[clanline]

Hello,

I have fired up the family 8mm cine projector (Bell & Howell 1956 vintage) and am trying to video family films to put on DVD before the film falls to bits!

I have the video camera about 2 metres from the screen and have used the zoom to fill the frame (Panasonic NV DA1B, old but OK!) but the results when recorded on my DVD recorder( Panasonic DMR EX77) although watchable are darker than the cine image and twilight scenes almost completely black.

I had the camera set to AUTO.


I know there are firms that convert but the prices are way above what we would like to spend.

Can anyone suggest how I can record a better picture or raise the light level?


Thanks.

Brian

[Roland @ B4]

have look see if the camera has a backlight button.
If not you may have to do some playing with the video settings in the menu

[oldun]

Hi,
I bought a converter on ebay, on which the projected image is focused on a ground glass screen and the camcorder merely records off that. A mirror inside keeps the image the right way round.
I've tried it on some old 8mm movies from the 1950's but the camcorder i used then was a fairly old Panasonic with a viewfinder, and it was difficult to get the image centered. later this winter, I will be using my Panasonic HDC-SD9, so I expect the set up will be easier with the swing out monitor.
If you would like details of the unit, let me know.

Oldun

[Richard Jones]

Hi,

You might be interested in reading the thread at:-

Cine Film to DVD.

I'm afraid some quality loss is inevitable even when using one of the mirror converters referred to - and this will be true even if you are able to match the frame rates between the projector and the video camera.

It's the old story - you get what you pay for and the best copies come from those professional copying services which "scan" frame by frame.

Good Luck.

Richard

[lwalker]

thanks Richard,
is there a way to do this professional frame by frame at home?
So at this time the best I can do is:
show the super 8 movies on a screen and then take a camcorder and record what I see on the screen?
Is this correct
thank you
lwalker

[springgranddad4]

Hello. I too have an interest in this and, apart from a lot of flicker, one of the problems I never really got around was recording the racket of the original film transporter

[Boostrail]

Originally Posted by springgranddad4

Hello. I too have an interest in this and, apart from a lot of flicker, one of the problems I never really got around was recording the racket of the original film transporter

Use a basic editor and reduce the sound track volume to zero. Also i\\\\i did not seem to suffer from flicker - I appreciate surprising as the film is shot/replayed at 18Fps

[Boostrail]

Coincidentally we seem to have 2 virtually identical threads concerning a very similar subject.

Please see my post #8 in theother thread

[chrishull3]

Originally Posted by lwalker

thanks Richard,
is there a way to do this professional frame by frame at home?
So at this time the best I can do is:
show the super 8 movies on a screen and then take a camcorder and record what I see on the screen?
Is this correct
thank you
lwalker

This thread should be put with the other as they cover the same topic,in answer to to that question i would say if you want to to do a frame by frame scan you will need to win the lottery to afford the equipment.

[springgranddad4]

Thanks for your comment, BOOTSRAIL. I think the problem was that the film I was working with had a sound stripe on it, and thus its own sound track. I tried all sorts of things like sound proof boxes enclosing both player and recorder. Improved but not brilliant!