Super 8 conversion

I SimoniusI Simonius Registered Users Posts: 1,034 Major grins
edited February 11, 2009 in Video
I want to convert some Super 8 video film to digital format so the whole Family wherever they be can watch me gooning around as a kid, but I have no idea how to do this. I have about 60 Super 8 films, and I guess I need to get them all 'scanned' even though there may only be a few seconds of interesting material on some of them ( lots with interminable shots of the same landscapes etc yawwwn.:rofl )

All (polite:wink ) suggestions gratefully received!:lust

- Do I need to buy some equipment to do it?
- Should I pay an online service to do it for me?
- I have read that super 8 to DVD is NOT the way to go as DVDs are not an archival medium
- Needs to be a UK service

thanks:thumb
Veni-Vidi-Snappii
...pics..

Comments

  • clemensphoto'sclemensphoto's Registered Users Posts: 647 Major grins
    edited February 11, 2009
    If you have the super8 player/camera you could you Dazzle by Pincle or something similar. I've used the first one and it works pretty well.

    http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8853797&st=dazzle&type=product&id=1209166068373

    http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8853822&st=dazzle&type=product&id=1209166068566
    Ryan Clemens
    www.clemensphotography.us
    Canon 7D w/BG-E7 Vertical Grip, Canon 50D w/ BG-E2N Vertical Grip, Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L USM, Canon 18-55mm, Canon 580EX II Flash and other goodies.
    Ignorance is no excuss, so lets DGrin!
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited February 11, 2009
    I Simonius wrote:
    - Should I pay an online service to do it for me?

    Yes. Find one locally and have them made to Digital, then put 'em on SmugMug thumb.gif
  • I SimoniusI Simonius Registered Users Posts: 1,034 Major grins
    edited February 11, 2009
    Andy wrote:
    Yes. Find one locally and have them made to Digital, then put 'em on SmugMug thumb.gif

    Good - Thats what I have been thinking would be the best course of actionthumb.gif
    Veni-Vidi-Snappii
    ...pics..
  • aj986saj986s Registered Users Posts: 1,100 Major grins
    edited February 11, 2009
    Hmmm......are you talking the old Super 8 film movies?? If that's the case, the converters mentioned above would only work if you had a projector with digital audio & video outputs. AFAIK, the old Super 8 stuff only played via a projector with bulb outputted to a screen.

    If that's the case, you need a Telecine Film Transfer box.
    Goldbeam%20Producer%20II%20film-to-video%20transfer%20004.JPG

    You project the Super 8 movie into the box, and record to a digital recorder via at the other end. Not hard to do, but can be time consuming. Once recorded to a digital format, then you can convert & manipulate on a PC. I did some family Super 8 movies to VHS many moons ago, and it worked pretty well. The Super 8 projector fortunatly had an audio output which we could connect to the VHS camera, which kept the sound decent. If each of your "movies" is a 3 minute reel, you got about 3 hours of video to do. Compare the cost of buying/renting a transfer box to paying a lab to convert.
    Tony P.
    Canon 50D, 30D and Digital Rebel (plus some old friends - FTB and AE1)
    Long-time amateur.....wishing for more time to play
    Autocross and Track junkie
    tonyp.smugmug.com
  • I SimoniusI Simonius Registered Users Posts: 1,034 Major grins
    edited February 11, 2009
    aj986s wrote:
    Hmmm......are you talking the old Super 8 film movies?? If that's the case, the converters mentioned above would only work if you had a projector with digital audio & video outputs. t.

    thansk I have decided to use asn online servicethumb.gif
    Veni-Vidi-Snappii
    ...pics..
Sign In or Register to comment.