OT - Have you shot film recently?

[super8man]

I know this is off topic but has anyone actually used a super 8 or regular 8 camera in the past month?

I know I have...waiting for return processing.

[Taliesin]

Yes, I just got back 8 rolls of 64T last Friday that I shot the previous Sunday, processed by Dwayne's. I really like the new film.

Taliesin

[tlatosmd]

*sighs* Don't rub it in.

I'm a memory shooter mostly. Last time I shot was this summer in London for an annual forum meeting. Ever since then, I've lacked worthwile events to be immortalized on celluloid.

[johnnhud]

I'm planning on shooting my first super8 at an upcoming Wedding in February. I'm recording the wedding in DV with my steadicam jr but I thought that it would be cool to have some vintage footage as well. I want to shoot about 5 reels.....

Also, I have 3 camera's in my possession, all are very clean and working but I haven’t actually put film in them yet. I have a:

SANKYO SOUND XL-40S Super 8mm
Bell & Howell Model 339 Super8
Bell & Howell Model 436 Super8 (I could be mistaken about the model number on this one)

The Sankyo has an awesome vewfinder, it's huge and reminds me of looking though a 35mm camera. The other to look like they are cheaper (or older) models but are super clean and look brand-spanking new.

Which one of these camera's would be best for shooting my friends wedding?

It will be an indoor wedding, what film stock would be best to use?

Lastly, I would love to mount one of these camera’s on the Steadicam jr, but I would have no clue how to record the image because (if your handy with the steadicam) you can’t actually touch the camera when filming or your image goes bonkers….

[Mitch Perkins]

I'm planning on shooting my first super8 at an upcoming Wedding in February.

SANKYO SOUND XL-40S Super 8mm
Bell & Howell Model 339 Super8
Bell & Howell Model 436 Super8 (I could be mistaken about the model number on this one)

Which one of these camera's would be best for shooting my friends wedding?

It will be an indoor wedding, what film stock would be best to use?

XL stands for extra light, and you'll be working with the "existing" type, so I'd use the Sankyo. Any that I've used were nice and sharp.
If you can, use the 200T and 500T; obviously they're nice and fast and they have something missing from Super 8 since its inception - latitude, and lots of it! I cannot stress enough the degree to which this will improve your images, especially wedding footage - remember to over-expose by 2 stops or so.

Lastly, I would love to mount one of these camera’s on the Steadicam jr, but I would have no clue how to record the image because (if your handy with the steadicam) you can’t actually touch the camera when filming or your image goes bonkers….

The Steadicam jr as sold by CP, has an extremely effete plastic gimbal thingy designed aroung light-weight camcorders. Be careful how much weight you put on it...knockoffs are easy w/ bent aluminum flat stock, U-joint from film rewinds, and round wooden handle w/pressure-fit ball bearings. Gotta make me another soon...

As for sighting w/steadicam, mount a wide-angle lens and you'll get good general results without TTL composing. Also, you could rig a gun type sight to approximate what's in the VF. You'll look funny hunched over your rig and on the go, but hey, what's the point if we can't laugh at ourselves, and anyway everyone's always happy at a wedding. ~:?)

Mitch

[filmbuff]

I know this is off topic but has anyone actually used a super 8 or regular 8 camera in the past month?

No, but I better get with it cause I've got about 15 prepaid Kodachrome envelops to burn through before the Swiss lab closes doors.

[tlatosmd]

If you can, use the 200T and 500T; obviously they're nice and fast and they have something missing from Super 8 since its inception - latitude, and lots of it! I cannot stress enough the degree to which this will improve your images, especially wedding footage - remember to over-expose by 2 stops or so.

Be aware these two Vision stocks 200T and 500T are negatives. You won't be able to project them. If you intend to project, use reversal stocks.

As you'll shoot indoors, any remaining K40 probably would turn out unsatisfactory due to its low speed. As for Kodak stocks, better use some Ektachrome VNF, Ektachrome 64T, and/or the two monochrome stocks Tri-X and Plus-X with higher speed (and increased latitude).

