Super 8 - Quality differences

[Dan Peterson]

Any interesting tidbit I found out in the last few days:

I was looking at Nick's clips on YouTube, and for more info I right-clicked on one of his videos in YouTube and selected "Stats for nerds". From that I saw he rendered to 2034 x 1440p, and YouTube had assigned the VP9 codec to his clip(s). I had rendered to the exact same frame size and rate (24 fps), but YouTube was assigning the BT709 (?) codec to my clips AND I could not get a 1440p playback (only 1080p), even on my 90 MB Comcast pipeline at home.

 

More Googling and I found this tip:

1. Go to "Video Manager," find your video, click "Edit", click on the "Enhancements" tab, and drag the little preview slider all the way to the left. You don't touch anything else, just drag the slider to the left and click save changes. Your video should get VP9 soon. (source: https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/how-to-render-vp9-for-youtube--100282/)

 

I did this little tweak, and now my videos playback at 1440p, when before I could only get 1080p (even though they were rendered and uploaded at 1440p).

 

See for yourself in this updated version of my clip (i.e., see if you can get 1440p playback, I can at home, but at work I only get 1080p, probably due to a restricted internet download speed): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBc1CjCk0uE&feature=youtu.be

[Morco Polo]

One thing people have to understand is that even if someone had a 35mm movie camera they could shoot some pretty crappy footage if they do not know what they were doing. Traditional filmmaking is not a point and shoot game for idiots. The essential rules of filmmaking are basically the same no matter what guage you are using.The problem is that Super 8mm cameras are cheap enough that any point and shoot idiot can get their hands on one.

  Another thing that I hear is people always pointing out is choice of camera in comparing quality differences in Super 8mm. While great lenses and state of maintainence are certainly factors here and it is fair to say that there are some real bottom of the barrel cameras that leave a lot to be desired, there are plenty of testimonies and examples of great Super 8mm footage being shot with no-name cameras. Many super 8 cameras that originated from ghost manufacturers and sold under different names actually sourced their optics from big names like Pentax. Unfortunately they don't have the "Name prestige" like Canon or Nikon so many people shy away from them out of snobery. Equally as unfortunate, these no-name cameras are therefore cheap enough for the "point and shoot idiots" that don't know what they are doing to get their hands on and who are more than capable enough to screw up whatever they shoot.