
effective  is  referred  to  herein  as the  "Registration  Statement"  and  the
prospectus included therein, in the form in which it became effective and in the
form as first filed with the Commission pursuant to its Rule 424, is referred to
herein as the  "Prospectus."  The terms used but not  otherwise  defined in this
Agreement have the same meanings as in the Prospectus.

         You are  invited to become one of the  Soliciting  Dealers  and by your
confirmation  hereof  you  agree to act in such  capacity  and to use your  best
efforts,  in  accordance  with  the  following  terms  and  conditions,  to find
purchasers  for the  Units.  You  hereby  confirm  that you are a member in good
standing of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD").

         l. You hereby agree to solicit, as an independent contractor and not as
our agent or as an agent of the Fund or its Manager,  persons  acceptable to the
Manager to enter into the  Subscription  Agreement  in the form  attached to the
Prospectus.  Until such time as  subscription  proceeds  for a total of not less
than 120,000 Units are received,  accepted and deposited  with the escrow agent,
all subscription checks shall be payable to "U. S. Bank - ACEF VIII Escrow." All
Subscription  Agreements  solicited by you shall be transmitted  promptly to the
Dealer Manager in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Subscription
Agreements,  and all funds  received  by you with  respect  to any  Subscription
Agreement shall be promptly  transmitted to the Dealer  Manager.  As used herein
the term "promptly  transmitted" shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 15c2-4
under the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934 (the "1934 Act"),  as interpreted in
NASD Notice to Members 84-64.  You hereby agree to comply in full with such NASD
Notice to Members 84-64, as it may be amended from time to time. We in turn will
transmit subscriptions and funds received during the escrow period to the escrow
agent not later than noon of the second  business day following  receipt of same
by us. After  subscriptions  for a minimum of 120,000 Units have been  received,
accepted and deposited  with the escrow  agent,  and  subscription  proceeds are
thereafter  released to the Fund pursuant to the terms of the escrow  agreement,
all  further  subscription  checks  shall be payable  directly  to the Fund.  No
Subscription  Agreement  shall be  effective  unless and until  accepted  by the
Manager,  and in no event will a subscription be effective until five days after
the investor has received a Prospectus.

         You agree that you will:

                  (a) (i)  diligently  make  inquiries as required by law of all
                  prospective investors in order to ascertain whether a purchase
                  of Units is suitable  for the  investors  and (ii) inform each
                  prospective  investor of all pertinent  facts  relating to the
                  liquidity  and  marketability  of the Units during the term of
                  the investment;








                  (b)  have  reasonable  grounds  to  believe,  on the  basis of
                  information  obtained  from  the  participant  concerning  his
                  investment objectives, other investments,  financial situation
                  and needs, and any other information known by you, that:

                                    (i)     the participant is or will be in a
                           financial position appropriate to enable
                           him to realize to a significant extent the benefits 
                           described in the Prospectus;

                                    (ii) the  participant  has a fair market net
                           worth sufficient to sustain the risks inherent in the
                           program,  including  loss of  investment  and lack of
                           liquidity; and

                                    (iii)   the program is otherwise suitable 
                           for the participant;

                  (c)  maintain  copies  of  all  Subscription   Agreements  and
                  information  relating to  suitability  determinations  in your
                  records  for the  longer  of (i) six  years  from  the date of
                  investment, (ii) the period prescribed by Rule 17a-4 under the
                  1934 Act,  or (iii) the period  required by  applicable  state
                  blue sky laws;

                  (d) execute no transaction in a discretionary  account without
                  prior written approval of the transaction by the investor; and

                  (e) comply in all respects  with the Conduct Rules of the NASD
                  in the conduct of the offering of Units.

         Furthermore,  you expressly  agree to be bound by the escrow  agreement
executed by the Fund for the deposit of  subscription  proceeds  pending receipt
and acceptance of subscriptions for a minimum of 120,000 Units.