Beside those, there are German stocks from Wittner Kinotechnik and GK Film available per online order at reasonable prices, Wittnerchrome100D, and soon Velvia50D (be aware though that 'D' stands for daylight so you'd need an external 80A filter on your lens).

I know this is off topic but has anyone actually used a super 8 or regular 8 camera in the past month?

No, but I better get with it cause I've got about 15 prepaid Kodachrome envelops to burn through before the Swiss lab closes doors.

As much as I know, there never existed pre-paid Kodachrome envelopes, only Ektachrome processing envelopes. A lot of K40 mailing envelopes are sold today on eBay claiming they would be pre-paid processing mailers while the Swiss lab continously repeats that a K40 envelope does *NOT* turn a non-pre-paid cart into a pre-paid one, those envelopes exclusively exist for convenience issues, and that no such 'pre-paid' mailers or envelopes exist for K40, it's the cart *itself* that is pre-paid or not as printed on the cart label.

[johnnhud]

I currently already own the steadicam jr, I'm wondering if anyone has modded it to shoot super8 with. Maybe a pressure bulb or something to hold down the trigger when you want to shoot. Here's a pic of the model I have.



Also Mitch, I have a tiny 200mhz wireless camera that I can tape/velcro to the camera, just above the lense, I can then stick the receiver in my belt and run a wire up to the LCD viewfinder. That way I can see on my viewfinder roughly what my camera is seeing.

[jpolzfuss]

SANKYO SOUND XL-40S Super 8mm
Bell & Howell Model 339 Super8
Bell & Howell Model 436 Super8 (I could be mistaken about the model number on this one)
...
Lastly, I would love to mount one of these camera’s on the Steadicam jr, but I would have no clue how to record the image because (if your handy with the steadicam) you can’t actually touch the camera when filming or your image goes bonkers….

I would second that the Sankyo would be the better choice (XL, 220° shutter, 1.2 lens) for indoors than the B&H ones.

According to the wiki that camera has got a "Remote control socket". (The required cable release is used for photocameras, too, hence you should be able to find it in every better photoshop.) If you manage to make that cable not to interfer with the steadicam-mechanism, you shouldn't have any problems with starting/stopping the camera.

[Mitch Perkins]

I currently already own the steadicam jr, I'm wondering if anyone has modded it to shoot super8 with. Maybe a pressure bulb or something to hold down the trigger when you want to shoot. Here's a pic of the model I have.

You can see how slight the stem for the gimbal is. Since your Super 8 will almost certainly outweigh any video cam, you'll have to add weight to the bottom as well. Be very careful!

The Sankyo should have "runlock". Use that, as the addition of a hanging pressure bulb will upset the balance. Small surveillence video cams can be mounted for parallax VFing, or if you can work it out, TTL viewing.

Mitch

[super8man]

Once again we are off topic...hahaha...this forum will never change...soon we'll be discussing where to get the wedding film processed and how to telecine it...please, start a new thread...here I'll do another attempt...

[ropbo]

I recently bought a 814XL-S and shot a roll of 64T two weeks ago just to make sure the camera is ok. Am waiting for return processing.

Have 9 more rolls in the fridge and will start shooting as soon as I get this first roll back from Northwest Imaging & FX.

[jpolzfuss]

Be aware these two Vision stocks 200T and 500T are negatives.

If you want to project them, you'll have to get Andec make a positive print which is rather expensive. (But the quality is brilliant!)
http://www.andecfilm.de/html/s8_neg_e.htm

[Evan Kubota]

I have an aluminum homemade steadicam, and most S8 cameras are still far too heavy to use reasonably on it... my Nizo S560 might be an exception, and maybe the Zeiss Moviflex that just arrived. An R10 is out, for example.

I shot 6 carts of K40 about two weeks ago for my current project. Down to 5 or 6 in my refrigerator... I had hoped to get away with only using 4-5 on the project, but I shot at 24 fps and used more film than expected.

I currently have 5 carts of Plus-X in addition to the K40. I may use them for part of a Cronenbergian horror project, intercut with 16mm.

[johnnhud]

Thanks for the advice guys, I can't wait to get out there and start "Filming" for real.

Super8man, sorry if I hijacked your thread. But should I really start a new thread everytime I ask a question?