MovieStuff Transfer Machines - Opinions?

[blue demon]

Hello,

I'm wondering if anybody who owns one of these machines has any opinions on it. It appears rather costly considering the components. I can Rank transfer 3 hours worth of footage for the price which may take care of my needs, but I would like to hear some informed opinions on this equipment.

I'm certain Alex has seen some Super 8 transfered with one, do you have any opinions?

It appears to work very well.

[Corey D.]

I bought a second hand one on ebay. The image quality was incredible. I really loved it, but I decided to sell it to buy a Nizo 6080. There was no flicker or anything, and it's great for crystal synch cameras. Pretty much everything it says on the site is true, and it's worth the money. I, at first thought it was a rip off, but after trying to build one myself without any knowledge, skill, or correct parts, I just decided to buy one. My creation was a mess, I still have a GAF projector sitting in a box, in my garage, in 3000 pieces. Anyway, I think they're really cool.

I'm going to have Roger transfer 2 rolls of 8mm for me, I can't wait to see what the Sniper can do. BTW, Roger, I'm not sucking up to you so you won't cut up my film [img]wink.gif[/img] [img]confused.gif[/img]

Corey

[Alex]

You can get Super-8 rank transfers as cheap as $150.00 an hour unsupervised, and $250.00 an hour supervised.

I don't know about the quality of Roger's transfer system, but I do know that there are several non-Roger components that need to be purchased to maximize the effectiveness of Rogers set-up.

You need a Wave-form / Vectorscope, completely controllable video-camera pick-up device, and PROFESSIONAL television monitor that shows underscan and cross-pulse and that has manual override of auto-color and auto-picture circuitry.
Plus a digital video recorder.

Those four essential video items can set one back anywhere from 3,000-10,000 dollars depending on what one purchases.

I would want to get a DSR-45 Digital DV-CAM VCR, that's 4 grand. I'd want a dual Waveform Monitor and Vectorscope that costs anywhere from $800.00 to $2,500, USED! The right televisoin monitor costs $500.00 to $800.00, and the right video camera might cost as little as $600 used to as much as $3,000-$5,000, but beware, you never know what you are buying used.

[jukkasil]

Originally posted by Alex:
I don't know about the quality of Roger's transfer system, but I do know that there are several non-Roger components that need to be purchased to maximize the effectiveness of Rogers set-up.

You need a Wave-form / Vectorscope, completely controllable video-camera pick-up device, and PROFESSIONAL television monitor that shows underscan and cross-pulse and that has manual override of auto-color and auto-picture circuitry.
Plus a digital video recorder ... etc.

<font size="2" face="verdana, sans-serif">What the h e l l you are talking Alex?
personally I don't write about things I don't have any experience, but you allways put these statements (without using for example Workprinter). Your attitude just s u c k s!

I have owned my Wp now 1.5 year, used it about 2000 hours (4 hour a day) so I can say I have experience about using that thing, right?

And the price of WP is very cheap, cause you can get the money back very soon by transfering couple old movie projects (for example for museums etc.) like I did.

All you need to make basically digital transfers with Workprinter is to have one ccd mini-dv camcoder (with firewire connection) + Personal computer (PC or Mac with stop motion capture software), that's it. Of course you can add so much more things like tv monitors etc., but you can make good home-made transfer even with these very basic equipments.

In Finland we have only one rank-company, who are nowadays grazy about this situtiation: WP owners in Finland (= Jukka Sillanpaa and Atte Tenkanen) get all transfer works, cause we are much cheaper and do same quality like they do. The boss of that company even called me about that thing couple months ago.

Just check my transfer service web site, if you want to check some WP mog-files:

http://www.sorb-i-tol.com/transfer8mm.html

[MovieStuff]

Originally posted by Alex:

I don't know about the quality of Roger's transfer system,

<font size="2" face="verdana, sans-serif">No, you don't.

Originally posted by Alex:

You need a Wave-form / Vectorscope, completely controllable video-camera pick-up device, and PROFESSIONAL television monitor that shows underscan and cross-pulse and that has manual override of auto-color and auto-picture circuitry.
Plus a digital video recorder.

