A Good MiniDV Camera for Super 8 Transfer?

[Guest]

Hi Everyone.

I'm thinking about buying a MiniDV camera, and as someone who shooots on super 8, one of the uses for the camera would be to transfer film from my projector to video. The 3-CCD cameras are out of my price range, so I think I'd be looking for one of the single-CCD models. Ideally, I would be looking for a camera that allows manual focus, aperture, and white balance. Also, I was looking at MiniDV cameras the other day, and I noticed that many of them offer a number of manual shutter speed settings. Has anyone experimented with the various shutter speed settings that are on many MiniDV cameras, and if so, are they potentially useful for shooting projected super 8 film? Anyway, I would appreciate any comments or reccomendations for a MiniDV camera that performs well for capturing super 8 projections.

Thanks!

[wahiba]

I cannot reply regarding digital cameras, but as for shutter speeds. These are adjustable on my Canon Hi-8, as well as automatic.

The slowest speed, manually is 1/50 second. If I set it manually to higher speed such as 1/100 while filming projection I get instant flicker. when I leave it on automatic there does not seem to be any flicker.

Now I am assuming the camera is automatically setting the shutte speed at around 1/50 scond as this matches a projection speed between 16 - 18 fps with a three bladed shutter.

As for filming off a screen. This works better than a back projection system. I know there are much better systems, but the lottery tickets are still duds.

I just sit the camera beside the projector and project onto a sheet of paper about 2 to 3 feet away. One problem I have ncountered is a bright spot from the projector bulb. One way to overcome this is to place a speck of paper on the projection lense, and on my last outing this is what I was going to do. However this time the problem did not present itself and I wondered why?

This time I had the camera and projector on a table, rather than on a bench. this meant I could get around the back and align them more accurately with the screen. This means they both point at an angle at the screen. The very slightly distorted image is cancelled out as both are at an angle. But it seems the light spot is negated by this anglular set up and being able to set it up along the line of projection means it is more accurate than when I did it from the side.

So far this is unconfirmed, but on my next session I intend to experiment with diffrent angles.

[Dave Anderson]

Most all single chip miniDV cameras do not have a shutter speed slower than 1/60. You need to shoot at 1/30 in order to eliminate the flicker. However, that speed tends to soften the image. The best solution on a budget, is to get a good used projector that has variable speed control. This way you can 'dial out' the flicker using the projector and leave the camera at 1/60 sec.

Dave Anderson

[Guest]

you will also need a manual white balance setting on the camera aswell....

[Guest]

ignore previous message,i didnt read the first page properly.
Go for a sony,canon or panasonic cam,make sure the cam also has a microphone input socket...if your in the uk look thru the camcorder user magazine,you can find some good prices...