Steven Boldt

Here's a good site for all around info on super 8 http://www.super8data.com/ Try Super8man and filmshooting.com. There's lot's of info here too.

I haven't watched this in a while but it could be usefull. I believe you can control the amount of stabilization you want. http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorial/stabilize_shaky_footage/

http://www.freesound.org/ It's an amazing site.

You might find some info here and it should read all the films. I've heard good things about it. http://www.super8data.com/

Excellent advice about shooting test rolls Alessandro. Just write down your settings and the composition of the shot for every single shot you take. As far as the AF, I believe all Super 8 cameras use this to mean auto focus.

I just shot some Tri-X and Plus-X. I'm no expert but I don't see how Tri-X can be made to look like Plus-X except for reducing the grain with a touch of gausian blur and reducing the contrast after digitizing. I'm going to try some of the new Ectachrome 100D and convert to B&W digitally to see the results. I wonder how much longer Plus-X will be processed by the labs. Too bad we only have 1 B&W reversal stock now.

The original poster was asking all Super 8 users what they thought of a new Super 8 camera. I was suggesting that for amateurs the problem is in the cost of telecine. We'll use any camera that works. I like the Kodak M4's. As usual we're left out of the discussion even though Super 8 is a consumer format.

Anytime a topic like this comes up most of you guys go off into techno-babble or economics. And you wonder why film is dying out?

"One of the main reason that film is dying off is that for the amateur/semi-professional the cost is almost way too much...and the steps needed are too crazy/back alley/dealing with snobs.." That about sizes it up.

I can offer some perspective from the hobbiest. Keep it real simple. Follow up on the Kodak M2-M4 designs. For someone like me you can't beat auto-focus. 18 and 24fps is great but not a big deal. The only way to get people hooked on film to begin with is to give them the experience of shooting and projecting the film. This is where institutions failed. In film school we sat around talking film and romanticizing it. I figured to hell with this. I dropped out and bought my own stuff. I don't see how you can address problems with available cameras without addressing the whole process. Shoot the film, have it developed and project it. From there most people will want to telecine it and that might be the bigger problem as far as cost and complexity. For the pros. What is it you want to get out of Super 8?

I forgot to say, this footage looks very good. Nice colors and detail.

I shot a roll of Tri-X and one of Plus-X with different ND Filters on the front lenses of an M2 and an M4. I wrote down the settings for every shot. I thought it would be easier to do some trial and error than to try and make sense of the notching system and constant changes in Kodak films. I'll see the results in a few days. Didn't mean to high-jack this thread but it seemed related.

Jim, the M4 will read 40 and 100?

It's a shame to see this happen in the film world. Analog audio is a different story. It's very much alive.

I think I can go direct to computer, s-video out from the projector to a Canopus, firewire into the computer. I'm trying to get some info on the Canopus and Virtualdub forums about possible Vista issues. Should give Tobin Cinema a call, instead of email, and see what they have to say.