DIY Super 8 Film Digital Transfer Update 1 

Glad you enjoyed it!

Good luck & have fun!

@@FreshGroundPictures It's happening! I'm transferring now and while the entire system needs a bit of refining, it works. I had to be a bit more aggressive with the Sankyo to create space for the Loawa macro lens, but I'm there. Thanks again for the generous guidance!

That's great! Congrats!

Do you recall the watt output of the Meanwell Lrs-35-12? On Amazon they have the same model number but 50watt, 35watt and 36watt outputs. Is that a critical spec?

​@@boydtvUnless you need a bench power supply for other things it's much cheaper to use a fixed 12V 2A wall wart power supply. You can get one for less than $10

The best way I've found is to load it into media composer as a 2K file - this provides a little extra resolution for the stabilization. I just stabilize using the frame without the borders or frame-lines. It works really well in Media Composer without the strange warp effects that sometimes appear in After Effects. I'm not crazy about using the frame lines or perforations as the Super 8 format is inherently unsteady because it lacks a proper pressure plate and no registration pin. Since the steadiness of the frame-line and the film relative to the sprocket hole depends on the in-camera steadiness, I personally have achieved much better results using digital stabilization based on the frame image itself. Of course, a handheld shot usually looks fine without stabilizing. I then take the 2K and blow it up to 4K in Topaz - the AI adds a bit of detail and cleans up the image. I've tried scanning straight to 4K from Super 8, but the resolution is not there. I think the Topaz uprez looks better and is less computer-file intensive. If you watched my newer 35mm transfer system, I have that working in 4K really well. I'm currently working on a 16mm system, and I'm not sure wether 4K scanning will produce better results - we'll see!

Thanks! I actually have 2 short films shot on Super 8 sound from the 80s. I'm restoring them and will post.

I've used raw in the 35mm version I built (see video on channel), but not the Super 8. Generally, I try to get the highlights on the film at about 75% on a waveform monitor. In this case, the highlights were blown out on the film - reversal film does not have much latitude, and if it's overexposed there really is nothing there. Thanks!

Although you probably wired it already, make sure you have 12 volt power going to both the driver and the speed control. If you're still having trouble, please send me an email message through the "about" tab on the page. I have photos of the wiring and dip switch settings I can send.

Hi! So instead of buying the Mean Well LED power supply, I should instead just get a 12V / 2A wall wart and call it good? The only two things I'll be running from mine are the recommended festoon bulb and the stepper motor. Thanks!

That's great to hear! I'm not sure of the exact diffusion strength - I've had the roll for quite a while and there's no label anymore. It's pretty heavy though - maybe 1/2 or full. I think the heavier, the better as it smooths out any hot spots from the LEDs.

@@FreshGroundPictures Thanks, I ended using 1/2 tough frost from a roll I had kicking around and it works great.

It all depends on 3 things - if the lens with macro attachment can fit within the physical constraints of the projector side, the camera has an electronic shutter (which I think it does), and the camera has a remote trigger port (which I don't know for the Coolpix).

@@FreshGroundPictures yes, the camera does have an electronic shutter and a remote trigger port, as far as the macro attachment is concerned I fear the quality may suffer....

Nvm, the answer was trivial. A and even S modes may also work, depending on camera

It's a Metabones NF-L mount. The front ring is for manual iris.

I personally didn't want to get that involved, as my knowledge of the electronics is lacking. The only fault I see in the mechanical system of mine is that eventually the momentary contact switch might have to be replaced. I think it's great that you could add all the other features though. The one thing that I'd like to add, and your system might make this easier, is an auto shut off when the film runs out or breaks. Good luck!

@@FreshGroundPictures That's exactly why I was reluctant to use a mechanical contact !. Re electronics, I grabbed on the web some quite simple designs, since myself I'mnt comfortable with electronics..I think that by measuring the light, if it keeps high too long, Arduino could shut off it easily since it can control the camera (shot and power) . Nic suggestion, I'll try to add it. Anyway, congratulations for the quality of the results!.

