DIY Super 8 Movie Film to Digital Video Scanner/Transfer Device Telecine

[@EmporiumDigitalStudios]

This is simply outstanding. The explanation, the patience, the dedication, the details and ease of understanding makes your video a top selection for DIY transfers. Honestly very pleased and we thank you for your effort of making and sharing this. 💪🏼

[@jgo1961]

The butterfly shutter (two sets of blades) was common in projectors. The intent was that by increasing the rate of flicker, the flicker became less noticible to human perception during projection than if it flickered only once per frame. Each frame flashes on screen twice. 48 flickers per 24 frames.

[@cbdebill4]

I have to say that your results are the best I've seen so far for DIY transfers.

[@RedStarRogue]

That super 8 footage looks very clean and high res!

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thanks for watching!

[@lyricsronen]

Incredible results! Kodachrome looks amazing

[@Efferpheasants]

Superbly narrated and explanation video, and by your results super 8 is the new 16mm.

[@lostinthecrypt]

Watching this was a great pleasure. Clear, concise, straight to the point and with a superb narration. Thank you!

[@yonkel]

Thank you so much for this! This is a great project within my means and your step-by-step layout is a tremendous help! I recently purchased a Wolverine digitizer that initially worked but gave up the ghost after about a dozen 50' reels. So back it went for a refund. I also wasn't too pleased with the compression of the images. I feel like this at least gives me a DIY fighting chance to transfer my box full of home movies.

[@ATRTAP]

Shockingly gorgeous results, thanks for posting this video.

[@brianmuhlingBUM]

Stunning picture quality with the Steady Gate program. No doubt about K40, it was a great film stock. I still have all my Standard 8 from 1956 on until Super 8 in 1980. Kodachrome for archival memories. 😊 You did a great explanation of your system.

[@mdeange3]

I am impressed with your ingenuity, and the transfer results are superb. Thank you for sharing.

[@RotarySMP]

It is very inspiring to see just what resolution and quality is actually achievable. I need to make my 16mm telecine so thanks for all the ideas you have shared in your video series.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Best of luck!

[@scotdotwtf]

absolutely insanely high quality results, great job! 😭

[@OnnieKoski]

absolutely wonderful. i've been wanting to scavenge my grandfather's old equipment so i could digitize some old films of my aunts and uncles. one thing that you could have done is mounted a first surface mirror at a 90 degree angle to the film plane so you wouldn't need to cut into the projector. also, painting everything black or putting some sort of lens hood on the lens might keep incident reflections down. GREAT WORK!!!!

[@Citrisity]

Great vlog I really must try this for my next project, it's great to see something on KZbin that really works, thanks.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thanks - there's also an update I posted for this project on the channel.

[@walterhergt2361]

Well, this IS actually perhaps THE simplest, least expensive, and most accessible DIY telecine I've seen. I've also been looking into creating a home telecine to digitize about 2400' of Super8mm and have been experimenting with various approaches. Would you be willing to share a parts list? This seems so attainable and the results are gorgeous.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Sure - I'll get a list together, most came from Amazon. I might put it into a short video as there are some other tips and improvements I've come up with as well. Thanks!

[@walterhergt2361]

@@FreshGroundPictures Thanks so much! I'm between 67% - 83% there already but your approach simplifies so much. A bit of concrete guidance would make this happen as an early winter project. Subscribed and looking forward to the next installment.

[@grasserproduction]

The final video is insane!

[@MattsTimeMachine]

Wow! Super impressive and results! Bravo. 👏

[@Littlelewie151]

Very impressed! Nice video!

[@gadgetsgimmicksandtech]

Excellent quality transfer! Very nice.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Many thanks!

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

Thanks, interesting videos: both this and the 35mm-system ones!

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thanks for watching!

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

@@FreshGroundPictures: Oh, of course; they are very interesting!

[@mike82y]

the video quality is amazing

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thanks for watching!

[@rizzlerazzleuno4733]

Amazing DYI project. Thanks for the good video. I made reg 8 and Super 8 films in the 60s & 70s.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thanks for watching!

