Zac Fettig

Just a regular 85 series filter, that you'll use when shooting in daylight or daylight balanced lights. I think your camera has a 67mm thread. You can get one at B&H. The letters change the amount it color corrects. And 85B is probably what you want. AN 85A should probably do well also. Super 8 Cameras usually have a daylight filter built in. The filters built into the camera are usually Gelatine (optically not the best), and they degrade over time. Considering that (Beaulieu aside) no super 8 cameras have been built in 30 years... it's best not to use them. An ND filter is like a sunglasses lens for a camera. It darkens the light coming into the camera, but doesn't change the color. Since you don't usually change shutter speed on a cinema camera, you only have two ways of reducing light coming into the lens; smaller aperture, or ND filters. It's good to have, and over time, you'll probably build a set of them; but you might want to look at getting a matte box and filters for that before buying a ton of ND filters. That way, you can use them on different camera setups in the future. Good deal on the film! If it was stored cold, it'll probably be fine.

If you're using an external meter, the internal meter settings are irrelevant. Don't bother clipping the cartridge. Set the external meter to 500. Just punch your meter readings into the camera, and it should be good. Luckily, Vision has a LOT of lattitude. If you're only used to Tri-X and Ektachrome, you're going to be amazed at how easy it is to get usable footage. Even shooting automatic, you should be able to use the footage. It'll be off by 1 2/3 stops. Vision2? Is it old stock? Kodak is up to Vision3 now. If by bulb you mean the internal daylight filter, you should always do it, and color correct with an external filter, if needed (be sure to compensate for it with the light meter!). Or color correct in post.

I hate to break this to you Brian, but it looks like your camera is wired 115 VAC @ 400 Hz. You can't hook it up to a battery, and you'll need to build a 400 Hz power supply to be able to use it at all. It was probably meant to be used aboard an aircraft (maybe a 16mm gun camera?). If you don't have any experience with high voltage and high frequency current, don't try to wire it yourself! 115 can (and does) kill people if not wired correctly.

Sorry, you're right. The lens flare in Star Trek was done in camera. I just meant that there was no reasonable, real world excuse for it. Indoors, on the bridge of the Enterprise, and you could barely see the actors on several shots, because they were washed out by the lens flare! I really liked your shot. But the lens flare makes sense. Light coming in through a window could be the cause. It makes sense. I have no problems with lens flare in outdoor shots, especially dawn or dusk where it normally occurs. I have no problems with Close Encouters and lens flare. Big searchlights on a powerful alien spaceship. It helped establish it. I guess I just have a problem with badly done lens flare! On a side note (unrelated), Mr. Mullen, I loved your book!

Anyone who strives to be a professional does. It (usually) looks terrible. Yet JJ Abrams made it the in thing right now. It's a fad. It'll go away, much like Matrix bullet time did.

I have used a tablet (a Blackberry Playbook) on set, and it's great to keep reference material close at hand. I keep the script, and all sorts of reference books on it. I much prefer paper and pencil for anything that needs to be done quickly. It's way faster and more convenient. Not to mention, more reliable.

My bad. It is an R8 camera. Not DS8.

Krasnogorskiy Zavod (KMZ) Quartz 2M. A Double Super8 Camera.

Also keep in mind what you're shooting. If it's interview kind of stuff (or talking to the camera, like in your videos), DSLRs generally have serious overheating problems. They shut down after ~10 minutes of video (at least mine does). I have a Canon 60D (1080P DSLR) and a Canon XL2 (Standard Def miniDV), and I'll always reach for the XL2 first for interview stuff. It's designed to shoot video. Battery life is good enough; the DSLR isn't any better (actually, it's worse). Long takes don't cause problems like they do with a DSLR. Autofocus is a lot easier with a camcorder. I love the 60D as a still camera. And occasionally will shoot video with it (like on vacation) with Magic Lantern installed. But it isn't as easy to use or setup. If it was me, I'd wait for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera to hit the streets (next month) and get real world reviews (a few weeks later) or stick with the camera you've got. The BMPCC will autofocus with MFT lenses, designed to shoot video, and wide dynamic range. It can use almost any lens ever made with adapters and manual focus. It won't shoot stills. The camera you've got is yours and free at this point. Honestly, it really sounds like what you really need is a good lighting kit. It looks like you're using open windows for lighting, which is good, but uncontrollable and inconsistent. Get something that'll kick out a decent amount of light, in a controlled color temperature. It doesn't need to be expensive. Considering the tight quarters you're filming in, clip lights would work fine. For video, diffusion is really important.

You can get 3d printed parts in metal using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). Shapeways or i.Materialise will be able to provide those. The high end machines (not a cheap extruder) can give you very good tolerances. Especially with photolithography. They can't give you really tight tolearnces, but standard machining tolerances (+/- 0.005") aren't unheard of. But Andreas is right. Forget about any strength. The parts don't have any. If the part sees any real load, don't even try it. The prices aren't bad though. I designed a replacement power plug for an Arri 16SB, and had the shell printed for $8.94 in Nylon. It cost me about $12 finished. It's tough, and able to handle the job. But the part doesn't see any load. And luckily, Super 8 cameras were mostly built with cheap commodity injection molded plastic parts in the 60s and 70s. Replacement parts don't have to meet tight tolerances or high strength requirements; for the most part; just OE tolerances. So, if you have a good CAD package, and know how to use it, it's certainly possible to build replacement parts for most Super 8 cameras.

