Pavan Deep

It's always good to see 16mm footage In post you could use plug ins like neat video to tighten the grain. Pav

The lab I use are Bucks now called Cinelab, they're just outside London, they can process colour neg, black and white and can transfer film in their Spirit. Pav

It's great that it's for single perf film, you can never really tell with Keystone cameras. Unless modified [which I doubt as the front metal plate which holds the lens needs to have moved to the right] it's not Super 16 and is Standard [Regular]16, which is fine, I don't think these cameras can be converted to Super 16, for widescreen I would just crop or widen the gate for Ultra 16. I have now seen a number of these cameras and they all run after winding, but If the camera isn't running after you've wound the spring there could be a number of problems. You could try leaving the camera in a warm environment for a while, if the camera hasn't been used for a number of years then it could simply be that that the old lubricants are just jammed. Have you got an instruction book? It might give you some ideas about lubricating the camera. You can just unscrew the lens and take it off, while pressing the main shutter release you can move the shutter [carefully] with your finger in a clock wise direction, the shutter should move, don't force it to move. Have a look and see if there are any visible signs if the camera has been opened [it's unlikely that it's ever been opened], the screws are side of the winding handle and under the leather. The camera should be very heavy, if it's light someone may have taken the motor out - this could account for the shutter not moving. Pav

Personally, I think DIY telecine is the way to go to keep costs down for Super 8 with systems like Retro 8 or other methods of DIY transfer like using frame by frame capture using machine vision cameras, DIY telecine is fun. I made my own frame by frame telecine device a few years ago and am currently making a better one to transfer both Super 8 and 16mm. I think the biggest problem remains processing, if only Super 8 negative processing was as simple as colour photographic film which uses C41 chemical kits, processing colour photographic film at home is incredibly easy.

Hi Someone should start processing Super 8 here in the UK, otherwise I fear that more people would be put off from using Super 8, I know from personal experience that the disappearance of Ektachrome 100D has been pretty bad for Super 8. Unfortunately Bucks don't process Super 8. Pav

I-Dailies is a great lab, but they don't process Super 8 anymore as far as I know they haven't got round to changing this on their website. Pav

I have a Keystone A7 16mm camera, it is regular 16 and it was for double-perf [2R], though it does not have a double claw so all I had to do was to carefully file the teeth on the large sprocket wheel, so that I could use the commonly available single-perf [1R] film. I have used this camera, it quite fun, produces steady images and you can use C mount lenses, I have used my 9mm Kinoptik and have had great reults. Pav

I am a huge fan of Super 8 and have used it since 1989 often using a few cartridges every month; one of the main attractions is its simplicity and was its low costs. Since 2012 I have seen the costs of using Super 8 go up considerably. With Ektachrome you had to pay for the film to be processed, although Ektachrome can be quite easily processed at home, but negative films like the Vision 3 are not easy to process at home and as far as I know nobody here in the UK can process colour negative Super 8, everyone sends films abroad. Around £36.00 excluding postage is still expensive; with postage the costs will go up to £40.00 or even more, especially when we compare that using Super 8 in 2006 was only £13.00 for film and processing, which was expensive, if you shopped avoided the high streets you could pay around £8.00 for film and processing of one cartridge. As for 16mm, I have arrived at these costs based on my recent purchases [November 2014] where I had 400ft of film processed and scanned at Cinelab UK [Formerly Bucks Labs], I think most labs in the UK have a minimum order which is about 400ft, [this equates to 4 Super 8 cartridges]. The costs for processing colour reversal in 16mm are much more than colour negative. Pav

Are you mistaken? It really depends on a number of factors. Here in the UK buying a new Super 8 cartridge of say Vision 3 50D is about £20.00, individuals can no longer buy film directly from Kodak, processing a single cartridge is about £15.00, telecine prices can vary, but are usually about £20.00 per cartridge. The total cost of using one 50ft cartridge of Super 8 film can be around £55.00, the cost can come down if you get film cheaply and shop around for telecine, I have been able to get a cartridge have it processed and telecined for around £40.00, including postage, this is still expensive. A 100ft of 16mm is about the same in running time as the typical 50ft Super 8 cartridge, fresh Kodak Vision 3 50D 100ft daylight spool can cost around £30.00, processing can be around £11.00 and a 2K digital scan can be around £11.00, so the total cost is about £52.00. In this case Super 8 does work out more expensive. In reality you can get 16mm film for much less, the first is you can buy fresh 16mm film Kodak Vision 3 50D in 400ft rolls for about £100.00 [and even cheaper] thus each 100ft works out to £25.00, you’ll have to spool it down to 100ft daylight spools to use it in 100ft cameras, you can do this yourself or ask a lab, labs might spool it down for free especially if you’ll send the film to them for processing. The second is that you can get 16mm film cheaply much more easily than Super 8, I have bought 16mm films in 100ft daylight spools for £10.00 off other filmmakers. Here you can still buy the last batches of Fuji 16mm in 400 foot rolls for about £55.00 -which is incredibly cheap. The biggest advantage of using Super 8 is the ease and portability of the cameras and the cheapness of Super 8 gear. The big benefit of using 16mm [apart from it's technical superiority over Super 8] is that professional 16mm equipment is very cheap at the moment. The other advantage is the speed unlike Super 8 16mm film processing is much faster. Pav

