Joe Gioielli

If you have access to SD, shoot sd. This is going to be a good nich market film, just distribute it yourself and don't sweat it. Get it shot, get it chopped, get it out there! Format is only relavent to festivals and geeks like us. Most of the people I show my stuff to couldn't care less or even notice SD or 16mm.

If you can afford a spot meter and understand the zone system, go for it. It is the best way to go. If you have to make a compromise, I would still recommend and incident light meter. naturally, you will have to learn how to overcome certain problems, but I much perfer them to relective meters. Think of the black cat on a black pillow. There isn't going to be a whole lot of light coming off that. A reflective meter will think there isn't enough light, tell you to use a larger apeture, and you get an over exposure. An incident meter will measure the light hitting the kitty. This will give you a better reading. I recommend going to the sekonic homepage and doing a little home work. There is a lot too it, but once you get the idea it will come easier. Then hit your local camera shops and look for a second hand meter. GET A GOOD ONE :) Cheap will always hurt you in the long run. Sadly, many photographers have abandon light meters (using the built in ones) so many dealers will give you a good price. My meter cost more than the camera did. I paid 175 USD, new it was 250 USD. I use it for all my photography. Best Wishes and keep asking questions. Joe

All things in life come down to budget. If you must have synch sound for your projects, the k3 is not the way to go. Either rent something better or consider video. DV is great for low-budget doco work that require large amounts of filming. Image quality suffers but 2 buck an hours for tape is cheap. Just something for you to consider. As for the K3, I have one and love it. I really don't believe in spending a lot of cash on any kind of mods for it. It is an over grown home movie camera and there is nothing wrong with that. You can do a lot with it. But I just don't see the point in investing capital into a camera that is limited to 100 ft spools. It's a 200 camera. Enjoy it for what it is. Joe

Sounds like the work on one person, if only 3 cameras were stolen. Also, and I really hate to say this, but I don't thing the average burgler would steal 16mm movie cameras. He would want something easier to fence. It sounds like it may have been a local film-maker that did the job. I'd look to people within the community. Thieves brag, someone knows something. Put out a reward and a tip line. Sorry for the bad news. Joe

I think sometimes people go through a mental "process of elimination." If a person sees something the don't recognize, they "run through the list" of things it 'could' be. People know that video cameras as square, silver, and have little red lights so they 'know' it isn't a video camera. The K3 is big, covered in leatherette, and has a huge lense. If youthing about a typical "spy" movie, the cameras are often big, black, and have huge lenses. So I guess in thier minds, "professional still camera" is the best answer they can come to. Remember, to most people, a camera is something they use three times a year. We are really more into this than most people. Joe

I think this is a very interesting question. I'll share my view. make of it what you will. The last 5 years of my mother's life were not great. She had a stroke and lost much of the use of her right side. There were many things that she could no longer do for herself, including her personal hygene. She needed assistance. If my father was unable to care for her when a need arose, I did. Very often I would have to put my own life on hold to care for her and the tasks were often uncomfortable for both of us. I can't describe the feeling I had when she finally died. I didn't feel resentment for having had to take care of her nor was I relieved that I had "finally gotten my life back." Heck, I didn't even feel pround of myself for being Mr. Nice Guy. The best I can say is that it was humbling. For me, it wasn't an obligation, it was a honor. Joe

Cool, Clive, I didn't realize that Kodak still perfed 8mm. So I guess big K is perfing the 100d. There is also another benny to regular 8, you don't have to worry about getting those "blue lines" from the carts. Joe

Regular 8 is something of a cottage industry. Kodak pulled the plug on it years ago. Every foot I have ever shot has come from John Schwind. He buy 16mm film, reperfs it, and packs in those cute little tins. As long as there is 16mm film, there can be reg8mm film. The image is a bit smaller, but the camera has a real pressure plate so that is a trade off. Give a little, take a little. I think the real advantage that Reg8 has over Super 8 is that Reg8 cameras work more like real movie cameras. You have to thread the film yourself. And, as most of the decent cameras are manual, you have to learn what an f-stop is and get a lightmeter. I went from my bolex to a K3 and didn't miss a beat. The real downside to regular 8 is that they are almost all spring wound. So every 20 seconds or so you have to wind it up again. Also, there are some really crappy 8mm cameras out there that offer little to no control over the image. You really need to stick with better cameras. (You can still get a decent bolex for 20 or 30 bucks, so why bother with the $5 stuff anyway.) Joe

Hi Brandon and welcome. I don't know how much experience you have with film, but there is a bit of a learning curve. If you have never used film before, don't worry. It really isn't that hard. There is just a lot to learn. But, as it is all interconnected, once you understand the basic concepts, the rest will come easy. It sounds like you may be just starting out. Go to you local camera shop or bookstore and get a book on basic 35mm photography. All the concepts are basically the same. You need to learn about f-stops, film speeds, and shutter speeds (in cinema you work with frame rates, but its the same basic idea.) Also try 'googling' "basic photography" and find some websites. Still photography is the best place to start. It all boils down to have sensitive to light you film is (called ASA or film speed) and how much light you expose the film to (controlled by your f-stop and the frame rate). Film that is used outdoors generally need less light (a lower ASA) than film that is used indoors (a higher ASA). So, even though your film was fine outside, there was not enough light inside the building to "activate" the film and capture a proper image. Even if your camera was wide open (largest f-stop), there still just wasn't enough light. You will need to add more light or get a faster film. Joe

