Photography

Kodak's long-awaited "new" Super 8 film camera finally reaches production

Kodak's long-awaited "new" Super 8 film camera finally reaches production
The Kodak Super 8 Camera – which is available in color choices of black or white – is intended to provide filmmakers with a more accessible means of obtaining the unique look and feel of analog film
The Kodak Super 8 Camera – which is available in color choices of black or white – is intended to provide filmmakers with a more accessible means of obtaining the unique look and feel of analog film
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The Kodak Super 8 Camera – which is available in color choices of black or white – is intended to provide filmmakers with a more accessible means of obtaining the unique look and feel of analog film
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The Kodak Super 8 Camera – which is available in color choices of black or white – is intended to provide filmmakers with a more accessible means of obtaining the unique look and feel of analog film
The camera comes standard with a detachable wide-angle 6mm 1:1.2 C-mount lens – other C-mount lenses can be swapped in as desired
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The camera comes standard with a detachable wide-angle 6mm 1:1.2 C-mount lens – other C-mount lenses can be swapped in as desired
Users can choose between multiple color negative and reversal film stocks – Kodak was originally planning to convert users' analog footage to digital format for them, but we're currently waiting to hear back as to whether or not that's still the case
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Users can choose between multiple color negative and reversal film stocks – Kodak was originally planning to convert users' analog footage to digital format for them, but we're currently waiting to hear back as to whether or not that's still the case
The complete Kodak Super 8 Camera package
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The complete Kodak Super 8 Camera package
The camera shoots at frame rates of 18, 24, 25 and 36 FPS – there's no word on battery life
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The camera shoots at frame rates of 18, 24, 25 and 36 FPS – there's no word on battery life
View gallery - 5 images

Almost seven years ago, Kodak announced that it would soon be offering a digitally enabled movie camera that shot on good ol' analog Super 8-mm film. Well, it's taken a while, but prospective buyers can now reserve a Kodak Super 8 Camera of their very own.

A prototype version of the aluminum-bodied camera was first unveiled at CES back in January of 2016. At the time, it was touted as being Kodak's first new Super 8 camera in over 30 years. The company stated that it would likely be available by the end of the year … which turned out not to be the case.

"Initial announcement of the Kodak Super 8 Camera garnered even more interest and excitement than anticipated, requiring a pivot to identify the right development and manufacturing partners to scale the camera," Eastman Kodak's Director of Worldwide Communications, Kurt Jaeckel, told us.

"Then, amidst the global pandemic, Kodak had to pause the camera program. Kodak has remained committed to delivering a new camera to our dedicated customers, ultimately bringing its manufacture in-house."

Users can choose between multiple color negative and reversal film stocks – Kodak was originally planning to convert users' analog footage to digital format for them, but we're currently waiting to hear back as to whether or not that's still the case
Users can choose between multiple color negative and reversal film stocks – Kodak was originally planning to convert users' analog footage to digital format for them, but we're currently waiting to hear back as to whether or not that's still the case

The resulting commercial version of the camera is much like the prototype, in that it records on traditional-style cartridges that each hold 50 ft (15 m) of celluloid analog film – enough for about three minutes of footage – but it also features a new-fangled flip-out touchscreen LCD viewfinder. Besides being utilized to line up shots, that 4-inch screen also allows users to overlay different aspect ratios, view integrated light meter readings, adjust camera settings via onscreen menus, and monitor audio levels.

Speaking of which, audio is recorded separately on a user-supplied SD card, via a third-party hard-wired external microphone. Once the film footage has been processed and converted to digital video format, it can be synced with the audio in the editing process.

The camera shoots at frame rates of 18, 24, 25 and 36 FPS – there's no word on battery life
The camera shoots at frame rates of 18, 24, 25 and 36 FPS – there's no word on battery life

Included with the Super 8 Camera is a detachable wide-angle 6-mm 1:1.2 C-mount lens – other C-mount lenses can be swapped in as desired.

As an added bonus, the camera's extended film gate allows for a frame that is 11% larger than those of old-school Super 8 cameras. This means that users can choose to shoot at a 16:9 aspect ratio, so their shots will be the same size as those recorded by modern HD digital video cameras. And thanks to an onboard HDMI port, shots can be viewed on a connected monitor – along with on the LCD viewfinder.

One big thing that has changed since 2016 is pricing. Whereas the camera was originally planned to sell for about US$1,000 (with a lower-priced $400 to $700 version to follow), it will now set you back $5,495. That price does include a foam-padded Pelican carrying case, a detachable pistol grip with a trigger, and one cartridge of Kodak Tri-X black and white reversal film.

The complete Kodak Super 8 Camera package
The complete Kodak Super 8 Camera package

Should you still be interested, you can reserve a package for yourself via the product website. A report on The Verge states that the camera should go on sale in the US – in limited quantities – as of Dec. 4th.

You can see footage shot with the Kodak Super 8 Camera, in the video below.

KODAK Super 8 Camera Sizzle Reel 2023

Source: Kodak via The Verge

View gallery - 5 images
5 comments
5 comments
Tristan P
US$5,495.... yikes! I could buy a Leica for that, which is hand built in Germany. I wonder where the new Kodak 8mm is made?
EUbrainwashing
Why?
mediabeing
I doubt this is going to go well. Film requires that one wait for the film processing. Is Kodak really going to try to reinvigorate the home film processing market? Probably not. Which is going to be more durable, a video or film camera? I would bet on the video camera.
The delay between shooting and viewing is now a major deal breaker...unless the film camera can somehow do something a digital camera can't...like operate without electric power. I doubt Kodak is prepared to go into wind up film cameras.
Karmudjun
The cost of nostalgia! A bit steep, eh?
Is that what Kodak's current business model is betting on?
TonyK
Been there, done that. Kodak lost out big time in many years ago, if they only got their act together then when Kodak Park was a world class masterpiece. Now they want to go back in time? That clip of 8mm film didn't show me anything. Guess they haven't learned their lesson yet.