Marc Laurier

I use a Nikon R10 and that's what I do (get a reading on auto then switch to manual); I too am fairly new to the whole S8 thing. To my knowledge, the 6 AA batteries in the handle also power the light meter. I have never used an R8 so in the event that's what you are using, it might be different, though I think they are very similar cameras. I really like this camera; the only drawback is that there do not appear to be many accessories for it, fwiw. As far as transfer to miniDV, there of course a number of reputable places, but I am only familiar with those in my own home town -- I find that the quality of negative transfers is much more variable than that of reversal transfers, so it's good to see a sample if possible.

It's in Canada, but Niagara Custom Lab in Toronto processes Super 8 negative.

Hi everyone, I am looking to put a wide-angle lens on my Nikon R10 for some indoor shoots in tight spaces, though I don't know if this is possible or practical. Has anyone tried such a thing? The threaded filter ring is 67mm; thus, I am wondering if it would be best to look for a 67mm adapter and simply screw it in, or whether this would cause excessive vignetting. If vignetting would occur, would it help to use an adapter with a wider diameter than 67mm? And if so, how would I attach such a thing? Having never attempted such a thing, I am really wondering what kind of equipment am I looking for here -- would adapters for video cameras or glass from still camera lenses suit my purposes? Also, a colleague told me that you can visually detect the presence of vignetting through the viewfinder if you stop the camera all the way down. Is this correct? Thanks very much in advance for sharing your experiences and advice.

You have an X-pan? Now THAT is a very beautiful camera.

Thanks everybody for all the helpful advice. I don't think I will use a black matt to hide the blemish, because the shots were very carefully composed (and in any case, the lens was insufficiently wide to properly accommodate them; plus, this particular project really needs the super 8 look with the ragged edges on the frame. I am encouraged by the after effects solution suggested above. The only problem is that despite the tripod and the consistent hair position, the registration on this camera is pretty shaky. If I might ask a more general question: I am using a fixed-lens camera (a Nikon R10 I recently ordered on-line) and have had these debris problems despite my best (but admittedly uninformed) cleaning efforts. Does anybody have any advice about how to keep the camera clean? Is there a reliable way to clean the gate to ensure that these microscopic fibers don't interject into the frame? Any particular material to use? And what if some dust has entered it over the years -- any suggestions on getting it out? Thanks again.

Hi all, I hope you will kindly indulge me in allowing me to ask a second question immediately after the first one. This one is about telecine of negative stock. I got some Vision 3 500T transferred to video at a local transfer house. I am happy to report that I found the Vision 3 to be exceptionally forgiving latitude-wise. Nothing to complain about there. This is the problem: although I shot on a tripod in a windowless room on manual exposure (as in, no change whatsoever of lighting or aperture), in some of my long takes, the contrast/colour/exposure changes jumpily in fits and starts. It almost feels as though someone was manipulating these parameters (dial twiddling?) rather restlessly and aimlessly during the transfer. I have no clue how telecine works, so I have no sense of whether this is an accurate description. So... is this the fault of the transferrer, and if so, is it considered bad form for a neg transfer to be so visually jumpy? Can transferrers "go backwards" and redo a section when they see a need to revise their initial judgments about colour or contrast? Or do you basically get one chance to get it right? Not a tragedy, but I am just wonderin'.

Today I got some transferred footage back, and, while it generally looked nice, it was almost uniformly marred by a black piece of debris on the top of the frame (I guess this is a standard case of "hair in the gate", although it is present on three shoots' worth of footage, and as I am careful to clean the cart area of the camera at every opportunity, I am not entirely sure WHAT on earth this is). Anyway, most of this footage is stationary, tripod-mounted landscape stuff and some of it is not re-shootable for practical reasons. I am wondering if it is possible to somehow batch export frames from FCP and clean them up individually in Photoshop using the healing or stamp tools, or otherwise "rotoscope" the frames using something like After effects. I realize this will be extremely painstaking work, but this footage is rather important to me and the prospect of a black hair against a bright blue sky is really, really depressing me. Does anybody have experience with this kind of operation, and do they have any recommendations? Also, any advice about avoiding such microscopic debris in future (I am using a fixed-lens Nikon for the moment, although I feel it is about time I upgraded). Thank you for your advice. I could really use it.

Great work; really nice to look at. As far as the stock is concerned, it is encouraging to see such latitude, such nice blacks, good saturation, fine grain etc. I shot my first three rolls of V3 last week and am just getting it transferred as we speak... it's mostly architectural stuff of a grey auditorium, so I am not expecting these eye-popping results (I am also getting the cheapest telecine I can find, so there's that too...), but this is very reassuring. Again, good job -- would love to see more as the project comes along.

