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  • Author Author: Matt
  • Date Created: 19 Dec 2018 4:20 AM Date Created
  • Last Updated Last Updated: 23 Jun 2025 12:39 PM
  • Views 9317 views
  • Likes 9 likes
  • Comments 30 comments

Modding a Super 8 Camera into a Digital One -- Episode 382

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One mans trash is a makers treasure! Clem found a super8 camera in the trash, and soon realised that the original analogue films and the processing is crazy expensive nowadays. So he creates a drop in replacement for the film cartridge that turns the super8 camera into a digital one! But that is easier said than done!

Clem's Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the image quality so bad compared to modern cameras?

This super 8 camera is 47 years old. The films originally used were very light sensitive (much more than any modern sensor that could fit in there) and even with the correct film home videos filmed in super 8 looked like that. The lens is what determines picture quality for the most part. if you want to see the difference a lens makes check out videos on my personal channel (http://youtube.com/mayermakes) and watch some the oldest and newest videos those were shot with the exact same camera(Nikon D3300) but with different lenses(old: Kit lens f4.5, new Nikkor 35mm prime lens f1.8) and more light. you may understand it better if you see it for yourself.

So the look of the footage I've taken with the Super8 camera is pretty authentic for "1970s home video". that is just how it was when your Parents were young, or even grandparents depending on how old you are.

Couldn't you just remove the lens of the picam and put it directly in place of the film?

No.Tried that in multiple version, but no the focal distance and the sensor width are extremely different, you can only get a blotch of light by doing that+ you can't even get to the exact same plane because of parts that would hold the original film and should not be damaged. 

How did you get it to focus then?

Extended the picam lens to near maximum and found a position that allowed me to get alignment with the shutter by trial and error, focused to UE and pushed back and forth until the image was mostly sharp. this ended up being a position multiple centimetres back which resulted in the need to extend the case.


Why the big case?

See above + I damaged multiple flat flex cables when fitting everything in the tiny version ,with only a day left until deadline i had to make sure that won't happen again + easier to install the buttons.

Will you do another version?

I plan to but It may be  a longer term project with dedicated self developed hardware.

if you would like to see that leave it in the comments below.

Supplemental Images and Links:

-  Episode 382 Resource Files  

-  Super 8 Camera Digitizer -- Episode 505  

{gallery} My Gallery Title

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Bill of Material:

 

Part

Raspberry Pi 3A+

Raspberry Pi 1 Buy Now

Raspberry Pi Camera

Raspberry Pi 1 Buy Now
Adafruit powerboost 1000 Adafruit 1 Buy Now
Tactile Switch, B3F Series, Top Actuated, Through Hole, Round Button, 100 gf, 50mA at 24VDC OMRON 1 Buy Now
Signal Relay, 3 VDC, DPDT, 1 A, TQ Series, Through Hole, Non Latching Panasonic 1 Buy Now
METAL FILM RESISTOR, 1KOHM, 500mW, 1% TT Electroniks Welwyn 1 Buy Now
LED, Red, Through Hole, 5mm, 20 mA, 1.8 V, 643 nm MULTICOMP 1 Buy Now
molex Board Connector FFC / FPC Board 1 mm, 15 Contacts, Receptacle, Easy-On 52610, Surface Mount molex 2 Buy Now
molex Premo Flex Jumper FFC / FPC Cable, 14 Core, 1 mm, Same Sided Contacts, 12 ", 305 mm, White molex 1 Buy Now

 

Additional Parts

Product Name

Stranded Wire

Used Super 8 camera

Kodak Super 8 Film cartridge for Size and Position Reference

3D printed Case and Buttons (files are available for download)

image
Modding a Super 8 Camera into a Digital One

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Top Comments

  • mayermakes
    mayermakes over 6 years ago in reply to davedarko +2
    yes, but you need it to compensate the focal distance and sensor widht inside the camera. without the original lens you can´t see anything. it is extended to nearly it´s maximum.
  • mayermakes
    mayermakes over 6 years ago +2
    on popular demand here are some FAQs: Why is the imagequality so bad compared to modern cameras? this super 8 camera is 47years old. The filmes originally used were very light sensitive (much more than…
  • devinlhardy
    devinlhardy over 4 years ago +2
    Hi Clem, My name is Devin L. Hardy, I am a filmmaker/writer living in Los Angeles, CA. My resume consists of stints at 21st Century Fox, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Netflix, just to…
  • al1630
    al1630 over 4 years ago in reply to mayermakes

    Shopping for cameras here in the US, most are from either American or Japanese companies and it does seem like those countries favored side loading. I think over here earlier cameras here are more likely to be side load, later ones are more likely to be rear load.

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  • mayermakes
    mayermakes over 4 years ago in reply to al1630

    thank you very much, that is indeed a major concern

    I bought a few super 8s from various vendors but it I only have ones with back laoding here (seems to be more common among European manufacturers)

    my goal is to make it compatible with all modells without modifications.