I put leader on my 16mm, just easier to thread. Pav

So it's even easier than I thought, I don't think there is extra film for threading. As far as I know a can is just 400ft of film whether it's 35mm or 16mm there's no extra and in the 100ft that's all there is 100ft, for leader i.e. for threading you are using up film at least 3 feet of your 400ft or 100ft. Pav

I do this in my darkroom with 16mm and am about to do this with 35mm, for 35mm you will have 35mm core [this is what the film is already wound on], 400ft spool and 35mm rewinds. 1) I will wind all the film from the original core to a 400ft spool [in the dark]. 2) I will then attach the 100ft daylight spool on the rewinds [where the original core was]. 3) I will wind 100 foot onto the daylight spool, filling the spool until there's about 5mm space left [you can feel with your fingers]. This way you are guessing the length. I think the method you've suggested might work too and give you accurate lengths. I use night-vision goggles these don't affect the film and you can see what you're doing. Pav

Interesting idea, but putting the idea aside, the fact is the article is incorrect and is misleading and this needs to be pointed out especially when when false information is branded about as fact, it is nothing but irresponsible journalism. Film is not dead! Super 8 cartridges have not been discontinued! Film is expensive, but not as much as people make out and there are quite a few different film stocks available in Super 8, far more than there were when Super 8 was the popular home movie making medium. Such an article should be removed and the authors should apologize about misleading readers as clearly they do not know about celluloid and the world of Super 8. Pav

I was told to stay away from CCTV lenses, but I have used many c mount CCTV lenses for both Super 8 and 16mm, some I found terrible as they were either difficult to work with, or don’t allow manual aperture control [many CCTV lenses lack manual controls] and others tend to produce softer images. In my opinion there are a few that are very good for film use like the one mentioned the Computar 12.5 - 75 TV zoom, I have this lens, it's available new and it’s a very fast lens and does produce sharp images, I have used it for 16mm and Super 16 not Super 8, the non zoom Cosmicar/Pentax 16mm and 25mm lenses are also very good for both Super 8 and Super 16. The best CCTV zoom lens for Super 8 I found is the Pentax 8-48 which is also available new. Pav

I have often used c mount CCTV lenses for both Super 8 and 16mm and have fund the quality quite good, especially the Pentax CCTV lens for 1/2 inch sensors. Pav

I know that there were a few changes made last year and Kodak stop selling small quantities of films to individuals. I used to call up their office in Hemel Hempstead but after April [2012] I think the sales team had gone and I was directed to an office in Europe where I was told that I could only buy direct if I placed a large order regularly, an order more than £1000 each time. Pav

Yes Poirot's last for episodes were on the Alexa. Personally I feel that the photography of programs on my list looks good and the Poirots from 25 years ago look remarkably good. Pav

I disagree, quite a lot of stuff was shot on 16mm, The fact is that here in British broadcasting I believe film has always been disliked, film has been has always been seen as a tool reserved by the wealthier classes. Probably because those associated with film usually came from more privileged backgrounds. I have quickly put together a small list of TV programmes that I have recently seen that have been shot on film, I am sure there are many more. Poirot [original series regular 16mm, 1989- 2001, Super 6 2001-2008, 3 perf 35mm 2009- 2012] Agatha Christie Marple [super 16, 2004-2007, 3 perf 35mm 2007-2013] Merlin [super 16 until 2011 then 3 perf 35mm New Tricks [super 16 until 2012] Accused [2010] Jonathon Creek [super 16 1997-2010] Doc Martin [suiper 16 2004-2013] Hustle [super 16 2004-2006 Spooks [super 16 2002-2011] Ashes to Ashes [2008 -2009] Mistresses [super 16 2008-2009] Five Days [super 16 2007-2010] The Jury [super 16 2002] Pav

I have bought 16mm film off Ebay, other DP’s and I know you can buy from the UK Panastore, as well as the Widescreen Centre, Fujifilm is still available through Frame 24 [film stock clearance]. I use Cinelab [formerly Bucks lab], they do a great job and can process colour as well as black and white negative, they can now do 4K transfers in-house. I know of other labs such as Prestech, Film and Photo and Idailies who process 16 and 35mm. Pav

It's very difficult to get 16mm jobs, but it does depend where you are, it's good to have and that's a very good price. I think very few people make much money from working with Super 16 alone. Pav

It is about 6 years, maybe more, I was working a the BBC until 2007 and remember that BBC HD had just launched [or was about to launch], There was a big BBC event for cinematographers and producers showcasing the BBC HD channel, I think it was in 2005, Everyone was told then that BBC HD would not accept material originated on Super 16. But programs were still shot on Super 16, though by 2012 there has been a growing trend towards digital capture, I was recently pleasantly surprised that some current mainstream television shows are still shot on Super 16. Pav

It is interesting, in television production at the end everything comes down to cost and currently Super 16 works out cheaper. Pav

That sounds very good, will you buy or rent your lenses? Pav

This is great news and gives filmmakers more choice. Pav

I agree, great stuff. What 35mm camera/s and lenses did you use? Pav