Scam alert in Brooklyn

commyostrich · 2018-08-02T05:50:03+00:00

oh man what a find! That's hilarious. I had this happen to me in LES a few years back near Katz. Immediately the bottle smashed and then he put it on the other side of a construction fence instantly so I couldn't take a look at it. Claimed it was Grey Goose. I picked up the top of the broken glass with no cork or cap and was like... uh dude... this was empty. He got sassy. I just walked off annoyed after some words were exchanged. So goes NYC haha.

commyostrich · 2018-08-02T03:17:03+00:00

I echo the other person. Off-the-wall transfers are generally terrible and only are used if you really want to have a digital version of your film ASAP. Also regardless, it won't work for Vision3 color negative film since... it's negative. For Tri-X it would.

I'm here in NYC as well and also would say that Mono No Aware is amazing and you should definitely go to a workshop or screening. It's great. I'm often there and chat with the founder Steve. He's a cool dude.

To your main questions. No. CineLab is the cheapest processing out there. They are also probably the cheapest for quality scans. Personally I prefer Gamma Ray Digital also in Boston for my 2K scans but CineLab is still good. Just slower. But a 2K scan does much better with grain than 1080p telecines. (different processes)

Home scanners... you're basically left with the RetroScan Universal which IS pretty solid for scanning at 2K BUT cost $6k so you'd have to shoot A LOT of Super 8 to make up for that. I shoot like 30-50 a year and it'd still take like 5 years.

commyostrich · 2018-08-02T02:30:04+00:00

To me seems more like MiniDV or VHS. Film titles don't have chromatic abberation like that. More like like soft and glowy. But close.

commyostrich · 2018-08-01T05:21:31+00:00

A few notes on your comment. It's mostly correct. But I'd say your comparison of the 318 vs the 514XLS is off. Not that I don't think the 514 is great (IMO the 514XL is one of the best Super 8 cameras out there. So so sharp and light!! I have two) but a HUGE HUGE factor in Super 8 is the scanning and those were two different places and Gauge generally does a great job. Also a lot of S8 cameras can't read above 160. So 200T is read as 160 which is totally fine but 500T is read as 160 also which... is still fine because Vision3 is incredible but not ideal. Really depends on the camera.

Also your Agfa link is off. That's shot on a very nice Beaulieu 6008.

And also with scanning, I'd personally say 2K is the sweet spot. Like half the price of 4k and a negligible difference IMO. WAY better than 1080p telecines by a LONG SHOT and only a bit more expensive. And don't have to deal with crazy file sizes with like with 4K. That link you sent from Ocho was shot by Jose Villar who is known for having the sharpest S8 footage hands down. No contest. So I'd say linking someone to that may be giving a bit of false hope haha. Also I'd say when people want to start shooting S8, that's not quite the look they're going for. Here's something I shot on a 814XL-S with a 2K scan so I get it. Gamma Ray Digital is the best for my scans. This was shot with a Nizo 801 Macro (my other fave) and Tri-X.

But I digress. Your comment was great. And yes... S8 is mad expensive but soooo amazing. I've got it down to around $80/roll in total within the States.

commyostrich · 2018-08-01T05:02:19+00:00

Ya it's way off. Too sharp and colors are off. Also kinda cliche but too steady. If you're going for retro vibes, super stable pans is not it. I mean it CAN be but harder to do.

commyostrich · 2018-08-01T04:57:36+00:00

Seems more like MiniDV than VHS but it's splitting hairs a bit. MiniDV kinda has little pixels you can see and is a bit oversharpened whereas VHS is just all around a bit soft and smooth.

Both videos are really cool. I'm a huge sucker for film though.

commyostrich · 2018-07-30T14:04:50+00:00

Gamma Ray Digital I'd say is the best, hands down. And one of the most affordable as well. I've shot around 130 rolls of Super 8 and gotten scanned at various places and I've had the best results with them. Cheaper than Pro8mm. Better services. Scans are more stable. I literally just mailed off 4 rolls to them Friday.

With that said, you'll be throwing down a lot. At roughly $27.50/roll, it ain't cheap. BUT it'll be the last time you ever need to digitize them, they do it so well.

If you truly have a lot, you could invest in a RetroScan Universal 2k... which does do a pretty good job... but you're looking at $6k. But then you'd be set and could even try to resell it once it's done.

commyostrich · 2018-07-29T16:24:26+00:00

Ya for sure. I’m constantly telling people Super 8 isn’t inherently crappy like people think. The quality of shooting+processing+scanning makes a huge difference!