         All  subscriptions  solicited  by  you  will  be  strictly  subject  to
confirmation  by us and acceptance  thereof by the Fund and we, the Fund and its
Manager,  reserve the right in our and its uncontrolled discretion to reject any
such  subscription  and to accept or reject  subscriptions in the order of their
receipt  by the  Fund or  otherwise.  A sale of a Unit  shall  be  deemed  to be
completed  only after (i) the Fund  receives a properly  completed  subscription
agreement from the Soliciting Dealer, together with payment of the full purchase
price of each  purchased  Unit from a buyer who satisfies  each of the terms and
conditions of the Registration  Statement and Prospectus;  (ii) a period of five
days has passed following the receipt by the investor of a Prospectus; and (iii)
such subscription agreement has been accepted in writing by the Manager. Neither
you nor any  other  person is  authorized  to give any  information  or make any
representation   other  than  those  contained  in  the  Prospectus  or  in  any
supplemental  sales  literature  furnished by the Dealer Manager or the Fund for
use in making solicitations in connection with the offer and sale of the Units.

         Upon  release  by us,  you may offer the Units at the  public  offering
price, subject to the terms and conditions hereof.

         2. We  understand  that the Fund will  provide  you with such number of
copies of the enclosed  Prospectus  and such number of copies of amendments  and
supplements thereto as you may reasonably request. In this connection,  the Fund
and its Manager  have  represented  and  warranted  to us that the  Registration
Statement and the Prospectus,  and all amendments or supplements  thereto,  will
contain all  statements  which are required to be stated  therein in  accordance
with the 1933 Act and the Rules and  Regulations  thereunder,  and  neither  the
Registration  Statement  nor the  Prospectus,  nor any  amendment or  supplement
thereto,  will  contain  any untrue  statement  of a  material  fact or omit any
material fact required to be stated  therein or necessary to make the statements
therein  not  misleading.  It is  understood  by the Fund and its  Manager  that
Section  (b)(3) of Rule 2810 of the Conduct  Rules of the NASD requires that you
determine  that  all  material  facts  relating  to  the  subject  offering  are
adequately and accurately  disclosed to  prospective  subscribers  and provide a
basis for evaluating the offering,  and the Fund and its Manager  therefore have
specifically represented and warranted to us that:

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         (i) all items of compensation  payable to them and their affiliates are
         and will be set forth in the Prospectus  under the caption  "Management
         Compensation";

         (ii) all types of  Equipment to be acquired by the Fund are and will be
         described in the Prospectus  under the caption  "Investment  Objectives
         and Policies - Types of  Equipment"  or in a supplement  to be included
         inside the back cover of the Prospectus;

         (iii)  all  material  tax  aspects  are and  will be set  forth  in the
         Prospectus  under the  captions  "Income  Tax  Consequences"  and "Risk
         Factors";

         (iv) the financial position and business  experience of the Manager and
         of those  affiliates of the Manager who are of relevance to the subject
         offering are and will be  accurately  and  adequately  reflected in the
         Prospectus  under the  captions  "Management"  and  "Prior  Performance
         Summary";

         (v) all material conflicts of interest and risk factors are and will be
         set forth in the Prospectus under the captions  "Conflicts of Interest"
         and "Risk Factors"; and

         (vi) all pertinent facts relating to the liquidity and marketability of
         the  Units  are and  will be set  forth  in the  Prospectus  under  the
         captions "Risk Factors - Limited Transferability of Units" and "Summary
         of the Limited Liability Company Operating  Agreement - Transferability
         of Units."

