Kodak makes a futuristic Super 8 film camera a reality, but will it make you drop $5,000 for it?
(Image credit: Kodak)
If you have been an avid shooter of some of the best cinema cameras on the market, but have always wanted to try out film – and more specifically Super 8 – maybe now is the best time to give it a go. Why? Because Kodak has just announced the launch of an all-new limited-edition Super 8 camera that brings this much-loved movie film stock into the 21st century with digital features never seen before!
With the byline: "Unleash Your Creativity," Kodak is aiming directly at analog shooters, yet providing them with a camera that brings modern tech to this established film format for the first time. Kodak has well and truly designed this camera from the ground up – to the point of tweaking the area of the film exposed!
To see what the brand-new film camera can do, take a look at the reel below:
When I say this is a brand new film camera, I really mean it. Kodak, for the first time in history, made a Super 8mm movie camera for the modern age by incorporating 21st-century comforts to unleash your creative freedom.
Firstly, we have to talk about its 4" LCD screen/viewfinder. Yes, you read that right: this camera comes equipped with a flipout screen which you can now use to compose shots on Super 8, making it easier than ever before. The LCD viewfinder swivels, allowing a wide range of shooting angles and, thanks to its expanded screen, navigating features like aspect ratio overlays, interactive menu selection, and camera settings are intuitive and straightforward.
(Image credit: Kodak)
But an LCD screen isn't all that's new on this Super 8 camera, Kodak has thought about modern framing requirements and has introduced Extended Gate, 16:9 (widescreen) shooting, and increased visual resolution. This new Super 8 Camera's extended gate optimizes the capture area of the film strip – allowing for an 11% larger image than traditional Super 8 cameras offer.
This new 14:9 full-frame image gives your Super 8 film the flexibility to intercut with other modern media capture formats, seamlessly filling the frame of today's TV and video screens. Honestly, we couldn't have of dreamed for a better setup!
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(Image credit: Kodak)
While all this is amazing and makes me want to get out my cheque book right away, there is even more good news when you hear about its connectivity and crystal Sync.
Film shooters are now able to capture high-quality audio seamlessly with an onboard sound recorder and external microphone connectivity via a 3.5 mm input directly to the integrated SD card reader. Audio levels can be monitored with live meters on the built-in LCD, too.
This is also the first modern Super 8 camera with crystal sync at 24 and 25 frames per second, plus over and under crank settings at 18 and 36 FPS, Heck you can even enhance your capture experience with any HDMI-enabled monitor via the micro HDMI output to see your compositions on an even larger screen if so desired, this really is a film camera for the future and I want it!
(Image credit: Kodak)
So what's the catch? Well, this is a limited-edition product from Kodak, a brand that we all know and love. Because of that, it comes at the kind of price designed to stretch the heart and wallet to the limits! The Kodak Super 8 Camera's MSRP is $5,495 USD, or approximately £5k in the UK (equivalent to AU$8,580).
That is a HIGH price to pay when you consider the Kodak Super 8 film scanner is roughly $400 / £400 / AU$625 on its own, which you will need to buy if you want to convert your movies into a digital file to begin the post-production process. Can I see professionals and enthusiasts paying this price for a brand-new Super 8 film camera? Of course I can – and Kodak can too!!
But, really, Kodak? It does seem a lot to ask in my eyes. The whole concept maybe a masterpiece, and if the market wants it and demand is there (and it could definitely have uses in film schools) then I can see Kodak making it slightly more available than its limited-edition status currently.
For nearly two decades Sebastian's work has been published internationally. Originally specializing in Equestrianism, his visuals have been used by the leading names in the equestrian industry such as The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), The Jockey Club, Horse & Hound, and many more for various advertising campaigns, books, and pre/post-event highlights.
He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, holds a Foundation Degree in Equitation Science, and is a Master of Arts in Publishing. He is a member of Nikon NPS and has been a Nikon user since the film days using a Nikon F5 and saw the digital transition with Nikon's D series cameras and is still to this day the youngest member to be elected into BEWA, The British Equestrian Writers' Association.
He is familiar with and shows great interest in street, medium, and large format photography with products by Leica, Phase One, Hasselblad, Alpa, and Sinar. Sebastian has also used many cinema cameras from the likes of Sony, RED, ARRI, and everything in between. He now spends his spare time using his trusted Leica M-E or Leica M2 shooting Street photography or general life as he sees it, usually in Black and White.
