Grabbing the spotlight one day early, Eastman Kodak announced a commitment to Super 8 by unveiling a New Super 8 camera at CES 2016. The camera, still only a prototype, is projected to be available later this year, and combines a retro design with digital functionality to bring Super 8, which just celebrated its 50th anniversary, into the digital age. A spokesperson for Kodak has pointed out that the prototype features a flip-out digital viewfinder; audio is expected to be recorded on an SD card. He cautioned, however, that the camera is still in the early stages and nothing is finalized yet. Beyond the camera, Kodak has designed a roadmap for a new Super 8 ecosystem, including film, developing, transfer to digital, and other post-production tools.
With this new camera and its film-to-digital path, it looks as though Kodak is seeking to take advantage of the buzz generated by the recent features that were shot using film: Star Wars, in 35mm; The Hateful Eight, in 70mm; and Carol, in Super16. This new camera is an exciting development for long-time film users to get reacquainted with the Super 8—which was the original springboard for many of Hollywood’s directors—as well as a way for digital enthusiasts to become familiar with film.
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73 Comments
We're guarding some people's comments about film is dead are not true and reports of its demise or not. I have been using film for the past 30+ years and back around the early 2000's film started showing a steep decline and usage but recently there has been an analog come back. I have even dusted off a few of my old LP records and even added a few more to my collection it's just what I prefer.
What kind of equipment I use are the following
Nikon FG-20
Nikon F
Canon 814
And yes I have filmed a lot of stuff over the years. I would much rather Kodak take your time in developing this product because I have had terrible experience with their super 8 products in the past. Obviously some individuals I'm here do not realize the development process of a new technology.
So cool your jets "JON"
I use both digital and 35mm film but I do prefer digital as it's more convenient.
I'll defaintly give them my money. Contrary to some of the people in the comments there's a huge market for people who want to shoot film. it's absaloutly beautiful. I among many of my friends are looking forward to the realease of this camera. cheers.
There is NO camera.
Kodak lied to the consumer and bank that bailed them out of recent bankrupcy.
Because everything now is digital and instant, no one will buy this thing, because most cannot develop their own film mainly. And no one will pay $50-$75 bucks for 2 mins 20 secs. of film to be developed and scanned. 3 mins 20 secs. if filmed at 18fps.
They ran to Hollywood and Hollywood all told Kodak we are filming digital, film is dead, hit the road.
The CEO saw, only after reading people's comments, that it won't sell. That's how stupid. By the way, Kodak was NOT going to make the camera. They can't make or sell squat. Except film. The camera was supposed to be manufactured in Denmark.
When Jeff what's his name woke up and saw that the idea of reviving film won't sell although he fooled the bank, he backed out because the bank will liquidate Kodak if he comes out with that thing. AND, in keeping with their past history of not listening to begin with, pure greed and total lack of creative vision, they blew it again.
That's because they could have made a self-developing/digital hybrid cam (Poloroid did it in the 70s w/another system) so it can be done. You shoot the film, remove crtridge, remove film already on reel inside cartridge after say 12 mins. You then thread newly developed film back into cam where it can be pico projected and streamed onto an SD card. That's all and YES, it can certainly be manufactured. To be honest, I am the only person I know of who has the right idea, which would have actually turned super 8 film and Kodak, completely around financially. Totally around, as that would sell very well.
But again, zero creative concepts, arrogance, not listening or putting much into it and mostly greed. These are the hallmarks and history of Kodak and bankrupcy. Which actually is the "new" thing coming soon by them.
After they are totally liquidated soon, look for Kodak infomercials for Kodak toothpaste, slippers etc made in China.
There is a market of people who still use 16mm and Super8 film, from studio filmmakers to independant filmmakers to some commercials and enthusiasts. TV shows like The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad are shot on 16mm film. Plenty of movie directors and DPs still shoot on 35mm/16mm as well, look at Birdman, Skyfall, Suicide Squad, The Hateful 8, Batman v. Superman, Hidden Figures, La La Land, etc the list goes on and on, that's why Kodak still makes film and film processing labs still exist. Polaroid film may look okay for stills, but its not of a presentable quality for movies, which is why no one shoots stop motion animation using polaroids.
