Filming super 8mm reels

[Dugal]

I searched around for this and found a little bit on it, but...

I'm using my DVX-100b to film some old family films shot in super 8 by projecting them on the wall and filming with the DVX just underneath the projector. It seems to work fine using progressive scan (24pa) setting, but despite adjusting focus on both the 8mm projector and the DVX, the footage captured onto the DVX is a lot softer than what I'm seeing out of the projector.

I noticed that as long I was shooting progressive, and not at a much faster shutter such as 1/250 or 1/500, I didn't see any shutter line like occurs in interlaced filming.

I'd been shooting in SHUTTER OFF or 1/50. Has anyone done anything like this? Should I try adjusting the shutter speed down to match the frame rate of 18 fps? I think this is what super 8 shoots and projects at.

I know I can have a conversion service do this but the footage is really not that great to make it worth the cost.

Any ideas on how to get this footage a little crisper? Thanks.

 

[Amr Rahmy]

I'm using my DVX-100b to film some old family films shot in super 8 by projecting them on the wall and filming with the DVX just underneath the projector.

do you mean the projector and the dvx are in parallel, and you are recording the wall?
how good and bright is the projector and are you using a white board. at best your going to loose allot of quality and color rendition that way. don't expect more than

can't you do something more in the fashion of scanning the images? either scan the entire movie or go frame by frame.

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

I searched around for this and found a little bit on it, but...

I'm using my DVX-100b to film some old family films shot in super 8 by projecting them on the wall and filming with the DVX just underneath the projector. It seems to work fine using progressive scan (24pa) setting, but despite adjusting focus on both the 8mm projector and the DVX, the footage captured onto the DVX is a lot softer than what I'm seeing out of the projector.

Have you looked at your footage on a Real(tm) TV monitor, rather than the computer?

There may be an issue with the difference between square pixels on the computer, and the rectangular pixels of DV. There could also be contrast issues, as well as 'low light' noise issues.

 

[Tommy K]

You need to get a hold of a "Telecine Box". There are simple converter boxes made just this purpose. The box has a mirror and you play the projected film into one opening and the video camera will pick up the refection off the mirror on another opening. Look on ebay for a 8mm film transfer box.

 

[matt s.]

I just recently tried this and I feel I got good results. I used my HMC150 at 24p with 1/24 shutter speed. I used a new bulb in the projector and also projected on a sheet of paper with a high brightness value i think 92 or 95 not sure. I also projected the image rather small and just zoomed in to fill the screen on the video cam. this gave me a sharper image to shoot.