@@florentleider222 I used the same mechanical switch in my 35mm transfer system and it is still holding up after several thousand feet transferred!

@@FreshGroundPictures Bad info ! (It would have been simpler for me to use it). My main issue remains the optical part .I'm 100% ignorant when time comes to juggle with lenses !!

Thanks for watching! It's a Zacuto Mini DSLR Baseplate - unfortunately no longer made by Zacuto, but you may be able to find a used one.

That's good to know, thanks!

They've updated and changed the software so much that my original settings are not relevant anymore. I have a bunch of film I'll be working on in the next few weeks and I'll post the new settings for a current version of the software - it takes a bit of experimenting.

The camera I used has both a completely electronic shutter and a normal mechanical one. Many mirrorless cameras now offer this feature. I would not use the mechanical shutter, as you're right, it would cause unnecessary wear. Electronic shutters are not as good for fast-moving subjects, but since the film frame is stationary this is not a problem.

No unfortunately. I had a roll for years, with no label on it. The more diffuse, the better. The light source should be plenty bright enough, and the more diffuse the gel, the more even the light spread.

It's been a little while, but I think I had to cut the wiring, then there were some bolts in the gate area that had to be loosened or removed as well in order to get the knob out. These bolts then had to be retightened to secure the gate area.

Hello - sorry you're having trouble. Both the driver and the speed control need to be powered with positive and negative 12 volts. I'm not sure that's shown on the drawings. If you want, go to the "about" section of this page and send me an email and I'll send you some photos of the wiring.

@@FreshGroundPictures hey, figured it out, it work flawlessly (as long as both get powered on!) sorry for the bother and thanks you for the reply :)

@@Stry-Glitch I'm having the same problem. Can you please explain how you resolved your issue? Thanks!

Please click "About" on our channel page, and then "view email address". Please send an email with more information and I'll get back to you.

It's pretty much perpendicular - I carved out a section of the projector body so the lens barrel actually extends slightly into the projector. The way it is now however, there's no leeway. I was actually thinking of carving out a bit more so the lens could swing to right for more adjustment room. It's tricky cutting into the projector body as you need to make sure everything is taped off to avoid getting chips in the mechanism.

@@FreshGroundPictures Oh, I didn't notice you had carved into the projector body. I'm not sure I understand exactly where you did this. Is it possible to se an image of this alteration in the body of the projector? All the projectors I have tested don't have enough room to shoot the film head on. If one is looking at the film gate head on, there need to be more room to the right of the gate for the barrel of the lens. And this particular lens must be really close to the gate to be able to nail the focus.

@@solosoulet If you watch the original video of this build, around 12:15 I show the area where I cut out a section. Here's the link to that video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yStZmqdWDLA.html

First, be sure that you feed 12 volt positive and negative to the driver and the speed control device - not sure I detailed this in the drawings, but the speed control has a 12 volt positive and negative socket with screws on the side. If you want a pic of the dip switches for the driver, send me an email at freshgroundpictures@gmail.com.

​@@FreshGroundPictures Thank you very much, FreshGroundPictures, for your answer! I found out later that day, that I had to connect 12 Volts to the driver as well; as you said!

Hello - please email me in the "about" section. Thanks for watching!

Hello. First, make sure the cable from the motor is the same color arrangement as the one I used. It's very important to have the A & B connections correct. Also, be sure you have the positive 5 volts out of the control box to the driver split in 3. I have some close photos of the wiring and dip switch settings on the driver, and the wiring diagrams in the video, but RU-vid won't allow me to post these in the comments. You can try contacting me through the "About" section on the RU-vid page. Thank you.

The best thing to do is to use raw files. At the time, their was an issue with using them - I can't remember exactly what, but it was a speed issue. I used vlog because it was the lowest contrast setting, and I was transferring very contrasty reversal films.

@@FreshGroundPictures Yes, sound strange 8 bit vlog, but seems Panasonic have..lol