[@computationalcinematographer]

Wow, you even did a medical Arri 2C! Just posted this on the DIY Cine Film Scanner Makers Facebook group page.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thanks!

[@flapdance]

This is so awsome....what a lovly build.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thank you!

[@misframed]

This looks stunning!

[@starchamber7700]

This is amazing. You are a legend. My only problem will be connecting the stepper motor to the driver. Would you consider making a video on how yto control a stepper motor. I'm sure it would be helpful to many, not just telecine.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

If you watch the "Update 1" on my channel, there is more info on wiring the stepper motor and driver. I use the stepper motors for their high torque and small size. These motors also allow you to spin the shaft when no power is applied - important because you can thread the film a lot easier. A regular DC motor would also work for my applications, but it is a bit harder to control - in my first 35mm transfer unit I used a regular hand drill motor.

[@Greenlightmike33]

Wow this was a phenomenal video. I’m really hoping to make something like this. I just started home processing Super 8 and am currently using a Kodak Reels scanner which isn’t good at all really. I’ve been thinking about either something like your setup or a 3d printed arduino type setup. Also, I saw your Yankee Lady video as well. I took a flight in her in 2022. Top 10 life experiences!

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thanks for watching - good luck with the scanning!

[@wutangpaul]

This is really cool, and the final result looks amazing

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thanks!

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thanks!

[@javierduhart336]

Thanks for sharing this. I,ve been thinking of doing the same. Only thing I’m lacking is a macro lens of some kind.

[@daxroman]

Excellent construction. From what I understand, a functional projector is not needed to be able to do the conversion, what is needed is the device with the mechanical functions, all the original electrical part is not needed, right? In that case, could I buy one on ebay that is not electrically functional?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Old projectors are kind of simple, mostly mechanical devices - in some cases though the existing bulb might cost more to replace than the projector. Unless things have changed, they usually were pretty cheap now - thanks!

[@daxroman]

@@FreshGroundPictures Can you tell me the size and reference of the belt used to connect the motor to the projector? thanks

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Hello - I used the existing projector belt so I don't have exact measurements or reference for it. It is 4mm wide, round, and about 250mm in length.

[@daxroman]

@@FreshGroundPictures Thanks, I'll start putting mine together in the next week, your video is an excellent guide, I'm just waiting for all the components to arrive.

[@RogerHyam]

Thanks for sharing this. It is really useful and I'm going to do it based on a Eumig projector. What is the specification of your stepper motor? I'm not sure what size to go for.

[@KremerErik]

First of all, what a cool project and a very clear explanation of how you converted this projector into an 8mm telecine machine. I have a question: "How do I remove the motor light button from this Canon projector S-400? The screw is already out, but I can't pull it off. I am also busy converting it, with the HQ Raspberry Pi 2 as camera. I would love to hear from you, thanks in advance. Kind regards, Erik Kremer Netherlands.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thanks for watching - I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "motor light button". Are you referring to the main switch control?

[@KremerErik]

​@@FreshGroundPictures Thanks for replying and sorry it's not clear what I meant. It concerns the button that turns on the motor and the lamp. To be able to remove the hood of the slow motto and slow fast.

[@Ni5ei]

Great job! Wouldn't it be better to use a lens hood (or even a tube between the lens and the film) to make sure any surrounding light won't interfere?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Probably, but I transfer in very low light, and the LED is so bright that I've never had an issue.

[@jeffparkin3122]

Fantastic work!

[@ЕвгенийКиселев-ю5е]

A very laborious and busy way, but deserves respect

[@boywithadolphin]

That is a great project. I am building one using a digital microscope and magnets to hold the camera so I can adjust the position.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Best wishes with your project!

[@brianmuhlingBUM]

Could you tell me the brand of the adjustable camera mount that you bought, then discarded for the one you used. Great production on both the 8mm and 16mm transfer machines, and loved the story on the Arri 35BL. Thanks. 😊

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Hello - I got it from BHPhoto, it's a Neewer Pro 4 Way Macro Focusing Rail Slider, BH #NE10033981.

