Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Film Transfer / Camera Question

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Topic: Film Transfer / Camera Question

Frank Angel
Film God

Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 02-28-2005 07:48 AM

I have been slowly transfering some vintage 16mm and 8mm film to DVD. At first I was using a fairly high end (for the comsumer market) Panasonic Digital Camcorder looking at a multiplex box with the projector on the other end and then playing back the tape into the computer hard drive. This by means of analog video out from the camcorder. I edit in the computer and then burning DVDs.

Problem is, the camcorder died. While waiting for it to get repaired -- a process that can take months I am told -- I decided that I might try using a still camera. I have a Sony 8 megapixal camera that has a video out. I haven;t tried it yet, but unless I am missing something here, like resolution issues, is there any reason that I cannot use the still camera as the source, looking at the multiplexer?

I guess what I really want to know is, since the camcorder and the camera don't use the same resolution specs, megapixels vs. who knows what (all the camcorder manual says it that that it puts out an EIA standard NTSC signal). The still camera also puts out an analog NTSC signal too, but which will give me better resolution, if that can be determined without more information (how do they usually state resolution for digital camcorders anyway?).

I guess I can just set it up and see what it looks like. But if anyone can think of any reason why this won't work, please let me know. Aligning a projector/multiplexer/camera is one royal bitch.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 02-28-2005 10:12 AM

There could be frame rate / capture rate issues between the two that could lead to flicker or bars during the transfer.

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 02-28-2005 10:28 AM

The Moviestuff small gauge transfer system works on exactly this principle, but in this case the camera is linked to a PC, not a VTR. A special lead links the projector to the PC's mouse input, and using the stop-motion capture feature in an editing program (e.g. Premiere) advances frames at 6fps and captures them individually. Because the transfer speed is so slow this system is incredibly gentle to shrunken or brittle elements.

To do this manually using a still camera should be possible, but might end up being rather laborious. Alternatively you could build your own telecine out of a flatbed scanner!

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Wayne Keyser
Master Film Handler

Posts: 272
From: Arlington, Virginia, USA
Registered: May 2004

posted 02-28-2005 04:20 PM

The name's funny, but you get answers from the working pro's here:

www.creativecow.net

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