         We  also  understand  that  the  Fund  may  provide  you  with  certain
supplemental   sales  material  to  be  used  by  you  in  connection  with  the
solicitation  of Units in the Fund. We will comply with the filing  requirements
of  Section   2210(c)(2)   of  the  NASD  Conduct  rules  with  respect  to  any
advertisements or sales literature to be used as supplemental  sales material in
connection  with  the   solicitation  of  Units.   You  agree  not  to  use  any
advertisement or sales literature, as those terms are defined in Section 2210(a)
of the NASD Conduct Rules, as supplemental  sales literature in the solicitation
of Units except to the extent such materials are provided by us or we have given
our prior written approval for use of such materials.  In the event you elect to
use supplemental sales material,  you agree that such material shall not be used
in connection with the solicitations of Units unless  accompanied or preceded by
the  Prospectus  as  then  currently  in  effect  and as it may  be  amended  or
supplemented in the future, unless you are notified by us that such material has
been  prepared and cleared for use in  compliance  with the SEC's Rule 134. Upon
your  request,  we will  furnish to you  information  necessary  to confirm  the
continued fairness, accuracy, and completeness of the Prospectus in all material
respects during the offering period.

         We  shall  have  full  authority  to take  such  action  as we may deem
advisable  in respect of all matters  pertaining  to the  offering.  We shall be
under no  liability  to you except  for lack of good  faith and for  obligations
expressly  assumed by us in this Agreement.  Nothing contained in this paragraph
is  intended  to operate  as, and the  provisions  of this  paragraph  shall not
constitute, a waiver by you of compliance with any provision of the 1933 Act, or
of the rules and regulations thereunder.

         You confirm that you are familiar with  Securities Act Release No. 4968
and Rule l5c2-8 under the 1934 Act,  relating to the distribution of preliminary
and final  prospectuses,  and  confirm  that you have  complied  and will comply
therewith.  We will make available to you, to the extent they are made available
to us by the Fund, such number of copies of the Prospectus as you may reasonably
request for the purposes  contemplated by the 1933 Act and the applicable  rules
and regulations thereunder.

         You agree that you will exercise due diligence in determining  that all
material facts are adequately and accurately  disclosed in the  Prospectus.  For
purposes  of  compliance  with  Sections  (b)(3)(A)  and (B) of Rule 2810 of the
Conduct Rules of the NASD regarding due  diligence,  it is understood and agreed
that you may rely upon the results of an inquiry  conducted by another member or
members of the NASD, provided that:

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                  (1) you have reasonable grounds to believe that such inquiry 
         was conducted with due care;

                  (2) the results of the inquiry  were  provided to you with the
         consent of the member or members  conducting  or directing the inquiry;
         and

                  (3) no member that participated in the inquiry is a sponsor 
         of the Fund or an Affiliate of such sponsor.

         3. We will be  entitled to receive  from the Fund a selling  commission
equal to 9.5% of the Gross Proceeds. For your services hereunder, subject to the
condition that Subscription  Agreements for a minimum of 120,000 Units have been
received and accepted by the Manager by the  termination  date of the  offering,
you will receive from us a selling  commission  equal to 8% of the proceeds from
all  Subscription  Agreements  solicited by you and accepted by the Manager.  No
other payment or reimbursement of selling  compensation or expenses will be made
hereunder  unless  and until we have  executed  an  addendum  to this  Agreement
setting forth the terms of such payment or reimbursement.

         In the  event  that a sale of Units  for  which  you have  solicited  a
Subscription  Agreement shall not occur, whether by reason of the failure of any
condition  specified  herein or in the  Subscription  Agreement  or the  Selling
Agreement,  rejection of the  subscription by the Fund or otherwise,  no payment
with respect to such Unit shall be made to you.  Further,  it is understood  and
agreed  that we shall be under no  obligation  to make  payment to you,  and you
expressly waive payment,  of any commission  hereunder except to the extent that
we shall have first  received  from the Fund the selling  commission to which we
are entitled in connection with the subject transaction. Any payment to you will
be payable only with respect to transactions  lawful in the jurisdictions  where
they occur.

         We as Dealer Manager may, in our  discretion,  rebate to a purchaser of
Units  the  selling  commissions   otherwise  payable  in  connection  with  any
investment  in Units by the  Manager,  a Soliciting  Dealer or any  Affiliate or
employee  of the  foregoing.  Any such  rebate  will  only be made if and to the
extent that the Soliciting Dealer which would otherwise be entitled to a selling
commission on any such transaction agrees to such rebate.  Therefore, we will by
separate letter agreement  establish the amount of selling commission rebate, if
any,  on  transactions  for which you would  otherwise  be  entitled to the full
selling  commission,  but which are  eligible  for the rebate.  It shall be your
responsibility to notify your Affiliates and employees as to the amount, if any,
which you agree to rebate.