[@brianmuhlingBUM]

@@FreshGroundPictures Thank you FGP. I built my first transfer machine in 1986 for commercial work doing 8, S8 and 16mm at 18 and 24 fps. I retired years ago, but HD has got me and I am building an 8 and S8 unit using some of your valuable information. My friend in New Zealand is a mine of information on flat field copying lenses and also has some great ideas. There is a lot of information on a Super 8 Kodachrome frame and I want to see it all on my giant screen through my Panasonic projector. Again, thank you for all your videos and valuable help. Regards, Brian Western Australia 😀

[@FreshGroundPictures]

@@brianmuhlingBUM Thanks Brian - good luck on your project!

[@Alyxandr]

I would love to do this! It might be neat to run a small film transfer side hustle with a DIY setup like this! My current method of transferring Super 8 is to use a box with a mirror inside to project the film onto and then have a camera shoot the mirror. The problem with that is that the shutter flickering is very visible no matter what settings I use.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Yes, the only way to do it well is to get a frame to frame transfer - one digital frame for every film frame.

[@Mark_Chandler]

used my cellphone with a five dollar program called procam X. The software allows you to adjust the video framerate to your projectors frame rate. Gets rid of the flicker and ghosting.

[@hakkimaziz]

where could we watch the full shortfilm...it looks so awesome!!

[@FreshGroundPictures]

I'm still working on restoring it. I'll post it here when it's done. Thanks!

[@4CardsMan]

What did you do about sound? I have several thousand feet of Super 8 sound film, and the sound is critical. BTW, that Kodachrome 40 was just fabulous. I actually shot a sound film indoors with it, using a 250W photoflood bounced into the inside of an aluminum roasting pan, using an XL camera wide open at 18fps. Portions are underexposed of course, but it would clean up nicely after a high-quality digital transfer.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Yes, I also have 2 short films shot with sound on them from long ago. Unfortunately I don't have a good way of transferring that sound now to exactly match. Fortunately, I had the film transferred to standard definition 3/4" video on a telecine system many years ago. The sound from those transfers syncs up perfectly because the transfer systems ran at an exact speed. At one point Moviestuff actually made a device to transfer the sound at exactly 23.976fps, but I have not seen one for a while. A sound projector specifically made for telecine (not modified) might work. The key is that the sound has to run at exactly 23.976 frames per second, and most projectors do not have that control.

[@gomezcreativemedia]

Great telecine video! How can SUNY Purchase College Film School purchase your product so we can telecine Super 8mm to Blackmagic RAW?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

At the moment, I don't have plans to sell it - the projector I used is getting difficult to find. I'll let you know if anything changes, or if I come up with a more easily produced design. Thanks for watching!

[@PaulB19677]

I want to watch your films, are you going to upload them to share? They look fun and turned out great. Great job.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

The biggest hang-up I've had in getting my films out is the sound. They were recorded on single-system Super8 sound cameras. I have the sound from transfers to 3/4" umatic done years ago. This syncs to the new image transfers, but I wanted to clean it up a bit digitally. I've recently come across a couple of fantastic sound resources that are being tested by Adobe - this does a fantastic job cleaning up and restoring old audio. In fact, I just finished running the sound through their system and I think I finally have something that will match the quality of the new digital transfers. Stay tuned!

[@PaulB19677]

@@FreshGroundPictures Can't wait, specially for your earliest videos like the one with yellow pickup. The quality your achieving is astounding.😊

[@nicolablasco]

Hello, everything is fantastic and I congratulate you. But I have a question: using a reflex camera after 150k shots, the shutter could be damaged. The repair is too expensive. 150k shots of Super8 frames equals 125 minutes of digitized film. When you get to this amount of shots, do you replace the camera?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Hello - I think it's in the video, but I use a mirrorless camera like the Lumix S5, strictly on electronic shutter - nothing mechanically moves in the digital camera, and the frame is taken electronically.

