Digi transfers with a J/K optical printer?

Marty Hamrick · February 1, 2006

Check this out- http://www.jkcamera.com/.I used the JK for 16/16 step printing and 16 to S8 reduction as well as blow up to 16 from S8.It should work well for S8 to digi,just replace the film camera head with a digi camera.I'm wondering how it would compare to the Workprinter.Same principal,do you suppose it would be better?

Phil Rhodes · February 1, 2006

That's probably how I would try to do it.

Marty Hamrick · February 3, 2006

That's probably how I would try to do it.

What program would you use to animate the individual frames to 24 fps?I'm assuming you would have to repeat every 4th frame for NTSC?

Robert Hughes · February 3, 2006

One possible solution: you could store the individual frames as GIF files and use AVISynth or VirtualDub to combine them into an AVI file.

February 3, 2006

A numbered series of pictures can be pulled into a Adobe After Effects where it becomes a footage clip like any other. For NTSC, you can work in a 24 fps composition and add 3:2 pulldown at the output stage - no big deal. You can also use this program to stabilize jittery footage, within limits.

Brant Collins · February 3, 2006

You can import stills in FCP also. In the prefrences choose still duration to 1 rams and drag them on the time line . much like you would in Aftee Effects

Robert Hughes · February 5, 2006

I'd like to know if a JK optical printer could be fitted with a medium format digital back such as a PhaseOne P25?

http://www.phaseone.com/upload/p25_datasheet_us.pdf

A 4K film scanner in your workroom! Too bad the back alone is about $25,000. But that would be about the ultimate conversion device. Start saving those pennies... :D

Edited February 5, 2006 by Robert Hughes

Phil Rhodes · February 5, 2006

Hi,

I tried shooting some frames of 35mm print with a DSLR back during the new year break, and made a few illustrative mistakes:

- Focus is extremely critical. The problem was that it wasn't being properly clamped in a gate, so the tendency of it to curve was messing things up.

- Don't shoot through the base (d'oh); ensure you're seeing a mirrored, inverted image. Complete inability to get the frame in focus while the fluff on the sprocket holes sharpens up fine is a fairly solid hint here...

- The Canon 60mm EF-S lens I was using wouldn't quite get tight enough on a 35mm frame - I could see the next and previous frames. Usually you would expect to see soundtrack and sprockets as the DSLR frame is wider than 4 perf Academy. This does have fairly disturbing implications for people wanting to shoot off a super-8 frame or looking to fill the DSLR frame width with a 1.85:1 film image. You'd certainly need extension tubes and specialist macro lenses.

- Using a very distant (large and therefore diffuse and very out-of-focus) illuminated backdrop works nicely, and yes, diffuse light does help hide scratches.

I think this could probably be made to work OK, but you'd have to drop a few thousand on machining. Software is easy.

Phil