         As  described  in the  Prospectus,  we may from time to time during the
offering  establish a non-cash sales incentive  bonus program,  subject to prior
NASD approval and compliance with all applicable NASD rules and procedures.

         4. This  Agreement  may be  terminated by us or by you at any time upon
five days' written notice.

         5. In soliciting persons to acquire the Units, you agree to comply with
any applicable  requirements  of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the published rules
and regulations thereunder and the Conduct Rules of the NASD and, in particular,
you  agree  that you will not give any  information  or make any  representation
other than those  contained  in the  Prospectus  and in any  supplemental  sales
literature  furnished  to  you  by  the  Fund  or us  for  use  in  making  such
solicitations.  You  further  confirm  and agree that,  in  connection  with any
assistance  you may provide in the sale or transfer of Units,  you will  fulfill
your  obligations  pursuant to Sections  (b)(2)(B) and (b)(3)(D) of Rule 2810 of
the Conduct Rules of the NASD.

         6.  We  assume  no  obligation  or  responsibility  in  respect  of the
qualification  of the  Units  under the laws of any  jurisdiction.  The Blue Sky
Memorandum enclosed, or to be promptly furnished to you, indicates the states in
which it is  believed by the Fund that the Units are exempt  from,  or have been
qualified  under,  the  applicable  state  securities or "blue sky" laws and the
restrictions,  if any, on the rights of dealers to solicit sales thereof.  It is
understood  that  under no  circumstances  will  you  engage  in any  activities
hereunder  in any state  which is not  listed in said Blue Sky  Memorandum  as a
state in which  the  Units  are  exempt  from,  or  qualified  under,  the state
securities or "blue sky" laws.

                                        4





Solicitations are to be made only by Soliciting Dealers qualified to act as such
for such purpose within the states in which they make such solicitations.

         7. Nothing contained herein shall constitute the Soliciting Dealers and
us, or any of them, an association,  partnership,  unincorporated  business,  or
other separate entity. We shall be under no liability to make any payment to you
except out of funds received by us from the Fund as hereinabove provided, and we
shall not be under any  liability  for or in respect of the value or validity of
the  Subscription  Agreements,  the Units,  or the  performance by anyone of any
agreement on its part, or for, or in respect of any matters  connected with this
Agreement.  Notwithstanding  the previous sentence,  we shall be fully liable to
you for any damages or harm  suffered  by you as a direct  result of our lack of
good faith, or for obligations expressly assumed by us in this Agreement.

         8. It is expressly  understood  that the Dealer  Manager may  cooperate
with other broker  dealers who are licensed  members of the NASD,  registered as
broker  dealers  with the SEC and duly  licensed by the  appropriate  regulatory
agency of each  state in which  they will  offer and sell the Units of the Fund.
Such other NASD  members  may be employed  by the Dealer  Manager as  Soliciting
Dealers on terms and conditions identical or similar to this Agreement and shall
receive such rates of commission as are agreed to between the Dealer Manager and
the respective other Soliciting  Dealers and as are in accordance with the terms
of the Registration Statement,  and to that extent such other Soliciting Dealers
shall compete with you in the sale of the Units.

         9. Under the Selling Agreement, the Manager has agreed to indemnify us,
the  Soliciting  Dealers  and  each  person,  if  any,  who  controls  us or any
Soliciting Dealer within the meaning of the 1933 Act against certain liabilities
under such Act. Each  Soliciting  Dealer agrees to indemnify the Manager and the
Fund as provided in Paragraph 7 of the Selling Agreement and to indemnify us and
each other  Soliciting  Dealer to the same extent and in the same manner as such
Soliciting Dealer agrees to indemnify the Manager and the Fund. In the execution
of the Selling  Agreement,  we shall be deemed to have acted as a representative
of each of the Soliciting Dealers, and the Soliciting Dealers shall be deemed to
be in privity of contract with the Manager and the Fund.