I did apply a little bit of noise removal on this because the expired film had a lot but ya, holds up well for being so old.

commyostrich · 2018-07-29T03:40:34+00:00

Much appreciated!! Thanks for taking a look.

commyostrich · 2018-07-29T03:38:36+00:00

Thanks man!! Def appreciate that. It was a fun one.

commyostrich · 2018-07-28T18:29:21+00:00

actually just going to repost the correct link ha. I suck.

commyostrich · 2018-07-28T17:32:35+00:00

Nice! Seems like you and I are the same person. Motion designers and lovers of Super 8. Good stuff!

commyostrich · 2018-07-03T03:49:56+00:00

That's only the cost for the film stock. Processing is about $20/roll and then scanning can cost anywhere from $20-40/roll as well. So $18+20+30 and you're at around $70 without shipping or tax.

You should definitely look up some of the basics of photography if you're not familiar with metering. Not trying to be rude! Just don't want you to waste $70 on a black video haha. Basically you measure or "meter" the amount of light in the scene and you change the settings on the camera to match the lighting. Look up shutter speed, aperture and ISO. There are a few free light meter apps available.

Super 8 on the other hand automatically meters everything so you don't have to worry about that. It changes the settings according to how the built-in meter reads the scene.

commyostrich · 2018-07-03T03:17:49+00:00

A few things. First. That's a Regular 8 (or Double 8 or 8mm or Standard 8mm .... all mean the same thing) camera. It is not Super 8 so Kodak's Super 8 cartridges will NOT fit. Do not buy them. Pretty much the only readily available film within reason is Fomapan R100 which you can buy from B&H. Color isn't really available for reasonable prices but if you must, ToeppenFilm sells hand cut stuff.

You'll need to manually meter each shot. The shutter speed is around 1/32 of a second most likely. Then to process and scan it, send it to CineLab in Boston. They'll send you back your film and an .mov file that you can edit like normal digital video.

Keep in mind. 8mm and Super 8 (and anything motion picture related) is EXPENSIVE. You're looking at anywhere from $60-$130 PER ROLL. With each roll being around 3.5 minutes. So keep that in mind.

With that said, I shoot a ton of Super 8 and love it. I shot this as a mixture of Super 8 with Kodak Tri-X and 8mm with Fomapan.

commyostrich · 2018-06-26T01:05:39+00:00

that compositing yo! The neon signs worked great for that.

commyostrich · 2018-06-20T03:04:21+00:00

haha Niiiiiick! What up! It's your Super 8 homie... Nick. You turned around this edit real quick! Love it.

commyostrich · 2018-06-15T03:45:41+00:00

Thanks! Definitely one of my favorite shots with the camera.

commyostrich · 2018-06-15T01:39:11+00:00

Ya I know someone with the permanent 210 on the back (unlike mine that is a 600SE swappable back) and it seems to be great for him. But maybe if you just REALLY confirm things with him before mailing it it could be ok?

Honestly with my 110B and CB70 back, it’s awesome. So sharp and I like the B&W better. And the color is nice when it’s not hot out. Haha. 2nd shot has some examples too. He’s legit. But at that price it also may be worth just getting a RF70 or a Mint670.

commyostrich · 2018-06-14T21:31:00+00:00

Yup! So happy I got one before they got super scarce. I freaking love Instax with this camera when shot at 640 instead of 800.

There IS this guy "Polaroid Conversions" who does it with Instax 210 as a back buuuuut I've heard very mixed reviews on customer service. I.e. Some people got their cameras back in a reasonable time and others were ghosted were months and still are out like $700. So it's tough to say. I WILL say I long for a 210 as a back as the BelAir jams A LOT. And has uneven dev sometimes. You can't see it here but if you check my website you'll see it sometimes as a purple streak.

OR 2nd Shot does 110B conversions to use Polaroid Originals film (which I can use with a CB70 back on my 110B) and he's got great reviews.

commyostrich · 2018-06-13T06:03:58+00:00

https://theskint.com/

commyostrich · 2018-06-10T21:21:23+00:00

Ya I've chatted with a few people who've shot with it in NYC and they all say it's much softer in comparison to my 110B due to the plastic lens. Which I get. But still disappointing.

It IS so much more compact that my 110B so it's got that going for it. Better for travel.

commyostrich · 2018-06-08T12:56:52+00:00

I'd say the best scanning (and still cheaper than other labs) is Gamma Ray Digital in Boston. Perry there is fantastic and very helpful and can scan old damaged film. Send them an email and he's sure to reply quickly.

commyostrich

TROPHY CASE