Jump to content

Super8 camera upgrade


Ivana Durkacova

Recommended Posts

On 8/16/2022 at 6:19 AM, Giray Izcan said:

The format itself doesn't yield sharp and stable images regardless of the lens etc. Oh and it will cost you just as much as shooting on 16. 

Obviously, 16mm will provide higher quality footage compared to super 8 (especially true when shooting the same film stock in both formats.) There is no argument to that. But I wouldn't say that super 8 is incapable of producing sharp imagery. Yes, there is lots of soft super footage out there in existance. But there is a lot of sharp super 8 footage too. It's not going to look as sharp as 16mm but on the other hand, I wouldn't call it unsharp.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

50d with a good camera/lens will be pretty sharp but other stocks shot indoors will be pretty grainy and soft. I am saying for what you pay though 16 is a much better option.  I love the format but with these prices... I might as well shoot on 16mm and potentially get a broadcast ready footage. S8 looks like bad 16 on a good day as opposed to a classic s8 look. Tyler said this a while back and I agree with him on this. The prices should be lower. 

Edited by Giray Izcan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Giray Izcan said:

I love the format but with these prices... I might as well shoot on 16mm and potentially get a broadcast ready footage.

Oh yea regarding film costs these days, shooting 16mm seems like a no brainer (getting significantly better quality footage for close to the same cost.) 

However, one big drawcard of super 8 over 16mm and what makes it so accessible is the low cost of the equipment (with some exceptions like the Beaulieu 4008.) So many times at flea markets, I have seen super 8 cameras selling for dirt cheap prices - often less than $15. I once bought a fully functional Minolta XL-400 for $5. Another attractive thing about these cameras apart from the rock bottom prices is their small size and weight. Not long ago, I brought along a Canon 1014E on an overseas trip to Bali. It would be quite a bit more hassle to haul along a big, heavy 16mm camera on an overseas trip.

Another nice thing about super 8 cameras is that the majority of them are equipped with reflex viewfinders, regardless of price. It's almost a given. Many times you can pick up a 16mm camera with no reflex viewfinder for a bargain price. When it comes to 16mm with reflex viewfinders, the price will sky rocket. I guess the only exception to this is the K3 - probably the most affordable 16mm camera with a reflex viewfinder. 

And I do admit that there is something about the retro look of super 8 that can be charming. I got some super 8 footage of a rural scene in Bali (a farmer working in the field / rice paddy) and it looked like it could have been shot in the 60s or 70s. I think capturing somewhat similar rural scenes in Vietnam and Egypt on super 8 would look really cool. It would look more or less like archival footage of traditional lifestyles.  

Oliver Stone made good use of super 8 in his film JFK. A number of audience members were fooled into thinking that they were looking at original footage that was shot in the 60s (even though of course super 8 didn't exist in the early 60s.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, there's another obstacle in my way with regards to shooting 16mm and that is the cost of the transfer. At least here in Australia when I shoot super 8, I can pay pretty reasonable prices for a HD or 4k transfer at Nanolab and get reasonably good quality (reversal or negative film.) Though when shooting 16mm negative film, you would likely need the services of a professional transfer facility with a Spirit unit etc and pay "professional" prices. I bet it would cost a small fortune (especially with colour grading included.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here in the US, they scan them with same scanners so the cost is pretty much the same - maybe a hundred dollar difference. For only that much difference in price, unless that's the look you want, shooting s8 doesn't make a whole a lot of sense. Ironically, I am going to be shooting something experimental with my Minolta XL 84 to see how 7213 looks when it is 1 stop overexposed and properly lit. In case, a project calls for the format and there is enough traction for the format especially in fashion video world that it would be good to know what type of results I could get with the cameraI have when it's shot properly. 7219 is too grainy for s8.. Even s16 looks much crisper on 7213 than 19. I prefer to shoot on 13 for both s8 and s16 and over expose 2/3 - a stop. 19 is great on 35 though. 

Edited by Giray Izcan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh yea I have considered the Canon Scoopic. Ive seen some nice looking samples from footage posted online. Good lens though I wish it had interchangeable lenses. Of course we can't have everything. I would likely use manual exposure mode if I owned one.

Good luck with the 200T test. That would certainly be a versatile film. 

I have shot 500T on super 8 and it wasn't as grainy as I expected. I thought it would be super grainy. It worked well for some night city scenes that I was filming. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

I haven't been entirely happy with super 8 in the past, so I purchased a Beaulieu 6008 and I love the lens, it really looks nice. 

We're dong a project thats supposed to look like it was shot in the 70's... here is a demo from our first shoot. Scanned with our FilmFabriek HDS+ in 4k. 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes... 2008s frame rate goes from 16 to 25fps instead of 24. 4008 model shoots 24fps. I might just go with a 4008 since I don't want to deal with flickering etc under hmi lighting. I want to use the camera as if it's a 16 or 35mm camera with well executed and lit shots.

Edited by Giray Izcan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/14/2022 at 7:46 AM, Giray Izcan said:

I might as well shoot on 16mm and potentially get a broadcast ready footage. 

Actually that's another thing that's worth discussing - 16mm being broadcast ready footage. As we all know these days, TV content is dominated by the widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio. For those looking to buy a 16mm camera on a small budget, it's unlikely that they could afford to purchase Super 16 equipment or pay for a S16 conversion (for shooting in 15:9.) So most folks in that situation would be buying a regular 16mm camera and in this day and age, the demand for 4:3 content is not going to be great. Obviously, it would have been a different case over 30 years ago. I shoot stock footage (mostly digital) and it would be nice to submit some 16mm footage but I don't think too many buyers would be interested in 4:3 content. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
4 hours ago, Giray Izcan said:

Yes... 2008s frame rate goes from 16 to 25fps instead of 24. 4008 model shoots 24fps. I might just go with a 4008 since I don't want to deal with flickering etc under hmi lighting. I want to use the camera as if it's a 16 or 35mm camera with well executed and lit shots.

Interesting, I did not know that. I have two 4008's and a 6008. I've never even shot with the 4008's honestly, neither of them work sadly. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
On 10/14/2022 at 12:55 AM, Tyler Purcell said:

I haven't been entirely happy with super 8 in the past, so I purchased a Beaulieu 6008 and I love the lens, it really looks nice. 

We're dong a project thats supposed to look like it was shot in the 70's... here is a demo from our first shoot. Scanned with our FilmFabriek HDS+ in 4k. 

 

Loved this. And at 1:37 the cut to the zoom into the sunset with the start of the new musical phrase is beautiful and engaging

  • Like 1
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
2 hours ago, Dave Keen said:

Loved this. And at 1:37 the cut to the zoom into the sunset with the start of the new musical phrase is beautiful and engaging

Thanks! It's part of a much bigger project, so I kinda had to cut it short in order to make it all work. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...