Nicholas Kovats

Photo-chemically based film is not binary. It is 0.2 to 2+ micron sized randomly dispersed particles that "gather" in clumps to formulate grain. Particle density per frame is in the trillions. Peak viewing experience involves transport at 24 fps and greater. And yes. Digital sensors/file storage evolved from analog video tape. There is a hardcore experimental niche here in Toronto that fetishize 8 bit LO-FI video also known as glitch. Not my cup of tea but hey. C'est la vie. Egads! A hipster allegation!

Shoot film. Anything else is a binary approximation of analog phenomenon. Good luck.

No problem. Doug. Please do not worry. We appreciate the promotion. :) You are a living witness to the legendary Widescreen Associations 32 foot wide screenings! Very impressive, sir. Were these screenings restricted to their three screen Cinerama Super 8 films? Any other formats?

Hi Doug, I agree with your widescreen composition statements. The link to Patrick Tarrant's latest UltraPan 2.8 is not accessible to the general public (password protected) due to his current circulation of the film to various festivals. It will be made public in due course. And yes, it features some wonderful close-ups. Confirmed that Patrick's piece was entirely edited in camera with multiple repeated back-winds. There are digital options to remove or computationally mask the random swirling film grain but I am biased and a fan of sub-micron film particles that clump together formulating what has been popularized as "grain". :) The famous Widescreen Association in the UK use to build deeply curved widescreens (30 ft wide? ) for their multiple widescreen format presentations. Another dream of mine with some modifications a la Douglas Trumbull's immersive micro-cinema projects. A deeply curved trapezoid screen floor to ceiling in an inflatable portable micro-cinema with limited 45 degree angled seating with curved rows. Cheers! Nicholas

Thanks, Christian, The UP8 2.8 or 3.1 formas have doubled the runtime relative to the typical 100 ft Bolex daylight load, i.e. just over 5 minutes at 24fps. I find it a luxury as I have a long history with the 2.5 minute limit of 50 ft Super 8 carts at 24fps. That would be Tony Shapp's 1960s footage shot with Stuart Warriner’s incredible Pan-16 format, i.e. Single perf standard 16mm film stock with a special double pulldown to expose two (2) 2.4 Cinemascope frames sequentially per single 16mm frame. This is the holy grail of small format widescreen filmmaking. Widely available single perf 16mm film stock to produce non-anamorphic Cinemascope 2.4 frames or wider. Most of Stuart's engineering journals have disappeared. I have bits and pieces from Tony Shapp and my dream is to reverse engineer the Pan-16 camera and potentially combine it with Lindsay Buckingham's incredible Varispect work regarding a Bolex vacuum and pin registration transport system. That would be pushing the Bolex as far as one could I suspect. I have been attempting to get access to one of Stuart's Pan-16 camera for over 4 years. He also built associated Pan-16 projectors with Variable Pitch Compensators (VPC). I have a few precious frames of Stuart's incredibly unique 45 degree diagonal 1:2.1 Super 8 format. I have yet to shoot V3 50D UP8 footage. My camera technique tends to be fluid and that happens to my preference. I also love the human face. I am still in an ongoing process to acquire a decent tripod. But I suspect my cameras would soon fly off the tripod. I have also adapted my UP8 2.8 technique to skating, i.e. Handheld cameras are life itself. The operator's energy transferred to the medium. That said I still admire an excellent executed tracking shot. I have started to experiment mounting film camera's to steadicams. i.e. Logmar, Bolex, PAM, etc. Are you presently engaged with any film projects? Are you located in Germany? Regards, Nicholas

The Double Super 8 based UltraPan8 3.1 format is wider than Super 16mm (13.00mm x 4.22mm) and technically requires a lens mount modification to offset the new optical axis. There are two examples manufactured. One with corrected offset absent any public scans. The link above is the initial prototype with the uncorrected offset. I utilized a APO-centric Tevidon 10mm C Mount lens. There is slight distortion in the upper right frame but non-technical viewers have yet to point it out. Such is the rigidity of perfectionists. My personal shooting preference is the "smaller" 16mm wide Regular 8mm based UltraPan 2.8 format with a 10.54mm x 3.75mm frame. Normal 16mm optics provide full undistorted coverage utilizing the optimal optical center. This was shot with a 5.9mm T2 Angenieux prime shot on V3 200T, i.e. It is also much easier to source or re-manufacture any acetate based 16mm film stock into double perf 16mm wide Regular 8mm as they share the identical perf dimensions.