[@doctorvox]

THANKS, looks like a great conversion, unfortunately the camera and lens combo runs to over £1000. Any suggestions for a cheaper solution!?

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

Wouldn't you get an even cleaner transfer by not letting outside-angled light leak in between the gate and the lens?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Theoretically, but I transfer in very low light, and the LED is so bright that I've never had an issue.

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

@@FreshGroundPictures: Oh, so you do actually turn the room lights off or very dim when you do this for real, even though you don't show that; is that what you're saying?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Yes - although I think I've accidentally left the room lights on and it didn't seem to matter, as the LED is so bright.

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

Huh, interesting, @@FreshGroundPictures. But you still don't want it quite AS bright as the old incandescent bulb, which is why you replaced that one with the LED one in the first place, right?

[@marksadler4104]

I love this system!!!!, the quality is fantastic, wonderful colours coming through, much better than the DIY methods using small sensors and also in comparison with the telecine method I used 20 years ago (on screen wall with Sony PC100 miniDV). I''m going to build this!!!!😀 think you missed a trick which I'll see if it would work. For your triggering, you used a microswitch hitting a pin head. I will experiment with this method: The 3 shutter blades that you removed, leave one! I noticed that when the film was correctly framed, one of the blades was directly located at around 12 o'clock above the gate. At that point I would use a contact switch or laser sensor. When the sensor doesn't see the beam it will trigger( light bleed from laser considered) Anyway I have to prove it. Well done!!!👏👏👏 One question sorry, what macro lens did you use?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thank you. The macro lens is a Laowa 25mm - I have it in Nikon mount, but it's available in many others. Highly recommend!

[@carloshenriquealberto]

How about the super 8 with sound. My films have a magnetic track. Thank you

[@ScoobyKong]

Transfer the sound to digital then line it up with the digitized video in your movie editing software of choice.

[@Flatfrog42]

Very good DIY job. Excellent eplanation and documentation. I struggle with myself to implement the project myself as well. But I'm afraid that my camera shutter won't last that long. With 45 minutes of Super 8 film, the DSLR would have to perform almost 48,000 releases. With 20 hours of edited Super 8 film to transfer, that would mean 1.279.200 releases. More than my Canon EOS 7 D can manage. The advantage of the DSLR is that in RAW format of the photos the contrast range is much better. But I doubt that the shutter will survive this.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

I don't know if your camera has a fully electronic shutter, but that is what I use in these setups. Therefore, there's no mechanical wear. Thanks for watching!

[@Thebrainymonkey]

This is fantastic. Do you have a list of bits you bought to get it all working?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Please watch the Update video on my channel - I list the parts, most of which you can get on Amazon. Thanks for watching!

[@Thebrainymonkey]

@@FreshGroundPictures Awesome. Keep up the good work.

[@TiMitchMedia]

What is the big difference between powering the LED light with the USB power supply, and using the bench power supply for the stepper motor? Since they both run on 12v power, could the motor also be powered using a similar power supply as the LED light? Or is there a special reason why the LED light and the stepper motor are powered separately? Forgive my ignorance 😅 I’m about to start work on my own 16mm transfer system. Your videos on 8mm and 32mm film transfers have been very helpful!

[@FreshGroundPictures]

I chose to use the bench power supply for the motor because you can alter the amperage, and I wasn't sure what would work best for the tension on the motor - how high the amperage needed would be. I could have then wired the LED light from that, but it was cleaner to just use another small power supply - just yank it out to turn the led on and off. Offhand, I don't know if the small power supply is beefy enough for both. BTW, the power should be 12 volts, whereas a USB supply is 5 volts I think.

