Victor Mejia

Beautiful images. Very good video. Thanks for the link. Best

Wow. That's very cool. What a beautiful idea to have super 8 films projected on the white walls of Santorini. I was there in '97. A magical island, especially when you're hopped up on uzo. Best Victor

I stopped shooting Velvia Super 8 because of problems with jitter AND scratching. It seems to be an overly sensitive stock?not very robust in the small format although the images are superfreaking gorgeous. I've shot all of Kodak's stock in super 8 and have NEVER had a problem with scratches or jitter. Velvia on the other hand... The problem is in the cart and the way the film is loaded?at least that's my suspicion.

Get a Canon 518 Auto Zoom. It shoots 18 fps and 36fps (slow motion) and will expose any stock including 64T and 200 Negative film. You can probably buy one for 40$-60$ on eBay. Its big brother, 518 SV, is also a great camera. It has a few more features including 24fps. Best, Victor

Great movie. Very clean footage. Nice editing and soundtrack. Well done. Thanks for sharing. Best Victor

I'm with you. This "new" camera is actually closer to $900 with tax. I think I'll stick to my trusty Nizo S800, my trusty Zeiss Ikon Moviflex MS8, and my trusty Canon 518 AZ--all of which cost me less than $400 combined. Victor

[quote Victor, what about the last few Velvia cartridges you shot, how long ago was it and did the stability issue still remain? The super-8 cartridges are now treated with a lubricant and that seems to make a big difference in how easily the velvia film will go through the Super-8 cartridge. The last three rolls I shot were mixed results. Two rolls were perfect. Very clean and well exposed with no stratches (all three were lubricated rolls). But the third roll was wacky--random scratches here and there. I've always had a problem with stratches with Velvia--something inherit the emulsion I think. I shot with two cameras--a Zeiss Ikon Moviflex MS8 and a Braun Nizo S800. Victor

Don't know if this has been posted already, but this month's issue of AC is free online. Check it out; http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0607/index.php Victor

Shoot B&W and Color. Buy some Kodak Tri-X or Plus-X and a 64T roll. I'd order from Spectra Film and Video (www.spectrafilmandvideo.com) Best Victor

Velvia 50D was my stock of choice until Spectra ran out (I've shot 35 rolls of Velvia.) It's an extraordinary stock. The best reversal film in my view. But I agree with the stability issue. The 100D looks promising. I bought a test roll but haven't exposed it yet. Victor

The Barcelona film brought back some great memories. I travelled there in 1997 and have been itching to go back. I'd like to own a home there. I'm surprised the film didn't include Park Guell and Gaudi's architecture--but I suppose the filmmaker wanted to avoid the tourist traps and show another side to the city. The narration was a bit somber--seemed to match the dreary, overcast sky in the footage. I have nothing but great memories of Barcelona. Thanks for posting it.

Alfredo, This is absolutely right. Film is dying; moreover, it's expensive. Super8 film is truly a foolish luxury when you consider that you'll get more bang out of your buck shooting HD. And now with Canon's recent release of a consumer $1000 HD camera with 24p, it makes even LESS sense to shoot super8 film. Yeah, super8 has beautiful colors, and grain, and blah,blah, blah--nobody cares, especially the audience. Old, crappy cameras, risk of scratches, expensive telecine! An HD 24p camera for a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the cost of shooting super8 film sounds good to me. Don't get me wrong. I like super8 film, but there's no way in heaven or hell I'm going to shoot a feature considering the inexpensive HD option. If Beaulieu or Arri or someone out there manufactured a REAL camera with adjustable viewfinder, crystal sync, decent lens (replaceable would be ideal), widescreen gate, quiet motor, and video tap for under $2000, I might-maybe-1-in-a-trillion-chance-in-hell reconsider.

Nice stills. Thanks for sharing. I may have to re-try 64T. Had a bad experience first time I shot it--looked like crap. But maybe there's hope.

The carts are silicone coated--inside and out, so the film runs very smoothly. Moreover, it dramatically reduces the risk of scratches, dents, etc., on the film. It's helped make the film more consistent, cleaner. They really do a great job over at Spectra.

It don't think it will expose 200T or 500T, but still a great camera. Victor

It's a great stock. With proper telecine, it can pass for 16mm film. I've shot about 20 rolls of this stuff and plan to shoot another six for a project I'm working on. Victor

I have an S800 and it synchs quite well--lasts over a minute. So does my Moviflex. I wouldn't waste any money--certainly not $500--on crystal synching any super8 camera. I'd rather spend that money on carts, shoot carefully and fix any synch issues in post. All the best, Victor

I've bought two cameras from them and had a great experience both times. Yes, the items took about a week or so longer than they claimed but no big deal. The cameras were exactly as advertised on their website; they were in great condition, functioning, and warrantied. Plus they were packaged nicely--plenty of cushioning. I have no complaints. In fact, I'm thinking of buying one of their editor/viewers now. Victor

Hello all. I'm looking for a cable release for my zeiss ikon moviflex. I bought a Quantaray with standard threading but it doesn't work. It screws fine, but the pin doesn't seem to penetrate far enough. Anyone use a particular brand with their moviflex camera? Thanks. Victor

1. Zeiss Ikon Moviflex 2. Zeiss Ikon Moviflex 3. Zeiss Ikon Moviflex Extraordinary glass, compact, nice weight, six AA batteries runs everything including light meter, marvelous engineering. Owned a Beaulieu 4008 briefly--didn't like the battery set up, nor hand grip design, nor weight.

Cool film. You did a great job. Nice editing, good story and composition. Thanks for sharing it.

So let me get this straight: Photoshop can be used to clean up footage (remove scratches, dust, etc.) then brought back to FCP?! How do I learn this process?? Is there a book, manual, website? I need to remove a massive scratch on some digitized super 8 film. Thanks. Victor

There's obviously a market for super8, otherwise Kodak and Fuji wouldn't be producing film stock in that format. If super8 is going to continue to evolve, then new cameras need to be manufactured. I just don't see how super8 will survive without new cameras. Shooting with old, used, archaic equipment will eventually kill super8 unless new cameras are manufactured.

I've been thinking about the state of super8 filmmaking too and it seems to me that the next step in the (re-)evolution of super8 will have to be the manufacture of new, modern, digitized cameras. Although cameras like Beaulieu and Leicina are superb in terms of lenses, they are quite archaic when compared to the digitized features of consumer/prosumer miniDV cameras (lcd screens, timecode, adjustable viewfinders, digital counters, etc.--and this technology is CHEAP now! A super8 camera that combines digitial, modern features shouldn't cost more than $1500. Victor

OK. I'll try it. Thanks a billion. Victor