Kodak Super 8 Camera Resurrects Retro Film Favorite
Kodak is about to bring back a classic with a new Super 8 camera. The company introduced the concept years ago, eventually showing off a retro-styled Super 8 camera with some modern twists. Among other things, this Super 8 camera (it's not clear what the final product will be called) packs modern tech, including a display through which the operator can view the scene and access the settings menu.
Kodak first introduced its Super 8 film back in 1965, positioning it as a better alternative to ordinary 8mm film, offering a larger exposure area, among other things. The format became a favorite among home and amateur film photographers, but soon fell into obscurity. That changed, sort of, in 2016 when Kodak announced plans to create a new Super 8 camera based on classic models, but with some modern updates for a modern world.
The camera still hasn't been released, and Kodak hasn't said when that will happen aside from being scheduled for some time this year. The company has in recent times revealed that the price will be much higher than first stated, hitting somewhere between the $2500 and $3000 mark. Assuming you're willing to spend that much for what amounts to a nostalgic home film camera, you'll get some neat features.
The new Kodak Super 8 camera has a display that flips out on a hinge, as with modern camcorders, though it is fairly limited due to this being a film camera. The display shows a live preview of the image you're shooting, and also provides access to the camera's settings via a physical control dial. This includes choosing the frame rate.
The camera also packs some modern ports, including an SD card slot via which the audio is stored. The camera utilizes an 8mm film cartridge, which Kodak will directly develop for its customers once they finish one. The resulting footage is digitized by Kodak, which uploads it to a secure site through which the customer can download it.
What will the footage look like? That's what Kodak has revealed in recent days. The company has published a video showing sample footage recorded with the new Super 8 camera, and it is every bit as retro, fuzzy, and fun as we'd hoped. Check it out in the video above!