[@ericbarr4199]

@@FreshGroundPictures So, looking at the video, while running you look to be pulling around .8A. Would it be safe to just use another regular 12V power supply rated at 1A to run the motor circuit, instead of the more costly variable bench power supply? Please forgive my ignorance on the subject, I believe it would be fine, but would like to get your opinion on it. Great build and presentation! I have an old Canon P-400 projector I am preparing to repurpose with your basic design using my Canon 90D Camera. I have a Kodak Reels telecine and am sending it back. Cannot get the basic quality I am looking for, the way it over-corrects and exaggerates color and over-compresses the video. Your build convinced me I could get much better results with equipment I mostly already have. And the Topaz software is already in my arsenal as well, makes amazing "fairy dust" in post! Thank-You!

[@FreshGroundPictures]

@@ericbarr4199 Thanks, have fun!

[@ericbarr4199]

@@FreshGroundPictures Would you recommend using a regular 12V 1A power supply in place of the variable bench supply?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

@@ericbarr4199 That should work fine. Considering that the only power draws are the motor and lamp, you could use a 12 volt, 5-10 amp source.

[@milanjani]

But I still need to send film to lab for processing before we can digitize? Question may sound silly but I am new to these.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Yes, that's correct.

[@filmmaster6885]

This is a good design, but I have to pull you up on what you said about the machine-vision camera. They *are* the ones used by professional scanners - specifically Sony Pregius. DCS, LaserGraphics, Kinetta, and Filmfabriek all use effectively the same or similar cameras and probably DFT is as well with their new PolarHQ scanner. Arri uses their own camera (Alexa XT), and Blackmagic also use their own camera which hasn't changed in 7 years even with the new model released this year (the Blackmagic Cintel is a good low-end scanner, but it's not a professional scanner). If you were to get yourself a suitable Sony Pregius S camera and build a bright enough light you should be able to scan at 24fps+ with that set up. Even the Moviestuff scanners which come with lower-end cameras are limited in their colour reproduction and dynamic range not so much by the cameras, but by the low-CRI lights they use. Even the latest model only has a 90 CRI light, and the one they were using before it was dreadful quality.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thanks for your comments. I have a couple of new 95 CRI bulbs that I'd like to try soon. At one time I did have an earlier Moviestuff unit and was frustrated by the camera quality. On this unit, I tried a Lumix GH5s as well - micro4/3 chip, and it did not perform quite as well as the full frame camera. I'm sure the quality of machine cameras has improved greatly, but I happened to own the Lumix cameras.

[@filmmaster6885]

@@FreshGroundPictures Oh of course the quality varies greatly. One of mates calls the JAI camera used in the 5K ScanStations and the ScanStation Personals "the junk traffic camera". It's also a machine-vision camera, but designed for traffic use (designed as a red-light speed camera). And yes I appreciate you're making use of your own camera instead of spending stupid money buying a brand new camera plus an appropriate lens. The best bang-for-the-buck for a white light is a Yujiled COB 95+ CRI at 50W, but you will need serious cooling for it. To put it into perspective, the household LED downlight is 9w. All that aside though, your present results are _very_ nice. The design is good, very good if I'm honest, and you should think about investing in a faster camera so you can scan at 30fps not for any other reason. Here's a link to a 5.3K model: www.flir.com/products/blackfly-s-usb3/?model=BFS-U3-161S7C-C or spend a little bit extra and get the one that LaserGraphics uses: emergentvisiontec.com/products/hr-camera-series/hr-16000-sb/

[@verkehrsteilnehmer-berlin]

Did they offer projectors with larger reels than 7"?

[@yonkel]

At 12:17, how did you cut away that portion to make the extra room for the lens? Coping saw or Jeweler's saw? I'm using the same projector and it looks like I'll need to remove a few more parts/elements on the inside to clear the way. Did you have to separate the projector body further to be able to cut out that section? I want to be as careful as I can in the handling of everything to prevent damage to the gate etc. My project is going great with all other modifications completed. I'm just anticipating what I'll need to do when I get to that part of it. Thanks for any comments/help.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

I kept the projector together, as it was difficult to get it down to the support plate without removing the gate mechanism, which I didn't want to do. I taped off and covered everything on the projector to prevent metal pieces from getting inside. I also taped the backside to keep out metal dust from the cut. (I used blue painters tape) I used a Dremel with a small cutting disc for metal. It worked well, but I wish the cut had been a little cleaner. It worked fine though. Good luck with your project and thanks for watching!