         10.  Neither  the  Dealer  Manager,  the Fund or its  Manager,  nor any
affiliates  thereof,  will (a) notify or  actively  solicit  your  clients  with
respect to any further  transactions,  or (b)  release  the name and/or  account
information  or any of your clients to any other party unless  required by court
order, an authorized  governmental or self-regulatory  entity, or by the Limited
Liability Company  Operating  Agreement to do so. For purposes of this paragraph
"notify or  solicit"  shall not be deemed to include  any direct and  unassisted
contact by a  broker-dealer  other than the sponsor,  the Dealer  Manager or the
Fund.  The  provisions  of this section  shall  survive any  termination  of the
Selling Agreement or this Agreement.

         11. We  acknowledge  that you may form  opinions  regarding  the Dealer
Manager, the Fund, or its Manager, regarding the Units including but not limited
to evaluations of the Dealer Manager's,  the Fund's or its Manager's  personnel,
track record,  financial statements,  and terms of the offering. This evaluation
may differ from the Dealer Manager's, the Fund's or its Manager's assessment and
may be  negative  in  nature.  The  Dealer  Manager,  the Fund  and its  Manager
acknowledge  that said  evaluation  shall not prohibit you from  satisfying your
"best efforts"  obligation  under the sales  agreement.  We hereby grant you the
right to communicate to others your  evaluations so long as such evaluations are
made  in good  faith  and  the  communication  concerning  the  evaluations  are
consistent  with  such  evaluations  and are  limited  in  scope  to the  extent
reasonably  deemed  necessary by you to serve your  customers  and  otherwise to
conduct your securities business.  We waive any rights of action which may arise
from the circumstances described in this Paragraph 11.

         12. Any  controversy  or claim arising out of this  agreement  shall be
settled by arbitration  in California in accordance  with the then current rules
of the NASD, if  appropriate,  and otherwise  with the then current rules of the
American  Arbitration  Association.  Judgment upon the arbitration  award may be
entered in any court having jurisdiction.  Reasonable expenses, attorney's fees,
and costs  incurred  therein shall be paid in  accordance  with the award of the
arbitrators.  The prevailing  party shall be reimbursed for the reasonable costs
of the investigation, attorney's fees

                                        5





and court costs.

         13. Any notice from us to you as  Soliciting  Dealer shall be deemed to
have been duly given if mailed or  telegraphed  to you at your address set forth
below.

         Please  confirm this  agreement to solicit  persons to acquire Units on
the  foregoing  terms and  conditions by signing and returning the form enclosed
herewith.

                                            Very truly yours,

                                            ATEL SECURITIES CORPORATION

                                            By: ______________________________


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ATEL Securities Corporation
235 Pine Street, 6th Floor
San Francisco, California  94104

          RE: ATEL Capital Equipment Fund VIII, LLC

Gentlemen:

         The undersigned confirms its agreement to act as a Soliciting Dealer as
referred to in the foregoing Soliciting Dealers Agreement,  subject to the terms
and conditions of such Agreement.  The undersigned  confirms that it is a member
in good standing of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.

         PLEASE NOTE: The undersigned further confirms that its registered 
representatives (check one):

                  __ are authorized

                  __ are not authorized

to subscribe  for Units for their own account on terms which include a rebate of
commissions  otherwise  payable  on  their  investment,   as  described  in  the
Prospectus under "Plan of Distribution."

Dated: ________, 199_.     ________________________________________
                              (Print Name of Firm)

                    By: ____________________________________
                           (Authorized Representative)

                     _______________________________________
                    (Print Name of Authorized Representative)

                                            Address___________________________

                                            ----------------------------------

                                            Phone Number (___)________________

Send Due Diligence Information To:   Send Marketing Information To:

- --------------------------------     ------------------------------

- --------------------------------     ------------------------------

                                            Send Commission Checks To:

                                            -----------------------

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