Typing in bold doesn't make you correct, if you have such a good idea why don't you work for Kodak?
LOL @ the person seems afraid to reveal their name. I am not surprised:
There is ZERO market for ALL film. I know that upsets you because your response is so well, laughable.
As for Poloroid, you obviously miss the concept. "Stills" by Poloroid completely misses the point, not surprisingly after reading your dreamy and out-of touch response. You probably are not aware of the actaual Poloroid process after reading your "response."
The films you mentioned are all-time losers, using just small amounts of film. As for "list goes on and on" which is so out of whack with the reality that theaters to filmmakers have totally gone digital, that it is also hilarious.
Name a single theater (not flakey and false like your response) which showcases main stream movies, that projects..film. Name just....one? Obviously, you cannot.
With the TOTAL by ALL studios switch to high resolution and cost effective, superior digital, it does leave somewhat irionically, an open door or "nitch" to film "enthusiests" as you put it. But THAT IS ALL!
BTW, you MUST work for Kodak, that's obvious in my opinion. Even though they only can afford about 3 or 4 PR people to sell their junk. The Ekta-whatever camera/iphone they just came out with is a piece of crap, by all professional reviews unlike your overly defensive response of this dead format.
However, film is alive and well in a more limited way: For non-professional filmmakers only. Hollywood and everyone else is totally digital and Kodak' is bound again for bankruptcy. Your response is VERY Kodak-like. Weak on facts, arrogant and a BIG LOSER!
So super 8 film and 16mm film is alive, for the amatuer, hobbyist only. BH Photo is the BEST source for film! Is this person's LOL misleading response from one of the has-been hacks Kodak recruited to boast about their upcoming super 8 camera?
If you are so correct, let's all then step back and ask one question: WHERE'S THE "NEW" SUPER 8 CAMERA???
Kodak, in April "promised" over and over that they really, really WILL release the Denmark-made cam...in April. That all the other "stuff" they bragged about regarding this cams release date, although totally false, WILL be released...now in April 2017. It came. It went.
The eveidence is OVERWHELMING and this responder no more wants you to see that, than stare up at the noon day sun. There IS NO CAMERA, now that they know it would be D.O.A and they are limited financially.
They switched as a last ditch effort to stay alive in business, to trying to sell the Ekta whatever iphone. Every single professional and non, has panned this as another peice of junk.
The bottom line in my opinion as in the rest, is Kodak is once again trying to fool the public by profiteering rather than innovation. Arrogant to the core and desperately trying to trick the bank funding them and you.
Film, except for super 8 and 16mm available at a great price here at B&H and used by "enthusiasts" is as dead and devoid of facts as this person's LOL response.
Typing in "bold" perhaps may make you see, read and understand all of the facts better, rather than making LOL false responses. In my opinion as in the rest, it is meant for people like you who require additional help in understanding facts.
I guess that would make me a loser.
I'm just about to shoot a $750,000 movie using this camera - or four of them, to be precise.
Pre-sold, cash in the bank.
Very Good. I am starting several super 8mm and super 16mm in the fall and next year. Love the meduim and it's a completely differnt shoot with film..cannot be duplicated with filters. Do you have and buyers you can connect me with?
thanks
Tony
where you at now jon? too scared to reply cause you are clearly outnumbered. Hundreds of films are still shot on film. Wonder woman was shot in 35mm on panavision cameras for example, The Force Awakens (35mm), The Last Jedi (35mm), the Walking Dead is still shot on Arriflex 416 cameras (super 16mm), kodak is one of the few producers of film and film is coming back into the buisness quickly, peoplr are still using it and more people are starting to use it now. This would mean more buisness for kodak, which means more income which means more profit to invest in new products. im not saying kodak is going to successfully do this as their buisness model is beyond shabby, but my point is that film is not dying, and it won't and no matter whether this new camera is released or not, kodak will be kept afloat by the incoming filmmakers using film as well as the experience DPs and directors that still swear to film.