[@yonkel]

@@FreshGroundPictures Thanks so much! Makes sense. I do have a Dremel. I just need to pick up a good cutting disc. To hold the gel filter for the led lamp. I used a transparent 35mm film canister without the cap. I cut a notch halfway along the side from the open end and a large window out of the side. Also, drilled a large hole through the bottom for additional ventilation. Then I glued the gel to the outside curving it around the cut-out window. The notch in the canister slides over the lamp support bracket and keeps the gel nicely in place.

[@CL-bq9ul]

is there anywhere we can watch the short film?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Working on it - will post on this channel.

[@viens6196]

very clever usage of automotive light bulbs. maybe halogen bulb would give better colours because of CRI rating?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

I hadn't really considered a halogen because I was concerned it was too hot, but maybe that's not the case. It's easy enough to try as the bulb just pops in and out. Thanks for watching!

[@pangrac1]

Thank you! Great inspiration for my. 👍🤓

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@friedemannwachsmuth3414]

Which Zacuto Mount is this exactly? Looking great.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

I have it all detailed in the update video. It's the Zacuto Mini DSLR Baseplate - unfortunately they don't sell it anymore, but they do show up on ebay. Thanks for watching!

[@predatoramses]

Is there a possibility that you have where to buy the products?

[@KyleMiko]

Wonderful video! I am building a 35mm scanner and was wondering what is the model of the tripod you were using there? It looks like just what I need!

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Its a Zacuto Mini DSLR Baseplate - discontinued however. I did manage to find one on eBay though!

[@alexinnewwest1860]

That looks very good for super 8 very nice setup What super 8 camera were you using

[@FreshGroundPictures]

It was shot with a Canon 814XLS. Thanks!

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

So why _don't_ Super 8 cameras have a pressure plate there?

[@longfellowdeeds89]

Can i use a Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3K for this?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

There are really 2 camera requirements besides the correct macro lens - the camera needs to have a remote trigger port, and should have the option of taking vhe picture with an electronic shutter rather than the standard mechanical one. You'd have to check this, as I'm not familiar with the G3.

[@ghmh]

motion is seen at 24frames/second, but to avoid flickering frequentie has to up above 60Hz - 3 shutters per frame is to avoid flickering is 72hz

[@colmhiggins6091]

Is there any reason why this method wouldn't work for negatives as well as reversal film? I'm specifically thinking black and white. Obviously you'd have to invert the image in post. I've scanned 120 negs on a flatbed scanner, and they turned out fine, so I can't see why not.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

It should work fine. Color is a bit more tricky - check out the video I did on my Version 2 35mm Color Negative Transfer System. Thanks!

[@colmhiggins6091]

@@FreshGroundPictures Nice one! I'll take a look. Great video by they way.

[@pacowhn4205]

its hard to find canon cine projector c-400 , is any other choice you recommend

[@FreshGroundPictures]

I don't have any one specific projector to recommend, but the basic system could probably be applied to many other projectors. One of the key things is that the film gate is not so far back that the macro lens can't get close enough to it. Old projectors are pretty cheap, so you could get one and experiment.

[@pacowhn4205]

Thanks for your advice 🙏🏻🕺🏻

[@pacowhn4205]

and also , 1000mA 2-30 VDC DC-DC Constant Current Step-Down LED Driver 6-36Vin Wire Style

[@FreshGroundPictures]

@@pacowhn4205 I would think so. I use it to insure that the voltage to the LCD, and hence the brightness frame to frame does not vary significantly.

[@the_jcbone]

5:44 shouldn't they be called bearing balls? Since "ball bearing" is the name for the whole assembly…

[@filippocarlot]

Wow! I would love to do such a thing but I have no idea where to buy those components like the motor and the pulley and the controller for the motor. Also when you buy them are there instructions on how to connect them? Could you give me some links to buy them?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

I have another video called Update 1 on this system where I give details and information on most of the parts. I believe if you take that info and search on Amazon you can find just about everything except the projector. I'd do ebay for an old projector.