Try leaving it in direct sunlight, I've heard that helps. Joe

Justin, it is my understanding that not all Wal-Marts offer the service. I have no firsthand knowledge as to why, but I believe it has something to do with the shipping (for off site photo processing) company that you local Wal Mart uses. As for their claim that everything is done "in house", well, I'd be surprised. A WM could process and print film entirely onsite, in theory. If they offer movie film transfers or photo-mugs, that would have to be sent out. Personally, I would bet that they send all the "non one hour" film process out. Most of the people at WM photo don't receive full training. So they may not know all the services they are supposed to provide. Often asking questions of them is a waste of time. If you want to do it, just write on the special instructions line "Process K 14" then call every week until it comes back. You could also just send it to Dwaynes. It is more money, but less hassel. Best Wishes Joe

Keep me alive.

I think you are on the right track. Right now, don't worry about contests, or even spending a lot of money on equipment. Plenty of time for that later. Right now the important thing is to learn the basics. Hit your local camera store, or ask around your friends and family. Get a manual slr, a lightmeter, some film and some books. Then go out and have fun with it. Do things wrong to see what kind of effects your "mistakes" cause to the film. Once you get good at still photography, go get a REGULAR 8mm camera. They are very cheap and you will learn how to thread film into a camera and will get a real feel for how film moves through a camera. (I feel Super 8 is too easy to learn with. Use it later after you get your feet wet.) Once you get that down, buy a cheap 16mm camera and do it again. The idea is that mistakes are expensive, and you will make them. Relax, we all do. You just want to make them on the least expensive format. Believe me. you will feel alot better wasting 25ft of regular 8mm film because you loaded it wrong than you will ruining 400ft of 16mm. Welcome to the forum and best wishes Joe

Hi there, I'm not sure what the "Ha Ha" was all about. It was $5. If it works, you can't go wrong for $5 bucks. Heck, evern if it didn't work, it was only five bucks. I have $200 worth of broken H8s in my closet that I don't feel all that badly about. Considering the amout of good equipment I've gotten on the cheap, I'l still way ahead. I recently took the plunge again and bought 2 cameras for a total cost of $40. If one works I'll be a happy boy. The only thing I would mention is that if it is a "K40" only camera, look into getting some film for it ASAP. For me, keeping my 8mm shooting on a low budget is part of the appeal. I like the hunting and restoring. Personally, I think if you're going to spend real money on equipment, rather than buying a "good" super 8 camera, you'd be better off getting a little 16mm set up. With K3s going for around $200, it becomes an attractive option. I was floored by the difference between 8mm and 16mm. Yes, film is more expensive, but well worth it. But it all depends what you want. Have fun with the camera. Joe

Forgive my stupidity, but would we be able to use 100d in cameras that are auto only? My chinon lists "daylight 25/100 artifical light 40/160" so I would think so. But I am clueless regarding the pin metering system. Frankly, that's what I want. I want to be able to use at least some of my cameras again. I live with any stock they give me. Joe

I have a k3 and have shot with it. Sadly I don't have the know how to post a clip, but the footage was good. This is not the camera for the shoot you are planning. The k3 is basically a really good home movie camera. Fine for silent stuff, but not sound. I have two suggestions, 1 - Rent. This way you get what you need. A proper 16mm and audio set up is many thousands of dollars to own. Renting, though expensive, is still cheaper than owning. 2. Use the videocam. Unless you have a lot of cash, video is a godsend for docwork. A 10-1 shooting ratio is not uncommon. And with doco work, you really have to keep the damn thing running all the time. Granted, film is better, but money is a factor. I think you are better off getting all the story on dv, than part of the story on film. Make the best choice for the project overall. Joe

New used Adobe, but I'm sure it's a good program. I use FCP and I am very happy with it. I took a class from a company called "Genius DV", silly name I know, but it was really good. About $1000. If you are going to work "in the industy" though, I'd lean toward Avid. It's my understanding it is the most common software used. Best regards Joe

I was in the same position. Someone I was doing a project for (I do this as a hobby, I'm not a pro.) had the idea that Super 8 looked all grainy and blotchy. She wasn't happy with the way Super 8 really looked. Far too good. Now I have a different video camera, a VX2k. I used the built-in ND filters and increased shutter speed to starve the camera of light. The footage looked all grainy (actually "noisy"), blotchy and generally craptacular. But it was what she wanted. I'm not that crazy about the "old movie" filter in FCP, but that is a personal thing. Best wishes Joe

