[dietrichepp]

I see USB and... SD card slot on the back? HDMI and... 3.5mm audio?

One of the most characteristic features of Super 8, at least to me, is the complete lack of audio (at least, on most Super 8 works). So if you went to a theater to see something on Super 8 there might be a live band playing the soundtrack.

I wonder if Kodak is doing something like putting audio on the SD card and then storing digital synchronization marks on the film somehow.

Edit: To be clear, I know you can already put audio on Super 8. It's just that most Super 8 films I've seen in the theater have had no audio or live audio. And yes, I looked at the specs. The specs don't mention anything at all, but the product rendering appears to show jacks for audio and data, and I'm wondering how that's incorporated.

[Aloha]

Super 8 was designed for magnetic sound from the start.

I suspect this would allow you to record digitally at the same time you were exposing film perhaps, or even use it as a digital video camera without film.

I'm excited, I want one.

[chiph]

Growing up, my Dad shot on Super 8. And it had no audio - the camera had C-sized cells that only ran the film motor. I see from Wikipedia that cameras with audio capability were added in 1973, so it may be that Dad's camera predated that.

At 24 fps, with each frame being 4.01mm tall, means 96.24mm (3.7 inches) per second of magnetic stripes (there are two, presumably for left + right channels). This is roughly twice the speed that cassette tapes used (1-7/8" per second). Their announcement doesn't say if there's any audio compression/encoding used, but I used to use a dbx compression/expansion box to lower the noise floor on cassettes with very good results.

One of the nice things about Super 8 was how easy it was to edit. You used a cutting station that had pegs to ensure your cuts were between frames, and glued them together after scraping off a little bit of emulsion. Adding audio complicates matters, as the audio track is offset from the matching frame by about 3 inches.

[ghaff]

Super 8 film could have an oxide strip for magnetic sound.

[dietrichepp]

Right, but most Super 8 works don't have sound.

[madaxe_again]

Never mind audio, this is, sadly, proprietary bullshit, and has been since the 60's. "Super 8 film cartridge" - what? I'd be far more interested if they were just doing reeled 8mm with development services - I have a perfectly serviceable 1930's 8mm that I haven't been able to find film for (well, at any sensible price) for twenty years. I'd love to be able to shoot with it again.

[dietrichepp]

What kind of 8mm film does it take? I don't think I've seen anything but Super 8 for ages.

I know some 8mm cameras can take standard 16mm film that's been cut in half.

[madaxe_again]

Standard 8 - they made it from '32 to'92. Camera is a kodak, from '32, model 20, in the family since it was new. It is beautifully engineered.

[ghaff]

Kodak once made some really nice cameras. My dad has a Kodak Retina IIIC which he used for many years before giving it to me, and I used it until the late 70s when some of its mechanisms finally just wore out.

[johansch]

You're just imagining what the product could be like instead of reading the actual product/specs page? That's an interesting approach, but should probably label your fantasies accordingly.

http://www.kodak.com/ek/US/en/consumer/Product/Product_Specs...

"FILM GAUGE: SUPER 8 ( EXTENDED MAX-8 GATE )

FILM LOAD: KODAK CARTRIDGES WITH 50 FT (15 M)

SPEED: VARIABLE SPEEDS (9, 12, 18, 24, 25 FPS) ALL WITH CRYSTAL SYNC

LENS MOUNT: C-MOUNT

FOCAL LENGTH: FIXED / 6 MM, 1:1.2 – RICOH LENS (OPTIONAL ZOOM 6-48 MM LENS )

FOCUS / APERTURE: MANUAL FOCUS & IRIS"

etc.

[dietrichepp]

I did read the specs, and they don't answer any of my questions. This comment fails to give me any new information and instead just makes me feel bad, so, congratulations, if that was your goal.

[purpled_haze]

Description of crystal sync here: http://www.tobincinemasystems.com/index_files/Page269.htm

"a camera's running speed is locked to the digitally divided oscillations of a quartz crystal, with an accuracy of a few parts per million. The function of the pilot cable was to feed a representation of the camera's speed to the recorder. Since with crystal control that speed is precisely known, the cable can be replaced by a similarly accurate crystal generator mounted in the audio recorder. This eliminates any connection between camera and recorder, but permits them to stay in sync with each other. A pilot signal is recorded as above, but it comes from the built-in crystal instead of the camera. The resulting tape is resolved to mag film just the same as a pilot tape. You still need a clapper board for a start mark."

So, it doesn't actually record the sound, but it is capable of being sync'd to the recording of the sound.