[@craigw.scribner6490]

What Super 8 camera(s) did you use to shoot your home movie? A Beaulieu? A Nizo? Just curious, as the image quality is really impressive.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

I used a Canon 814XL-S, with sound recording.

[@craigw.scribner6490]

@@FreshGroundPictures Thanks! I really enjoyed this video and am now a subscriber to your channel. I had a Kodak M12, and then a GAF-ST/802, and shot lots of film which I need to digitize. The Canon 1014XL-S was my "dream camera" back in the seventies. I never got one, but I did find a lightly used Nikon R8 for a good price. I have several dozen rolls of Super 8 film I need to digitize. Your setup is by far the best I've seen and you did an absolutely outstanding job of explaining its setup and construction. Thanks again!

[@mystarstudios]

what is the name of the DSLR mount you used and where did you get it?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

It's a Zacuto Mini DSLR Baseplate - unfortunately discontinued, but you might find one used.

[@shikutokugomesu8201]

And VCR (VHS Film)?

[@daxroman]

When cutting the blades, you must be careful NOT to cut the screws that have the blades on the inside, those are the ones that move the outside blades and this moves the part where the needle head is placed to activate the limit switch. If the screws are cut it will not work well, it already happened to me and now I am looking at alternatives.

[@daxroman]

6:37 in the video.

[@Jammerk40]

How long does it take to do one film reel? It looks like a very long process! Thank you for the informal video!

[@FreshGroundPictures]

It depends on the size of the file recording in the still camera. I usually do about 1-2 frames per second for a 24 megapixel frame. This takes 6-8 hours for 20 minutes of footage. It can be sped up if the camera processes quicker, but I don't push it. I prefer higher quality to quicker transfer time, but I guess that's why I built it in the first place. Thanks for watching!

[@kwameboadiDP]

Amazing. Unfortunately I’m not as mechanical savvy as you seem. Would it be possible to build one for me at a price? 😭

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thanks for the offer, but right now I have way too many projects going on - perhaps in the future...

[@TwoboltsPictures]

Fantastic looking footage!! Great job!! Are you interested in possibly selling your scanner?! Or building one to sell?

What kind of macro lens was used?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

I use a 25mm Laowa Macro lens - not too expensive and very close focus.

[@marcoantoniosalome2365]

Se puede encontrar a la venta todo el sistema?

[@Waadee101]

Awesome 👏

[@augustalan3528]

way cool

[@Jmexis]

You should do a video on how to edit super 8 and 8mm film to enhance quality

[@FreshGroundPictures]

I'm working on an update to the Super 8 scanner video. In addition to supplying more build info, I'm also outlining the post-production process I use on the footage. I think you'll find it interesting.

[@yasumotonoboru]

Is the DSLR on timelapse mode or are you manually taking one picture at a time with the remote?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

The DSLR is triggered automatically by the momentary contact switch added to the projector. It's not on timelapse, but it is using the remote connection in the camera.

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

Of the bulb: "It's way too bright..." Of the LED light: "Very bright..." Uh... uhmmm... OH! Okay... I guess. 😛

[@cinemyscope6630]

Great! Thank you!

[@blamm5348]

Overkill on the stepper motor controller. LOL

[@jarhii]

Very nice! I've been working on a 3d printed solution to scanning 8mm and 16mm film. I've gone through a few iterations (from optical recognition of the sprocket holes to driving a sprocket with a stepper to advance in precise increments). I still don't have registration exactly where I want, but I've gotten it down to fractions of a mm. Still, it needs stabilized in post. As it happens, in the meantime have squired multiple 16mm projectors and I may try modifying one in a similar way. The only downside is I wouldn't be able to overscan unless I modified the gates, too. How stable is the registration from the projector?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

