Anthony Schilling

If you haven't shot much S8, one of the most criticle things is focus. make sure your spit image in the view finder is dialed in tight. practice focusing on well lit objects with the split image. Nizo Pro should over expose around 2/3rd... just lock it there to prevent pulsing and you'll be good. Then find a good place to have it transferred.

1-800-621-3456

I have 2 120GB SATA drives in my PC for capture and storage. a RAID controller card was only $40. been running it for over 2 years now without problems.

Since it's a guillotine shutter, I recall it being the equivilant of a 120 degree shutter if I'm not mistaken. I've been playing with wild moving shots on canon 1014E and nizos with a 45 degree shutter... very surreal crispy shots.

Exactly, sharper images. I like the stacato feel sometimes and go for it on purpose. I think the 64T really benifits with a faster, sharper exposure. appears to tighten up grain, or maybe just that the images are well defined. longer exposures are good for smooth timelapses, or low light if you need it... but has a fan motion at 24fps.

The grain on the Velvia clip is pretty consistant as to how fine it really is. 100D represents quite similar in S8 too, for grain. The 200T could look a little tighter with some more density.

The way things are now, you have it a little backward... sound striping S8 film isn't a common service anymore, if at all. Although it is very easy and common to digitize the films, from there you can drop them into any NLE program (even the ones that come with your computer like Imovie or movie maker) and add whatever audio you want to the video file. If you could explain your project a little more, would be helpful.

Forde Labs and Spectra film in the US have been giving very clean, rich results with 64T.

So your saying that if a xfer house offers identical hourly rates for S8 and 16mm.. and they can transfer 800ft of S8 in an hour, for X amount of dollars... your bill would be the same if you give them 1600ft of 16mm?

Results can be very criss crossed between stocks, and with same stocks depending on exposure, telecine ect... I've had S8 200T look finer grain than some 16mm 200T, 64T ranging from super fine to really grainy. Velvia from super saturated to bland. But you learn how to get what you want within certain conditions.

Flying Spot in Seattle has an S8 gate on the Shadow... probably the best machine doing S8 in the US, but the rate almost doubles for 16mm on the same scanner... The rate for 16mm @ Modern Digital is the same too with the Vialta... about $600 per hr, no S8 though. It seems that you are limited to a Rank for S8 prices on 16mm xfers, but your running time is still cut in half. No matter how you look at it, even if you go all out on an S8 route, 16mm will still be more costly on the same amount from a budget route.

100ft 16mm neg $35, 50ft S8 $15. processing a tad more for 16mm. Even if a place offers the same rate for 16mm telecine, you still get twice the running time in S8... and the higher end places rates usually double for 16mm. your looking at at least 40% less $$ for the same running time in S8. NOW, how do you figure 16mm is cheaper than S8???

Based on my math and decent services for both, S8 usually comes out to be 40% cheaper with twice the running time.

Thats about the same cost as an A-Minima camera, but half the cost of shooting on it. Here are some ideal pro situations if the format were reinvented with a new camera and all available stocks... concerts, travel shows/documataries, wildlife (take one to the Congo!) Indi features, music videos, experimantal film making, all types of sporting events... If you had such a camera with the features in my Nizo 481, that shot solid registered films like 7201, 05, 12, 17 & 18 plus the reversals... the advatages of creativity and quality and low cost compared to S16 would put any DV format to shame. single frame, shutterless, 80 fps, and all the other in camera tools we are used to... that are totally absent from DV or just suck on DV... 15K, put me down for one, I'll finance it and start a visual media revolution. will have it paid off in 6 months. there's my pipe dream in a nut shell... now back to the telibox so I can watch stupid people try to amuse me with reality drama at a constant 29.97.

Yeah, Plus X is pretty good for S8... I just like TriX a little better, and 5 stocks seem to be the par selection for S8. When it comes down to it, leaving things as they are but replacing 64T with 100D would be great. As for my experience with S8 100D, the camera meters it at 100ASA without filter... and it looks sooo good. Lets put it this way, people are going bannanas for Vel 50D. Spectra can't keep it in stock it's going so fast. Well, 100D is nearly identical except a little more red bias, where Velvia is a little more green bias. Plus, 100D is a full stop faster with the same grain, and less contrast. When it comes to 7201. It would actually encourage me to shoot more of the other 2 negs, because then I would have the ability to work them together on things I would otherwise not do.

I'm also super greatful for Kodak keeping the format alive.

The differences in daylight between 100T and 200T are minmal... there is no reason for both to exist in S8, 50D and 200T make a lot more sense. I think my list is the most practical for pros and amatures. 3 color negs with a wide range of ASA, 50, 200, 500. 1 color reversal (100D) and 1 B&W reversal (tri X). there you go, 5 films for perfection. 6 if they want to keep Plus X. Super 8 may not be the most profitable for Kodak, but almost every major film maker I read about started in S8, and is now responsible for millions of dollars in 35mm consumtion.

The increase contrast and saturation is very subtle, they look very similar in S8 except for much finer grain in the 100D. Switching the two, would be almost like taking 64T and wiping off the grain. The ideal stock list in my opinion: 100D color reversal Tri X B&W reversal 50D color Neg 200T color neg 500T color neg

The 7217 is awsome, but the potential of a film like 7201 will greatly improve the business case for cinematographers using and pitching the format. I have a lot of potential music video art work coming up. having a film like 7201 in the mix would make things so much easier. I would bag the 64T for 100D in a second. In my last festival on the big screen, I used 64T, 200T, 100D, Vel 50D... all in S8. The films that held together best were the 100D, Vel 50D, and 200T in tungston. I also have an awsome concert film hitting the streets in about 2 weeks where the 7218 in S8 and 16mm are amazing. But there is also serious need for a higher resolve film in daylight situations, that is lacking right now. If Kodak were to release 7201 and swap 64T for 100D, I seriously doubt those products would be collecting dust on the shelf.

Why not just shoot 10ft of a cart in the camera your testing, and the rest in a canera you know works? The cart system allows you to do that quite easily.

It seems like there is a trend going with a lot of commercials I see... a greenish tone with some overexposure. Is this done with processing, maybe skip bleach or something? seems like a band wagon issue.

Very interesting, I never shot a whole lot of VNF stocks... since it was basically a "video news film" and always associated it with a retro grainy look. Had no idea that a VNF film was around in 35mm, or could look like it did in those fims.

Clockers had an awsome look, great movie too... VNF? impressive Same with Buffalo 66?

I always say, a new camera should just reinvent the format as a DS8 50 or 100ft spools... with wider gate. If you use 100ft spools, Kodak could just offer any stock that is available in 16mm daylight spools but with smaller perfs. It could be classified and marketed as a new small guage format, and shake the home movie curse. It makes sense, things get smaller and better as technology advances... so does film.

Sure super 8 has resolve limitations, but thats what makes it good. personally, 35mm has too much resolve for my taste. I prefer the look of S8 stocks that I've been shooting on my 5 favorite cameras, with endless combined features, more than anything I've seen in 35mm. and I can't be nearly as creative with 16mm as I can in S8... speaking of limitations. Maybe that can change if I ever get ownership of an A-minima... that would be my first pick of any camera.