Any Arri 35mm PL mount lens will cover U16. Most longer S16 lenses will too. As long as you stay away from wide lenses most R16 lenses will also. A U16 frame is actually less area than a S16 frame.

The Zoom H4n or the Tascam DR-40 are both good options. The Zoom is the popular choice with filmmakers these days. The Zoom R8 might also work, since it's battery powered, and doubles as a mixer, and controller for ADR work. Not as easy to carry with you though, if you're going to film on the run. CF cards are way more rugged than SD cards. Hence why Pro Cameras and Audio recorders tend to use them. I've had SD cards fall apart (literally!) in my camera. But they work well enough, most of the time. Marantz makes fantastic recorders, but you pay for them. I've never used a 660, but I have used a 670. Fantastic recorder. But it's more money. I'll second the Marantz 201 cassette decks. I own 4 of them, and they're awesome! But no XLR inputs, and single channel (so no pilot tone). You can get adapters though. Biggest downside is that it's getting hard to find tape, when you're in a hurry. Fernando, thank you for the circuit diagram!

http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?showtopic=58576 It seems like the Aaton's and ORWO do not play well together.

The short answer to your question is, "Absolutely, they can be modified... but why would you want to?" Most of them have terrible, flat sound. They had to match S8 film, which didn't exactly have a lot of range (40Hz-13kHz for S8 Mag). Hence, they were mostly on the bad end, sound wise. S8 Mag sound tends to be really muddy. Even in the 70s, when s8 sound film was available, people doing serious recording in s8 had to shoot double system. Some (but not all) Braun Nizos (and some other brands) have a pilot tone. Some cameras are set up for crystal sync. Either would let you sync in post. If you have a Zoom H4n, get a good modern shotgun mic. There are plenty out there. Even a cheap modern one will outdo a good older super 8 mic.

Movies: Yojimbo Die Hard The Princess Bride Directors: Akira Kurosawa Terry Gilliam Milos Forman Cinematographers Andrew Lazlo Dean Cundey Jordan Cronenweth (His son, Jeff, is also quite excellent)

Canon EOS mount lenses shouldn't vignette in Super-16, but most of them do not have physical aperture controls. It's done electronically, and the adapters do not have circuitry to control them. I have had good luck with M42-C mount adapters and older pentax lenses, in the past. You can stack an M42-EOS adapter (typically around $15) if you wish. There is a significant croping factor when using a 35mm still lens (2.97:1 maybe?). I don't believe the SP16 is a reflex camera, so it might be a harder way to go.

http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?showtopic=48841 I know there's an even older topic on this, but can't seem to find it. It's been done. It is doable.

I am designing one at the moment. Film transport is worked out (linkage). Have some of the parts modeled up in SolidWorks. Was trying to figure out what is needed for a viewfinder. Right now, it's just a ground glass hanging in space. Can't do much about jitter. Not practical to put in a registration pin unless you pull the film and thread it (ala VIC SP-1). Then I'd have to get a pressure plate plated. No plans to turn it into a commercial product. More a Proof of Concept thing than anything. Something to screw around with. The flame war on the old post is right. The only way to make a commercial product is with a dirt cheap, priced-for-hipsters camera to sell at Urban Outfitters. It's not a good business plan.

Kodak just bumped the prices up: http://motion.kodak.com/motion/Products/Product_Information/index.htm $21.62 was the price in May, 2011. Currently it's $26.20. That guy is probably kicking himself over the Moviecam now. According to Kodak's earning statements, film has been bouncing back.

I can understand not wanting to bring up that flame war again. Had to read through 7 pages before anyone took the topic seriously.

The camera isn't a 40/160. 40 only. No ISO 40 reversal stocks that I know of. Only Tri-X at ISO 200. The camera won't meter correctly.

I hadn't seen this link. Thanks! I'll start digging into there.

Hey, I was just wondering: If someone were to build a brand-new Super 8 camera, what features would you like to see on it? Thanks!

Dollars to donuts the batteries go in the handle. 'R' is for run. "RL" is for Run-Lock. http://www.super8data.com/database/cameras_list/cameras_hanimex/hanimex_m200(1).htm The small button, I'm guessing, is set into a thread, most likely 1/4-20. It's the bypass for the color correcting filter. You'd screw a screw in there, and it will force the built in color filter out of the way. It'll only auto-meter for 25/40 film, only. They designed around Kodachrome, which is no longer available. You might be able to use Vision3 50D. If it was me, though, I'd shop around for a better camera. One roll of film costs more than that camera did, and then there's processing and telecine.

Sounds like a short somewhere. Probably in the battery check mechanism. You could probably get it repaired, but be prepared to spend way more than you did on the camera. The easiest approach, get rechargable AA's. They're reasonably cheap these days. Keep a second set. Only close the battery door when you're ready to shoot.