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  • al1630
    al1630 over 4 years ago in reply to mayermakes

    Many super 8 cameras also use a side-load cartridge, I think many of the common ones from the 1960s and early 70s were designed that way. It would be great if the design could be shrunk to fit those if possible. Here are some photos of my ~1966 Kopil Kobena 221 and 421. They are largely identical, but the 421 has a battery tester and better lens. I'm excited to see how the next version will turn out! If you want more photos I'd be happy to take some.

     

    image

     

    imageimage

    image

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  • mayermakes
    mayermakes over 4 years ago

    Hello Community Members,
    I started work on a new version of the Digital Super 8 camera !

    This time we shall make it fit the communities wishes!
    I need your input an ideas on how to achieve that goal.

    Core aspects:

    No modifications to the camera at all.

    must fit like an original Super 8 cartridge!

    readily available components from Farnell /newark/element14 prefered!

     

    with the release of the Raspberry Pi HQ camera and the Compute Module 4 we now have options that did not exist when I  did the first version.

    Please post your Ideas in this thread.

    And if you happen to own a Super 8 camera I would apreciate detailed photos of them so we can identify possible troubles in compability as the standard was sometimes loosely followed.

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  • urbanabkk
    urbanabkk over 4 years ago

    Hi Clem,

     

    You might find this alternative mod/hack useful.

     

    https://youtu.be/saYVXCY22REhttp://

     

    Parts used

    Bolex 155 super, super 8 cine camera

    Raspberry Pi 4B 2 Gb

    Raspberry Pi HQ Camera

    Lipo battery HAT-QC-LIPO-WB (I wouldn’t recommend this one)

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  • mayermakes
    mayermakes over 4 years ago in reply to devinlhardy

    Hi Devin,

    thanks fo the interest in the project and the feedback.

    While there is always a solution to triggering the mechanism internally, that needs a lot of testing with masses of cameras to ensure it works on most of them not just one particular camera, judging from the behaviour of manufacturers of that era, it appears that specifications were more taken as suggestions not as binding.
    For example the position requirements differ greatly even between the few models I own, the cartridge accounts for that by exposing a bigger area of film, so it will cover the film no matter if the shutter is higher up or lower. That is something that just can't be easily done with a digital sensor as it would either require a bigger diameter sensor(not fitting into  the formfactor) or a custom developed sensor (not commercially viable for such an extreme niche market). there may be a solution that allow to alter the  position by the user (adjustment screws?).

    I do prototype development for industry and startups, but only for Proof of concept, and intiial prototype stages (no certification stage or market ready product- thats a regulated field for experienced engineers)
    and I restrict it for now to clients in my area ( Austria, European neighbor states) so I can handle it as a one man company.

    So I have to decline, but I put the project on my list for follow up projects in 2021, which means you might find a version on element14presents that fits your needs better.


    Some custom electronics will be needed for sure, but you may have noticed that i've done that for quite some projects over 2020.
    I'd love to provide Kits for all of my better builds but its a long steep trail from a crude frist prototype to a viable kit that filmmakers can productively use.

     

    Hope you can still benefit from the outcome or a second version coming up.
    To justify the further development it would help if you can asses the market potential among filmmakers.

     

    thanks

    Clem

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  • devinlhardy
    devinlhardy over 4 years ago

    Hi Clem,

     

    My name is Devin L. Hardy, I am a filmmaker/writer living in Los Angeles, CA. My resume consists of stints at 21st Century Fox, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Netflix, just to name a few.

     

    I stumbled onto your Super 8 modding video and I wanted to take you up on my own personal quest to establish a unique visual style using my own Sears 204S Hand Held (see images below).

     

    I saw the following comment on said video, and thought this seemed like a viable idea, what do you think?: "I don't think you'd have to alter the camera. You could take a piece of film from your development debacle and turn it into a belt. You could then use an optical sensor of some kind (akin to how old ball mice worked) to detect when the camera has started moving the film belt."

     

    If you believe using different parts would be better, please let me know with an updated parts list. And please send over how much you charge for labor.

     

    Best,


    ----

    Devin L. Hardy

    Morehouse College '13

    412.689.2763

    www.linkedin.com/in/devinlhardy

     

     

    Best,imageimageimageimageimageimageimageimage

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  • al1630
    al1630 over 4 years ago in reply to mayermakes

    Ok, thank you for the advice! I think I want to stick with the pi as it's easier to implement like you said and seems to have better support.

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  • mayermakes
    mayermakes over 4 years ago in reply to al1630

    I didn ot use the pi zero because of its performance and non standard camera connector.

    Especially with the HQ camera I would not use a pi-zero, but a 3 A+ or p4 /Compute module 4

    on power use the pi zero is only  low in current draw because of its low usage not efficiancy. if you are concerned with power and size but are willing to put in the time in code you might want to check out the pocket beagle.

    in general the beaglbone family uses less power and delivers capable processing but its not as easy to use/implement.

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  • al1630
    al1630 over 4 years ago in reply to mayermakes

    Do you think the Pi zero would be viable for this application? I like the idea of the small size to leave more room for a battery, and the lower power use, but is it not powerful enough for this project? Hopefully I'll be able to start working on it soon!

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