Well, there's something Jon was right about. There was no new Super 8 camera
Wow, you have no idea what you are talking about.
Hi Jon, thanks for reading and for the comments. Time will tell about your predictions. As far as the Polaroid system you mentioned, I believe it was called "Polavision", and from what I understand it was pretty interesting. It consisted of a camera and a monitor. You would put a cassette in the camera and shoot, when you were done, you would put the cassette in the monitor and it would rewinde and release the chemicals to develop the film, then you could watch it. Although I have two Polavision cameras, and one cartridge, I haven't seen one of the monitors. I'm told that it is just Super 8 and you could break open the cartridge and project the film. However, because it was an additive color system, as opposed to the subtractive color system Kodak used, it was very dark when projected. I suppose that Polaroid was thinking that just keep the film in the cartridge and use the monitor to watch, and keep your films on a shelf, like books - then later VHS tapes and DVDs. Personally I hope film stays around, it is a different creative process.
Best
Hi, I was till using Polavision until a few years back, the projector was made by Eumig - in fact it's development almost bankrupted them, years late and millions over budget. By the time it came out VHS was here and it was dead in the water. I loved the idea and the grainy look and despite the cassettes being years out of date I got some results- yes developed in the projector the first time you played it after filming. All way more fun than the sterility of digital. Cheers Paul
Hi Paul, sorry I missed this until now. Wow, sounds like fun. Did you stockpile, or just found unused cassettes at a yard sale? I love it when filmmaking is fun. I can still remember the simplicity of super-8, shooting with the old M-22 or even the M-30 (zoom lens). Eumig, ahh I remember the Eumig name.
Thanks for sharing
Kodak need to have a process lab map to show who will process and do a digtal transfer of this negative film. I looked at their processing lab map for all types of film and could not find anyone in western Europe who did super 8 + transfer. I might have missed it as you have to bring up each lab individually and see what services they do, in tiny print. Bringing out a new film is just fine but if you cannot get it processed, it is a pointless exercise.
How much is this thang?
My I need one of these camera's. I have four Super 8 camera's and only one works. I have make a number of films with them but my best two are not working. Does anybody know where I can get them looked at or repaired?
I recently found a Bell & Howell, Autoload, 8mm movie camera, model 418. Has Kodak said anything about being able to open their super 8 cartridges so you can wind them into older super 8's that don't accept the same kind of cartridge? If that makes sense. Thank you
THere are no other kinds of cartridges for super 8.
Your 8mm autoload uses spooled 8mm film which is actually 16mm film with different sprocket perf. The roll would be flipped and you'd shoot part two on the opposite edge. Film would be slit after processing and joined with a splice. The film stock is no longer available nor is processing. I used to sell those cameras long long ago in a galaxy far far away. Hope that helps!
Dan, what you're talking about is Standard 8 film, that had to be flipped over after 2 minutes The new Kodak cameras will use Super 8 film, which is not cut from 16mm film, like standard 8 film is, but is actually 50 ft. of 8mm film loaded into a cartridge.
I have an old, but in excellent condition, Eumig Nautica Super 8 underwater movie camera. I haven't used it since the discontinuation of Super 8 film cartridges. Do you think that the new Kodak Super 8 film cartridges will work in my camera. Thank you in advance for your reply.
Hi Dan -
KODAK has not released any details regarding the physical qualities of the film cartridge yet. When w hav more information we will be sure to update this article or publish a fresh one.
Hey Dan,
It will be a standard Super 8 sized cartridge(no sound stripe). Since it is manual exposure the cartridge does not set the ISO. I have 3 Eumig Nauticas myself and shot a brand new roll of Tri-X and 50D in it recently!
Bolex of Switzerland did provide service for this camera including CLA and 24fps conversion within the last few years!