Hi all, I ordered some Vision 3 500T stock from Kodak for an upcoming indoor shoot. People on this board kindly informed me that the "old" Vision 2 cartridges have no filter notch and therefore disable the 85 filter in my Nikon R10. This is presumably what I want to happen under artificial light. But since I am getting the Vision 3, I am wondering if it also lacks notches. I am having nightmares entirely in orange. Many thanks for your help.

Thank you very much, Rick.

It seems that a number of Super 8 filmmakers here are based in and around Toronto (while others ship to labs there), so I was just wondering what results/experiences people have had with S8 transfers to video at the various houses. Being on a budget myself, I tend to go where the deals are, while acknowledging that it is important to expect quality results. In the event that people swear by one place or another, I'd be very interested in hearing about it. Sorry for such a geographically-specific topic, but I'm just wondering where to go. Thanks.

Hi Alessandro, Thanks for that information. I know I've made things more complicated than they should be; all I can say in my defence is that I am quite new to Super 8 (this project originally started on video). For what it's worth, I am filming an empty ballroom for a doc about some historic sites in my city. There will be no people on screen, but I've been in the space once before and there is quite a variation between areas under hot spotlights and darkened nooks and crannies. I've tried unsuccessfully to get permission to shoot a test in the space, so for better or worse, I'm going to be winging it. I will try to get a Diva from my school for lighting certain details. Anyway, I am sorry to go on at such length here. Everyone's feedback is most helpful.

Richard and Jim, Thank you so much for all this helpful information. I really appreciate the way the Super 8 community assist and advises its new initiates. So, just to confirm what you're saying: 1. The Vision 2 500T stock can easily handle a 1-stop overexposure, and it is often preferable to do this. Thus, in my circumstances, I can safely shoot the film as-is, using the internal light meter, and without turning the exposure compensation dial. 2. The filter notch automatically disengages the 85 filter, so there is no need to insert the filter key into the slot. (Actually, on that note, when I've been shooting 64T, I've always been getting correct colour -- so, does the 64T cartridge automatically engage the 85 filter? The reason I ask is that I've always been worried about whether my filter has been engaged or not, and I am not completely aware of how to tell if it's on, since this camera doesn't have a simple switch like some, but a narrow key slot.) 4. Since I am shooting in a windowless (artificially lit) room, the filter will be natively disengaged, and in artificial (Tungsten?) lighting, there is no need of a colour correction filter, so I can simply shoot as-is. Lastly, about the exposure compensation dial. If I do turn the exposure compensation dial to -1, will the light meter give me readings consistent with a single stop of underexposure, or will it automatically set the aperture a stop smaller than that indicated on the meter? Will this happen in manual mode also? If my light isn't great and the meter tells me to be wide open at 250, should I chance it setting the dial to -1, or simply shoot wide open? And, re: external light meters. I do plan on shooting a careful test roll, but to what extent would it be possible to do an outdoor shoot on 64T and compare the readings of the internal meter with those of an external meter, to get a sense of the difference between the two? According to the R10 instruction guide, the slowest shutter speed for the variable shutter is 1/54th. Again, many thanks for your help. Best wishes, Marc

Hello, I am a film student who is brand new to cinematography.com and rather new to Super 8 shooting, though I am beginning to shoot a personal doc in the format. Until now, I have been shooting on the lovely Nikon R10, which I understand has the ability to read various film speeds (ISO/ASA). So far, I have simply been shooting outdoors on Ekatchrome 64T, and the light meter has yielded correct exposures for the most part. However, I have a shoot coming up inside a large windowless room, so I imagine it will be best to use one of the Kodak negative stocks (Vision 2 500T, I think). I have gotten mixed answers about whether the R10 can read 500 speed film. In that chart from smallformat magazine that is floating around the internet, I read that the R10 can read anything up to 650. However, elsewhere I found an opposing claim to the effect that the R10 could only read up to 400. Does anybody know the answer? In the event that the Nikon cannot read 500, can I simply use a manual light meter? Are there any adjustments specific to the Nikon's Nikkor lens that I would need to make to get accurate exposure readings? I also have access, through a friend, to a Minolta D12. According to the aforementioned chart, this can also read speeds up to 650? Is this correct, and as an aside, would this camera be preferable to the Nikon for any other reasons? Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much for helping a novice!