Kodak Super8 Camera
21 Nov 2023
The time has finally come. Kodak will start selling their own designed super8 film camera. I think the last new super8 camera saw the light of day more than 30 years ago, so we can easily call this a milestone in super8 film history.
Hurray for the Kodak team that they pulled this off. It was first announced in January 2016. So what a great achievement that Kodak has finally produced this new super8 film camera. I am deeply touched by their effort to keep super8 alive.
Forget the high price, forget the long wait. Let us all celebrate that super8 is here to stay people!
The camera has a lot of new features such as a 4″ LCD viewfinder, it can record sound and you can set the right film sensitivity through a menu. Furthermore, you can use other c-mount lenses, which is special because most super8 cameras have a lens bolted to the body.
The standard super8 aspect ratio is 4:3 and by embodying the full-width film, an aspect ratio of 14:9 is created, according to Kodak.
Finally, I mention the crystal-sync feature, which means you can film at exactly 25 frames per second which allows you to stay in sync even with externally recorded sound. This is a great feature for when recording dialogues or making music videos. More technical details can be found on the new Wiki-page.
If you want to buy it you must sign up again for the newsletter. It is first only sold in the USA. For example here. Read more info about this fantastic camera on the Kodak page.
Opinion
I also want to take a moment here to share my opinion on this camera. When it was announced in 2016, I was very sceptical and thought it would never actually go on sale. The price went up every 2 years from €400 – €700 to €2500 – €300. Now that Kodak has pulled it off I am more than happy, even though the price is now €6000. Because Kodak doesn’t do something like this just like that. It shows that it is still possible to build a super8 camera in the 21st century. Technically, it is in fact very difficult, I know as an ex mechanical engineer. I expect they are never going to recoup the investment, and that to me is proof that they have persevered to demonstrate their faith in film as medium. Kudos to Kodak for drawing attention to the finest film format there is for more than 55 years; super8.
I see this camera as a separate and special product. This camera is unique and cannot be compared to anything else. I know you can buy a lot of other equipment for €6000, but that’s not the point. I would buy this camera because I want to shoot super8 films, and nothing else. Also, I precisely want this camera because I want technical support and service for my beloved super8 camera. Unfortunately, the purchase price is unattainable for me, but if I had money I would consider it.
You won’t hear me say that this is a ridiculous project, or that you have to be an idiot to buy this camera. We now have a choice to buy and use a new super8 camera. That is historic and I celebrate that fact.