Chad,
Thanks for the info! My Nautica has been sitting in my closet for many years. It's nice to know that film is available and I will be able to use the camera again.
Super 8 cartridges have never been discontinued.
any news on the release date?
The current information we have is to expect these during the fourth quarter of 2017.
-- Henry Posner / B&H Photo-Video
yeah right.
i have one question will the new cartages for super 8 be the same desigh as the old ones so the older super 8 cameras can be used too
Dear Terry,
Im using new kodak film in my old cameras so they are same design :)
Gabe
Kodak must have done some studies that showed the "retro" market to be large enough to support a small-scale re-introduction. The R&D costs were zeroed out decades ago, so the actual cost of production should be easily covered if a premium price is set.
I have friends who just love their 33 1/3 LPs. Inferior quality to digital, but so what--it's fun. I still have a turntable myself.
Sorry to sound argumentative but 33 1/3 LPs have vastly better sound quality than digital. Vinyl is an analog media that perhaps an infinite variety of changes in each beat. It is an absolutely correct record of the acoustic sound, and any distortion, noise, etc. is essentially added in by poor stylus cartridge combinations, electronics in the amplifier and distortions in the speaker system. But its there. The new technology dampens all of those intrustions from the vinyl to the medium that turns the electrical signals back to acoustic sound.
If a digital system is 32 or 64 bits, that's absolutely all of the audio information that it can store and reproduce. Part of the "art" of digital technology is condensing, squeezing and cropping the sound signal to fit it all in. This leads to inaccurate reproduction.
Our human hearing range is limited and gets worse with age. But an audio engineer (like yours truly) can pull it up on Pro Tools or Logic Pro (or Audacity, Reaper or whatever your favorite DAW) and can spot the differences on the meter. Sometimes they can be digitally corrected in the final mix down, but it is still a different sound signature than the acoustic production of the sound, which is accurately stored in the vinyl with each change from beginning to end.
Finally Kodak and the public are recognising Slide Film. . . . again :-)
That's all I shot when I was getting serious about photography.
Projecting these slides onto a screen was the only real way to view them.
They were almost as good, if not better than digital. (In my humble opinion).
It has been a year, and still NO word of this so-called SUPER8 camera from Kodak, in which now I have read that Kodak has a app so you can place it on only OS iPhone 7, and Google Pixel. And do you really want to put it on your Samsung phone? But no mention on Tablets or iPad's. meantime you can get a very decent Super8 camera Used, like Canon, Minolta, Yashica, with very good optics, and faster lenses. Why wait in what Kodak has promise for a year, and this is what they came up with...
seriously!! We have been waiting where is it! Cmon Kodak!
WHEN IS IT COMING!?? 2016 is about to be DONE!! Bests!
Hi Txema -
Kodak has not announced any release or delivery dates at this point. Our article merely highlights their announcement at the 2016 Winter CES expo. We will all have to wait and see what develops in the future.
FWIW, I just did a workshop run by a Kodak employee and while it's not official, he said they were originally aiming for end of 2016, but that's not looking likely at this point. He said maybe early 2017.
Hi. Did they say anything about pricing? How much the disks wil be? I understand developing will be included. That was the killer before. I loved the look of my 16mm but just couldn't afford to develop the film. If they've made this affordable, I am dumping digital in a heartbeat.
The spec sheet also mentions an optional zoom, but nothing about it. I'd get the zoom in addition to the 6mm prime that will come with it, and collect some other decent primes along the way. Any onfo on lens options?
For the nay sayers, Super 8 color negative looks cooler than anything else, if you know what your doing. I have a scanner in my basement that does amazing 1080P scans from 8mm to S16mm. That will only be more common, as digital technology has been making film better and easier to work with... Hence the call for a new Super 8 camera. FYI, it will record audio that will match perfecetly with the crystal sync footage, and have a wider frame. And a new film company based in Italy will be supplying Super 8 color reversal film soon. Too many people are waiting for his for it to flop. If anything, HD video is about to get a lot more boring.
