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Super8 technology -  film.project-consultant.net

Mike´s cams 

last modification: february 10th, 2012

films for TV / video - which fps is helpful...

 

For professional usage: sharpness of your pictures is absolutely important! Use a Single 8 camera with the best filmgate or a modified pressure plate in a fine Super8 camera ......

different TV-standards and also diff. Hz., which resuls in different frames per second for TV-cameras/systems - portions (1/2 or 1/3) are used:

  • 60Hz standard - 1/3 is used = 16 2/3 fps
  • 50 Hz standard - 1/2 is used =  25      fps

For easy filmtransfer to TV-standard  some cameras can run and expose with this frames per second.  (some Nizos, CHINON pacific, COSINA.....)  - evoidance of flickering or black striation during TV-transfer and to get real speed and presentation time after transfer

If your original film is not taken with this framespeed some actual software can eliminate this. This requires a lot of computer power and time! After doing this often there is seen a loss in quality (sharpness or others). But this is softwaredependant and varies...and of cause the speed of your film is not truely the same like your original.

Adjusting some cameras to 16 2/3 (instead of 18 fps) or 25 fps (instead of 24 fps) is possible  - but not selfmade.  Only with precision measuring tools this work can be done!

How to use Ektachrome 64T film in cameras without correct automatic film speed checker:

First make a test! 2/3 of one f-stop must not be a real problem. Cameras/lighmeters have large differences in measuring and showing f/stops. Perhaps it can be corrected  if balanced at processing time or colours are “flat / thin”. Best is to check and make tests with your camera...... before you modify it or buy another one .

If you want to do this and you have a spezialized service for your cameratype available there are three possibilities :

The cartridge will be checked via a notch. If the camera has only one film checker pin for the 160 ASA (for tungsten/ artificial light) or 100 ASA for daylight notch you know this camera can only recognize the 25/40 ASA (if pressed down) or 100/160 ASA if released). The new Ektachrome 64T cartridge will have a notch  at exactly 0.7 inches upwards from the center of the gate locating pin. A camera with this standard recognize the new film as 40 ASA and will do 2/3 f-stop overexposing

( If the film checker pin from your camera fits into this notch it isn´build according to the Kodak standard. You have to fill this cartridge notch. Then your lightmeter will meter for a 40 ASA film).

To avoid this overexposing there are three possibilities

  1. buy a modification (or ready modified camera) with adjustment/switch,  which allows to correct the lightmeter for 2/3 aperture (I sell cameras with a modification to do manual correction for over- or underexposure)
  2. a service can adjust the internal lightmeter for the new 64T film. This works only for 64ASA films other filmtypes are underexposed after doing this! (If someone do not warn you and tells this adjustment is good for all films - run away!)
  3. or a grey filter / ND filter must build into the camera between filmgate and lightmeter which lowers the amount of light for 2/3 of one f-stop. This can be costly and possible only for few cameras (other filmtypes are underexposed after doing this).

Technical details of the necessary filter:

Natural Density

Percent Transmittance

Filter Factor

Exposure decrease in f-stops

0.2

63

1 1/2

2/3

back to Kodaks new film...

not enought light for your film?

a fine grain film at dark wintertime, late afternoon, rainy conditions - often requires articial light. A lowlight camera “wins one or two apertures” and maybe can do this task. See more..

Syncsound - lifesound and Super8 how to work with a recorder and computer

Some cameras have a pulse sync feature to support this.See some ideas about soundrecording, equipment and a computer..

How is a pulse sync cable connected to a Nizo 560 -801 or other cam?

New plugs and cords for the old standard sync-socket for silent cameras from Bauer, Canon, Minolta, Nizo, Porst and others are not avilable anymore!

If you want to record livesound with sync you need modifications for the socket and new cords (or you have found a rare old one). If you want to read more about sync recording......

Problem: No lap dissolve for CHINON or some other sound camera

If you have a CHINON sound camera (eg. Pacific 12SMR) lap dissolve function (overfade) works only with a sound cartridge or a trick: the sensor for soundcartridges must be pressed down and fixed in this position (with tape..) than lap dissolve works also with silent cartridges.

Fungus - what is it?

Fungus can destroy lenses, optics and makes cameras unusable - see my description

Do I need a wide open or variable shutter?

Truth and myth about variable shutter and wide shutter angles: at right you see from inside a camera a sample 180° shutter which is rotating between lens and filmgate. (Beaulieu has another shutter!). In this case half of the time for one turn (1/2 of 360°= 180°) the shutter lets pass the light to your film. The other half is used to transport the film to the next pictureframe. At the time of exposure, the film “stands still” behind the filmgate to allow sharp pictures. Depending on the filmspeed fps (frame per second) the shutter is normally rotating 18 or 24 times in one second. Different camera mechanics of the shutter can be more closed or more open. (The time for moving the film to next frame is then shorter or longer). Most cameras have shutters up to 200°. Few cameras have up to 225°. The opening time of the shutter has influence of the amount of light which can pass onto the film for one picture. This time is measured  in “shutter speed”.

Combined with aperture opening, a wide open shutter angle is important for lowlight in the evening, dark weather condtions, romantic scenes or inside rooms if you do not want to use artificial light. If you want to get sharp pictures of moving objects a small angle is important for short shutter speeds.

Conclusion:  more open shutters have longer shutter speeds! This is good for lowlight conditions or special effects in movements, but bad for moving objects if you want sharp pictures!
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