Bang on, Michael!

Michael, I was referring to the last part of your statement, i.e. "For more viva la revolución aesthetics and a way to get the same email invite, go sign up to the Kodak Collection™ newsletter first. You gotta buy into the Collection first to become part of the Collective " Are you utilizing the term "buy" in the actual purchase sense or metaphorically?

Michael, Where did you see a stipulation regarding the alleged purchased requirement to be part of this collective?

Kodak "Digital" team is now accepting reservations (limit of one) for the new forthcoming Kodak Super 8 camera. Logmar is designing the hardware and software. Interesting how the fine print stipulates that there is no obligation to purchase the camera and new members of the "Super 8 Collective" will be updated on special offers. I suspect they will use the reservation data to estimate initial number of manufactured units. http://tiny.cc/hfjlay "Super 8 Camera Reservation Sign up for the chance to be among the first to purchase a KODAK Super 8 Camera. When the camera becomes available, you will receive an email with full product details, price and instructions on how to purchase. First Name: Last Name: Email: Country: By submitting my information, I understand that I am both joining the Super 8 Collective and reserving the opportunity to purchase a Super 8 Camera at a price to be later determined by the Eastman Kodak Company “Kodak”. There is a limit of one Super 8 Camera reservation per person. By making the Super 8 Camera reservation, I am not obligated to buy anything from Kodak and Kodak has no actual obligation to sell me anything. I will however remain part of the Super 8 Collective and can unsubscribe at any time. Kodak is not responsible for incorrect, inaccurate, or misdirected entries. The Super 8 Collective is provided by Kodak and is available only to residents of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. As a Collective member, you’ll get special offers on Super 8 Film and processing, as well as other exclusive offers from Kodak. Kodak reserves the right to modify the Super 8 Collective countries and benefits without notice. Kodak will use this information for business purposes only and will not sell it to third parties. We invite you to read Kodak's Online Privacy Notice." I submitted my info and voila, i.e "Thank you for signing up for the chance to be among the first people to purchase a Super 8 camera."

Yes, Josh. The "jitter" or potential registration issue is partially due to the age of the Canon built in the mid to late sixties making it close to 45-50 years old, i.e. http://super8wiki.com/index.php/Canon_Auto_Zoom_814 Idoubt it has ever been serviced. The other factor could very well be the alleged suboptimal transport characteristics of E100D Super 8 cart reversal. I have never had an issue with running E100D in my Bolex 16mm transport. I cannot recall having any issues with transporting E100D S8 carts in my Nizo 156XL or Beaulieu 6008 Pro transports. But other Super 8 users have reported as such.

Beautiful exposures once again, Jose! V3 50D is superlative.

I am grateful for these postings and my subsequent discovery of the term AutoTelic. I wonder therefore I create.