Wow, sorry to hear that. To be honest, I don't understand why he kept the 66 bucks, but in the big picture, who cares? You got the 800 bucks back. That's what's important. As for his business practices, well, you bought a product, you weren't happy, you got the money back (less the 66 bucks)so at least he did the right thing. Maybe this was just a one time thing. As for buying the camera after it's fixed, I'm kinda torn. I can understand your reluctance, but at least this guy did make it right. I read alot of posts by people you have just gotten ripped off. The fact is, going after a dishonest merchant usually isn't worth the cost litigation and they know it. Hopefully, others who have delat with this guy will post and you can get an idea if this problem is typical for this man. Joe

Hey Vincent, Nice to have you here. Go to the kodak website and look at the "conematography" section. Films are divided by film speed (how much light they need), the size of the grain (the chemicals that create the image), the way it renders color, and "negative" and "positive"(which is called reversal, because it is the "reverse" of a "negative"). A negative filmstock (like traditional 35mm camera film)produces an image that is reversed (don't get confused) from real life, it has to be printed to get a normal image. Reversal film (like a slide) is the reverse of a negative. You get a real little picture on your film. Thats enough to get started, Go to the website and read it, go to the library and get a book on 35mm photography, then get a cheap old manual 35mm camera and fool around with it for awhile. I know it sounds silly, but it really will make understanding movie cameras a lot easier if you get the basics down. It's not hard, but it is complicted. There is a lot to it and mistakes are expensive on movie film. 35mm is cheap. Go nuts and run wild. Learn about shutter speeds, apetures, and film speeds with the still camera. Best Wishes Joe

I would keep the m42. The widest lens I have is 28mm in 35mm (Don't know how that translates in 16mm) that does fine most of the time. I love my k3, but it is what it is. I just don't see the point of fiddling with it. It is sound syncable and it doesn't have a motor. That alone limits what it can do. Remember, this was a "home" movie camera. It wasn't designed for feature work. I still wouln't convert to super. Doing the film gate is simple enough (for the right hands) but if you don't mod the viewfinder, you will a hard time composing the shot. I fear that converting the viewfinder would cost more than the camera is worth. And remember, all cameras break. It's only a matter of time. Cameras techs are hard to find and their time is valuable. Repairs are expensive and not everone know what they are doing. K3s are cheap, $200 USD on the internet auctions. If you don't mod it, you don't have to worry about. ANY repair is going to cost more than 200USD. When your K3 dies, buy another. Use any extra cash for a good lightmeter and film. I think you will be better off. Worry about getting a better camera down the road. Remember, you can always rent. Best Wishes, Joe

Back in my day my schools all used Bell & Howell's so that's what I buy. Not fancy, but they work. Try to get one from the 1970's. Ask around before you buy, though. A friends mom or dad just may have one in the closet. Joe

Hi and welcome. Please check and see if your projector states that it is "SIngle 8", "Super 8" or "Regular 8" If your projector is "regular 8" it will tear up "Super 8" film. I learned that the hard way :( Best wishes Joe

Well, mine so far, does everything right down to the auto load. I have not used the built in lightmeter but w/ a battery it seems to react to light the way it aught too. I don't know if it runs "quiet". It's louder than my bolex P1, but not like a jet engine or anything. Clive, you've seen more k3s than I ever will. You have forgotten more then I'll ever learn. All I can tell you is that there are at least some people who have had no problems with their k3s. Before I bought mine, I contacted about 60 of the people this guy had sold cameras to. Naturally, most folks didn't respond, but 7 did and said they were happy with the camera, no problems. So there are at least 8 of us who are happy. Frankly, I don't recall reading a lot of posts about people who have had problems with k3s, but no one can deny what you saw with the k3s that passed through your hands. If that kind of performance were normal, though, you'd think the complaints would be all over the internet. I wonder if there might have been some bad production runs? Or maybe there were just enough "good runs" to fool us all. And the people with bad k3s just trashed them without comment. Who knows? As the camera in question was bought from "an American photographer"I will presume he was not an exporter. I might be wrong, but I think it is more likely that the last owner broke it and off-loaded it on ebay. Because there are many websites that give such good instructions about how to take the K3 apart to remove the loop formers and what not, I bet the last owner tried to tinker with the thing and screwed it up. Cameras are like guns, only bad things happen when you open them up. My advice is either 1) write it off as bad luck and try again. These cameras are VERY cheap. You can't touch a reflex 16mm for that kind of money($150-200) This is what I would do. 2) Send the camera to a professional to be repaired. No, it won't be cheap but at least you will have a camera that has been repaired, cleaned, lubed and inspected. If it makes you feel better, we have all be burned on ebay. I've lost about 400 bucks over the years. Joe

Gareth, as you are starting out, I'd say get the K3. Great little camera for the money. The lens is fine for a starter camera. As it uses m42 mount (the same as old 35mm cameras) there is plenty of secondhand glass to pick from so you can get a set of primes for little cost. Great starter camera, upgrade to something better down the road. Joe