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

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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  

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Modding a Super 8 Camera into a Digital One

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