I would like to officially introduce the amazing optical-mechanical work of Marco Kroger of the former East Germany. He is not a member of this forum and may be contacted on Facebook. Marco studied at the Technische Universität Chemnitz and he is actively adapting, modifying, converting, retro-fitting optical-mechanical R8/S8/16mm/35mm lenses/cameras. He has also created SLR/stereo ultra-widescreen 35mm photography systems. He also has built controllers, strobe/flash systems, photo-cell triggers, etc. He also utilizes the term Panascope to describe his ultrawide modifications to Regular 8, Double Super 8 and Standard 16mm transports. He alternates between the two terms but the aspect ratio is identical to UP8 based Regular 8, i.e. 3.7 x 10.3mm. He was originally inspired by my numerous UltraPan8 films online. Here is the current list of his Panascope/UltraPan8 projects, i.e. 1. Zenit Quarz Double Super 8 camera converted to Regular 8 based Panascope/UltraPan8 C-Mount w/ Newton parallax viewfinder matched to 10mm Zeiss Jena Tevidon C-MOunt lenses (APO). He rejected a Double Super 8 based transport on account of the more common availability of Regular 8 film stock, i.e. 2. Panascope/UltraPan "8 Regular 8 based projector, i.e 3. Panascope/UltaPan"8" scanner, i.e. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XHSn_H ... e=youtu.be 4. Panascope/UltraPan "8" directors viewfinder w/ C-mount. It appears to have a dioptre. To be confirmed. He recently suggested that it may used as twin-reflex C-Mount parallax viewfinder on his conversions. 5. Presently converting a Meopta Admira A (Czech Republic) 16mm electric to Panascope/UltraPan 8, i.e. His choice of cameras is based on weight (light), low cost and their general availability in Germany (common). All built over the last two years in addition to his multiple format camera projects. The year 2016 is shaping up with many options for film enthusiasts. Nicholas Kovats Toronto

Tom, Doug Palmer in the UK has documented his Ultra 16 modifications to his Bolex camera, i.e. http://www.filmisfine.com/blog/bolex-ultra-16-camera-sprocket/. I can't locate his blog posts regarding his U16 conversion of a Bolex projector. He can be contacted at doug@filmisfine.co He might have a handle on U16 processing and transfer. But any lab or scanner system with a sprocketless drive can provide these services. Those are the two fundamental lab/scanner requirements for my non-standard UltraPan8 Bolex camera system and I utilize them both here in Toronto, Canada. Nicholas

Good overview, Zak. Poly will wreck the camera transport before it even comes close to "snapping" clean like acetate.

Then there is the homemade 9.5mm perforater, i.e. :)

If a "home" based perforater is your goal then you have an insurmountable task ahead of you. The critical tolerances that Simon has alluded to are facts. And why re-invent the wheel? There is a gentleman on the Filmshooting forum with an active thread detailing re-manufactured R8mm V3 50D currently being undertaken by Wittner in Germany. He has apparently committed his unperforated Kodak V3 50D film stock to R8 and 2-perf 16mm. He may consider others dependent on demand. I cannot post the thread link from work.

I am still not clear as to your intention. What mechanism are you referring too? The pull-down claw? Build what? A perforater? How is a perforater related to your mechanism?

Jacek, Could you flesh out your intentions or ideas? Perforating film stock accurately is not trivial.

Beautiful "video", Freya. And great song. There are no references to the Super 8 film format or cameras/scanners used. Do you happen top have the inside scoop?

Or you could simply purchase a Beaulieu 16mm camera. You cannot convert your Beaulieu MAR8 to an UltraPan8 gate, pulldown, etc for the reasons stated above. Theoretically, yes. But it would not be a trivial nor inexpensive endeavour. The Bolex system is the key to multiple and cost-effective conversions.

Hi Jack, Converting your Double/Regular/Standard Beaulieu MAR8 8mm transport to single perf 16mm transport is not possible for a non-Bolex camera. It is bit unusual to "up-convert" form a smaller format to a larger one. But the other direction is possible with Bolex cameras. We are able to convert a single perf Bolex 16mm camera to Double Super 8 or Regular 8mm transport. We are also able to convert 16mm/Double-Super8/Regular 8mm Bolex cameras to either UltraPan8 2.8 Regular 8mm or UltraPan8 3.1 Double Super 8. This is due to the fundamental fact that Bolex viewfinders, prisms, apertures, claws, transports, etc are interchangeable due to their design. A solid interoperable manufacturing design going back to the 1920's. A Bolex Double-Super 8 or Double/Regular/Standard 8mm camera could be theortically "up-converted" to single perf standard 16mm. There is one person capable of such a conversion, Jean-Louis Seguin in Montreal (bolextech@gmail.com). Nicholas https://www.facebook...8WidescreenFilm

Er.Ummm. Not quite. Don't forget the handmade emulsion crowd. Albeit not quite industrial scale, i.e. http://lift.ca/programming/handmade-emulsion-workshop-alex-mackenzie Welcome to my analog neighbourhood in Toronto.