<font size="2" face="verdana, sans-serif">No, you don't.

[Alex]

Oh yeah, your transfer is not in real time, so the digital video recorder probably wouldn't be of use.

If you're talking optimizing the quality of the transfer, you'll definitely need the waveform/ vectorscope, the correct monitor, and a camera that lets you adjust black level, ESPECIALLY in the tough to capture 7.5 IRE area.

NO if ands or buts about those three issues. Since many of the prosumer digital cameras artificially create a GREATER contrast ratio than what actually exists, transfering kodachrome 40 using one of these cameras can be a real challenge.

But if you don't own a waveform vectorscope, then this conversation won't make any sense to you.

[blue demon]

Are you sure that is all I need?

What if I bought a second hand Samsung miniDV -for example, they're very cheap - camera and hooked it up to my laptop. And used something as simple as Windows Movie Maker? Surely it would not work with such a simple set up.

[Alex]

I don't know how "simple" Roger's set-up is. However I do know that to get the OPTIMAL quality you need to be able to monitor the contrast values via a waveform vectorscope, AND with a proper professional television monitor.

Most digital cameras create the opposite contrast values to what would optimize a film transfer to video or computer, so unless the camera can be internally tweaked, and then verified via a waveform /vector scope via a professional television monitor, you can do fine work, but you will never know how much better you could have done with those additional tools.

[Alex]

Originally posted by jukkasil:
I tried to edit some of error in writing on my last reply (not mog-file, I meant mpg-file) and the forum software gave me this note:

"FYI
Only administrators or moderators may perform this action"

Alex are you really serious? Is this your point of view how to get more mature conversations to your board? This type of behavior brings me back memories from time when Soviet Union was still alive.

<font size="2" face="verdana, sans-serif">This is now becoming like the typical BS I put up with on Brantley's forum. Cameraguy and Super-8 Boosterchair deleted everyone of their posts on this forum, and so now they ruined the function for everyone else.

[MovieStuff]

Originally posted by Alex:
I don't know how "simple" Roger's set-up is.

<font size="2" face="verdana, sans-serif">No, you don't.

Originally posted by Alex:
If you're talking optimizing the quality of the transfer, you'll definitely need the waveform/vectorscope, the correct monitor, and a camera that lets you adjust black level,ESPECIALLY
in the tough to capture 7.5 IRE area.

<font size="2" face="verdana, sans-serif">Again, no, you don't.

You really need to do more research regarding non-linear edit systems, Alex, before you start making these kind of broad statements. You are trying to compare the operational characteristics and methods of analog recorders to that of digital NLE systems and there are significant differences.

All you need is a decent monitor with good color that you can trust. The computer will provide an underscan image and the NTSC monitor doesn't have to be broadcast and it doesn't have to be underscan and it doesn't have to have cross-pulse capability nor do you need blue-gun nor do you need a waveform monitor or a vector scope. NLE systems will not let you output an illegal signal so, at its most basic, if you like what you see on the output video monitor from the NLE system, then that's how it will look and the tape you produce will be perfectly fine. If your signal is to hot or the black level is too low, the computer will automatically clip the signal and you'll see the results on screen and can correct accordingly. It's just that easy. God, you make it sound like NORAD or something. Go back to school.

Originally posted by Alex:
This is now becoming like the typical BS I put up with on Brantley's forum. Cameraguy and Super-8 Boosterchair deleted everyone of their posts on this forum, and so now they ruined the function for everyone else.

<font size="2" face="verdana, sans-serif">"THEY" ruined the function? Good heavens, what a crock. The degree to which you blame others for your actions is just staggering. "YOU" ruined the function, Alex. Quite a few of us (more than just Cameraguy and S8 Booster) deleted our posts out of PROTEST against how you ran this board and your insufferable attitude. YOU went in a edited our posts by replacing them at your discretion; sometimes in pieces. This was CLEARLY something that we clearly did not want and you defied us and our right to make the statement we intended.

So the edit function is ruined for EVERYONE, is it? YOU reserve the right to edit your own posts as well as anyone else's that you disagree with. What hypocrisy. Figures.