Super 8 discovered reels - can they be put on DVD?

In message , dave writes

It can be done - at a cost

maybe you could ask the national film archive if they could make a copy on the understanding that they can keep a copy

Could you play them on a cine projector, and record them with a decent digital camcorder, then transfer them to the PC for DVD burning?

It's D-I-Y After all!

Toby...

I've transferred many hours of Super 8 simply by projecting the film onto an small screen and videoing the result with a camcorder. With a little care setting up, results can be excellent. Just look in your local junk shops or eBay for a suitable projector.

I have thought of doing this with the films I have inherited - what sort of size image did you find the best?

Would you think that projection onto A4 paper would be too small?

Toby...

Years ago I bought a little box with a internal semi opaque screen and a couple of windows - one with a simple lens on it. The intention being that you project something in one side, and then photograph or video the result from the 90 degress off axis. I think it had a mirror to reverse the reversal of the rear projection IYSWIM.

So if you have a camcorder (preferably digital) and suitable projector it should be possible.

(you could try videoing a screen projection, but this usually results in a hotspot somewhere on the image, and a slight distortion in the geometry of the image as you can't have both source and recorder in optimum positions).

A4??? Project them the way you would for family viewing and then record them using a camcorder .Might not produce the best results but it's cheap. Try Freecycle for a projector or Ebay .

. and avoid the temptation to chatter whilst doing so unless you want it recorded for posterity!

In message , snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com writes

Yep, have a read of the web pages around on this, generally suggest projecting to an image size of around 4-5 inches. with the camcorder pretty close up.

You can get boxes with a mirror and a frosted glass screen, the projector projects image onto the mirror which reflects it 90 degrees onto the back of the screen, you record using the camcorder from the front of the screen.

There can be issue with differing frame rates and flicker, but I'm guessing these can be fixed in software nowadays.

Keep meaning to try doing this with some of my dads old 8mm movies

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com saying something like:

You'd be right about the results. Utterly horrible and amateurish, is the term you're looking for.

I disagree. Trick is to have both lenses as close together as possible pointing at the screen to minimise distortion due to parallax. Turn out the room lights. It helps if you set the exposure and focus manually.

Jessops do it. They charge by the reel, so it can get expensive if there are lots of bits and pieces

Cardboard box, mirror and greaseproof paper - never tried it myself, but I've heard that it does work.

SteveW