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Hello, sorry to be an annoying newbie asking dumb questions but I've recently decided to get back into super 8 recording after finding the old family camera in the attic. I seem to remember having to send the films off to get developed/processed after shooting, is this correct?
You can't just finish filming and put it straight on the projector to watch can you?
Also, where do you send them nowadays to get them developed/processed?
Any help?
Thankyou
I see that no one has addressed your questions. I don't think you are being purposely ignored, but you are asking very general questions that you can probably find answers to by reading and searching this forum. It's not that people are unwilling to help, but more specific questions are easier to answer. I'll take a shot at some general guidance to get you going, though.
You gotta have the film developed, and you need a projector and a screen to view your films. Obtain a working camera, buy film, shoot it, get it developed (you can do B&W yourself, if you are sufficiently motivated), find a working projector and a screen, and project it. That's the basics.
Super 8 cameras and projectors are no longer manufactured, but they are available on Ebay and a few other places. Many that are sold on Ebay are in poor repair. Caveat emptor. If you are willing to spend more, you can search the web for other sources. There are a number of people who fix and sell old equipment. More expensive than Ebay, usually, but also more reliable.
The easiest and one of the best color films to use, especially for projection, is Kodachrome K40. There are a few other color stocks available, but K40 is what I'd recommend you use if you want to shoot color, as most people do.
You can buy it from Kodak with or without prepaid processing mailers. If you go the prepaid route, you'll send your film to Kodak in Fair Lawn New Jersey, but it'll end up being developed in Switzerland. Or, you can buy without the prepaid mailer and send it to Dwayne's in Kansas where processing is about $9.00 per roll. Ouch. The Kodak prepaid route is definitely cheaper. You can also take K40 to Wal-Mart, if you can get the people at the photo counter to even understand what it is you have. They aren't used to dealing with movie film anymore, and many of them weren't even born when shooting home movies with Super 8 cameras went largely out of vogue. I think they send it to Dwayne's but they get a price break, so you do too.
Filming is considerably more expensive than recording to a camcorder. How does Kodachrome K40, 2 minutes and 30 seconds at 24fps or 3 minutes 20 seconds at 18fps sit with you when the cost of film and processing per cartridge amounts to around $14.50, and it may take two weeks to a month to get you film back from the processor? Or, black and white film for around $10 or $11 per cartridge, not counting processing? (I do my own B&W developing, so I'm not sure what the customary cost of processing is.)
On the other hand, filming with 8mm or Super 8 is a lot more economical than 16mm. Film has a look that can't be duplicated with video recording, and to top it all off, it's fun. You'll probably shoot a lot less film than you would video, but once you get the hang of it, you'll likely find it a lot more satisfying.
If you are really interested, spend a little time reading on this forum, and most of your initial question will probably be answered. Then, you'll be able to ask more specific and targetted questions, and my guess is that you'll get better response than you did on this question.
Have fun.
I've recently decided to get back into super 8 recording after finding the old family camera in the attic.
If you're planning on using that old camera.First you need to figure out what format it is.Super 8 or regular 8mm.Both films are expensive to shoot on and process.
You could still use it though,if you happen to just like the look as opposed to the look of videotape.You could forgo the projector if you like and have your films transferred to tape or DVD.