[groucho]

Anyone know of any gadgets/methods to digitize old Super 8 movies? I would be infinitely grateful for any tips. I gather there is a vast unexploited treasure lying here...

[vsurfer]

Just in case you don't get any better pointers than this, although you almost surely will from the more savvy and experienced folk here: If you can get the Super 8 onto video? Then you could digitize the video with something like Xlr8's Interview/Strata.

Originally posted by vsurfer:
Just in case you don't get any better pointers than this, although you almost surely will from the more savvy and experienced folk here: If you can get the Super 8 onto video? Then you could digitize the video with something like Xlr8's Interview/Strata.

I have filmed it off a good silver screen and a DV camera, and then you just import it into Final Cut ir iMovie. Not very sophisticated, but it works fine.

[zigzag]

You might try finding a film-to-video transfer service in your area. They could transfer the film to regular analog videotape. You could then import the analog video to the Mac through a Sony analog-to-digital converter (I don't remember the model number) or through a digital camcorder with an analog input and Firewire. I'd spend the money for a digital camcorder - you can store and play the video on digital tape, plus you'll have a camera for making more videos.

There may even be services in your area able to convert film to digital tape. But if you want to edit it yourself, you'll still need some sort of device like a digital camcorder to get it onto your Mac.

I'm in the process of transferring super 8mm film to video. My first approach was to buy a movie projector on eBay and record the projected film with a digital8 camcorder. I tried projecting on a wall and I tried one of those plastic transfer boxes (with mirror and lens). In either case, there was an objectionable flicker present on the digital recording. The frame rate of the projector is different from the framerate of the camcorder, so you see bright flashes as the projector "gate" opens and closes. I then bought another projector on eBay that had a variable speed control. You couldn't adjust it fast enough or slow enough to get rid of the flicker... the flicker just got faster or slower. I then tried slowing the shutter speed of the camcorder (I have a Sony TRV120 Digital8). That solved the flicker problem, but the recorded image was very "soft", not as clear, fuzzy. Now I'm looking at having it done on atelecine machine by a professional. Telecine machines are able to sync the framerates of the projector and camcorder to eliminate the flicker and not degrade the picture.

Here's some web sites, I haven't decided on one yet.

I'm in the process of transferring super 8mm film to video. My first approach was to buy a movie projector on eBay and record the projected film with a digital8 camcorder. I tried projecting on a wall and I tried one of those plastic transfer boxes (with mirror and lens). In either case, there was an objectionable flicker present on the digital recording. The frame rate of the projector is different from the framerate of the camcorder, so you see bright flashes as the projector "gate" opens and closes. I then bought another projector on eBay that had a variable speed control. You couldn't adjust it fast enough or slow enough to get rid of the flicker... the flicker just got faster or slower. I then tried slowing the shutter speedd of the camcorder (I have a Sony TRV120 Digital8). That solved the flicker problem, but the recorded image wavery "soft", not as clear, fuzzy. Now I'm looking at having it done on telecine machines by a professional. Telecine machines are able to sync the framerates of the projector and camcorder to eliminate the flicker and not degrade the picture.

Here's some web sites, I haven't decided on one yet.
http://avtonline.com/ http://www.videomoviemagic.com/index.shtml http://www.sunrayvideo.com/movie.htm

This turned out to be more complicated than I thought.