Where's your new Super8 camera Kodak? Isn't it supposed to be released by November? We're getting C L O S E ! ! !
Unfortunately, we do not have any information from Kodak at this time as to when they will be releasing their new super 8mm cameras.
This Super 8 Camera and project by Kodak is way over due. This wil be a great tool for aspiring Filmakers !
I swear in one of the photo package releases or CES snapshots I saw someone holding a film cartridge and it said "negative film. If this is just a media that needs immediate transfer and can't be shown on a projector, What's the point? (They are on really shaky ground to begin with floating this idea anyway. I don't think this is a real product anyway, sounds like a mockup for a kickstarter like campaign to see if there's any interest, before spending dollar one. Also there are a lot of Super 8 nostalgia buffs who want see this out there just for the warm fuzzies of the past but have no intention on spending $1000 on a camera and ~$10 a minute on footage best case scenario.
Well Said.
No Reversal film , No sound film and cost $$$$$ .I have and Use 35mm , 16mm , super 8mm , regular 8mm optical and mag sound.
for 44 Years, my 1st video 1977 1/4" B&W
Video 2k an 4k , Super 8 sound film at $5 and processing at $5 Ok. The toy camera in the photo $50 OK. $700 to $1000 fo neg film.
HA , HA ,HA ,HA
It's so simple to develop a negative b/w film as reversal film (just like you would do it on still film), so it can be shown directly on a projector :)
Uh, wait a second. From what I've seen and know about super 8, it's the rise and popularity of Super 8 film festivals that is creating a market for cameras like this.
My brother's town has had a super 8 film festival every year for quite a while. Many people enter, tons of film is shot and processed, and digitized, using what ever sources available. Cameras are hard to come by and expensive. This festival alone in my opinion is a huge market for the film and cameras, and yet not a single mention in the article.
Blockbuster features shot on film is the driving force for super 8 resurgence? Hahahahha. My goodness. Super 8 has ALWAYS been popular. There have always been amateur film makers embracing it. Repairing old cameras, setting up those festivals. It never went away it just sort of got smaller and harder to do. If anything it was the super 8 community that influenced the RETURN to film for big features.
Will be interesting to see if Kodak is going to product the film cartridges. Would make sense since that's how this usually works. Cameras cheap-ish... film is the money maker. Right now as far as I know, the only supplier of super 8 cartrides was a company that has been cutting 16mm in half (or 32 in 1/4s I don't remember for sure), punching new sprocket holes and loading the film in either new or old recycled cartridges.
Hi Jason, Thanks for reading, and thanks for that compelling comment. Although I began working in Super 8, I did move on to 16mm and Super16mm, but I do have a small collection of Regular, Super8, Single 8, and even a couple of Polavision cameras. So I look fondly on Super 8. It is an interesting format, so deeply rooted into our conciousness as "The Home Movie" format, and yet I know that many films that would never be considered "home movies" have been shot on Super 8. Recycled cartridges would alsways scare me, as I saw a lot of discarded cartridges one day when dropping off film at Pac-Lab in NY (now gone). The front just pulled off, it would take a far braver sould than I to try re-using a super 8 cartridge. As far as film goes, Kodak has been winnowing down the options, and it seems that it has gotten rid of color reversal entirely (in Super 8). Good bye fair Type -G you were one film stock that I did not mourn. However Kodack is still offering three color neg and one black and white Super 8 options. If I recall, at some point Pro8mm was offering film, and it was a widely held belief that Kodak was supplying them with the cassettes, although I don't recall if that was ever confirmed. We at B&H still sell Super 8 film, from Kodak, Fomapan (Black and White), and Adox (Black and White). So while we have all been wondering how long Super 8 could hang on, perhaps there is mopre life in the format than we could have believed.
Ddid anyone answer Bruce's questions? I'm still waiting to know how much this costs?
*Did...excuse my typo!
They stated in interviews they are aiming for somewhere between 450 and 700. And those are just estimates.