I did a video on my 35mm system using an old arri medical camera - the registration on that is rock solid. Super 8 is another animal though. The system itself is not steady as the "pressure plate" is in the cartridge - a piece of plastic. I was not expecting a lot, even though I think the projector is fairly steady. 16mm cameras and projectors are built to much better tolerances. I have an Elmo sitting on the shelf and I pulled it out the other day to see if I could possibly convert it. I was surprised how well the gate and transport claw was constructed. I think I will try it, as 16mm cameras are mostly too small and expensive to be modified for transfer. Even though it's a bit riskier for the film, I like the idea of mechanically stabilizing the film in a gate with a pressure pad to keep it steady. As long as the projector movement is not worn out, I think the results might be rather good.

[@petepictures]

Well done, indeed.

[@alljerseystudiosnj]

Excellent step-by-step video. Adam Savage (a proud Mythbusters "maker" would be proud of your creation! I'm going to use your concept and many of the parts to create a 16mm version using a "parts only" Bell and Howell 1580 C Filmosound". I already own an excellent condition 16mm Elmo so not concerned about modifying the B&H. Wish me luck.

[@thumperstrauss4431]

Started off thinking maybe I could follow these steps, too, and then the bottom fell out at minute four. The amount of things I don't know is shocking. Hoping someone decides to make these things and sell them on Etsy.

[@cambapintudo]

Good job! I have the same Canon projector..could you do the modification for me? $$$

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

Hmm, I don't think I would trust one of those as-it's-moving systems unless it was up at the rank of the Rank Cintel.

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

LOL, 4K video from Super 8 film? That sounds like overkill because I really don't think the grain count of Super 8 would be enough to match that sort of video resolution. It even begs questioning _standard_ HD. It'd be interesting to see if the way 1920x1080 pixels divide up the comparably very coarse grain of such a small film stock could still produce better results than SD video. Maybe that's debatable but I have a hard time imagining that 4K+ could do any better. Even 35MM film in typical motion orientation just approaches 8K video (33MP), at least based on what I learned in college.

[@pebey]

Your setup seems simpler to make than many I've seen. As soon as someone says the words "Raspberry Pi", I move on. I don't want to destroy a good projector to do this, but I found a very basic Kodak Brownie that will do, and won't be missed if I have to, you know, wreck it. I'd probably not go to the trouble of making fancy brackets to hold things in place, when for instance you can just solder leads onto the LED array, and bent the wires until the lamp's in a good spot. Anyway, I'll give it a try. Your results look darn good. (A lot of people put down the Wolverine machine, and I take it it doesn't handle splices as well as it should - but people complain that it adds "jpeg artifacts" - kids, that's film grain you're looking at. Buncha amateurs!)

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thanks for watching - have a good build!

[@GaryZenkerStoryteller]

Wow, cool although some of it was just over my head

Excellent picture quality, but very annoying stepper motor sound.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

You don't actually need a stepper motor - I chose it because of size, torque and the ability to move slowly without extra gearing that might prevent rotating the motor shaft when not powered. My original 35mm unit used a regular 12 volt drill motor, but there's extra gearing built-in around it to get really slow speeds.

[@Fischergarten]

Incredibile

[@davida5296]

has anyone tried to modify a flatbed scanner, and scan about 17 inches of frames a pass, then use a program to assemble the frames in to an mp4 or whatever? the quality could be much better with a flatbed scanner and at 17 inches of s8 or 16mm, it wouldn't take so long to capture the footage. it would work out to about 25 scans per minute of 16mm

[@theKEB42]

WoW

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

"High quality on a budget." Oh shoot, you missed a perfect opportunity to be a bit contrarian for better effect: "High quality on a _low_ budget," ha! (That's even more accurate, anyway, since just about everything has some kind of budget, even if that's a high one.)

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

"I'm not gonna show that because it's too complicated to explain." Well, why not just show something like that _without_ trying to explain it, and just let us try to figure it out visually, then? No harm in just letting us _see_ something you can't explain the operation of... is there?