How to Convert Super 8 Movies to DVDs
Those home movies you shot years ago on Super 8 film equipment are an invaluable look into your family's past. Naturally, you want them preserved for future generations. The question is how they can be transferred from a technology that's bordering on antique to the latest digital media. The answer lies in a piece of equipment known as a telecine. Telecine equipment features a special projector that resolves the differing frame rates between video and film. The result is flicker-free images when recorded on video.
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Instructions
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Purchase a new or used Super 8 telecine. If you have a large library of Super 8 films, this may be more economical than paying a local video production business to do the transfers for you.
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Purchase a video camera that records directly to DVD. Many video cameras allow you to record directly to a recordable DVD disc. Using a DVD camcorder will save considerable time from having to transfer video from another format to DVD.
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Place the telecine on a level surface high enough to project into a tripod-mounted video camera. The telecine will consist of a specially modified Super 8 projector that projects into a mirror that focuses the image on a condenser lens. The lens displays a clear, bright image easily recorded by the video camera.
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Place your tripod-mounted video camera perpendicular to the projector so that it faces the condenser lens. Set up your video camera by projecting a portion of film so you can focus your camera on the image. Make sure the camera is perfectly level to the condenser lens. Use the video camera to zoom in until the projected image fills the viewfinder. Focus as needed to make sure the image is as sharp as possible when recording to DVD.
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Thread your film in the Super 8 telecine projector. Switch the projector into the forward lamp mode.
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Insert a recordable DVD into your camcorder and begin recording on your DVD camcorder.
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Tips & Warnings
Consult a local video production company to see if it offers conversion services. Their cost for performing the transfer from Super 8 to DVD may be less expensive than acquiring your own telecine equipment. On the other hand, the need for Super 8 transfer equipment has declined over the years, so you may be able to locate a used Super 8 telecine for a fraction of the original price.
When using a telecine, the image quality depends largely on your video camera. Invest in a high-quality DVD camcorder to achieve the best results.
Failure to use a telecine projection system will result in images degraded by the constant flicker of mismatched frame rates.
