Super 8 or MiniDV?

Ok, I am about to embark on my first attempts at shorts and the process of really learning. I have an older Sony Hi8 camcorder but I have been also thinking of other cameras.

I have been looking at Super8 cameras on Ebay and checking the local flea markets and such for them in the area. But I am wondering if MiniDV would be the way to go. I dont have a huge amount of cash to spend but 3 or 400 dollars can be workable. The thing is, some of the better Super8's on the Ebay auctions can reach that price too.

That said, I am soliciting your thinking on whether to go Super8 or MiniDV. I cannot afford a DVX or anything like that yet so I'm wondering if there would really be a difference.

Well, I've blabbed enough. Any insight would be very appreciated. And as usual, thank you in advance for helping the severe newbie. :lol:
 
Depends on if you want to shoot film or video. With super-8 you will definitely get that film experience. There is no instant gratification - you won't know what the film looks like until you get it back from the lab. You will be more conservative since it costs more. And of course, it will look like film - because it's film :)

Super-8 rocks.
 
For your first time out, I'd go with waht you've got.

Yes, see the ARTICLES SECTION for "Steps" and see if any of the info (Super 8 is mentioned prominently) helps you make a choice.
 
Ok prolly a stupid question here. I have an older sony Hi8 camcorder. If I were to shoot anything on this, is there a way to even edit it at all? The only connection jacks it has are the two RCA sound and video jacks and an RFU connector jack.

Also, I'm looking for an article or tutorial that explains the VERY BASICS of sound recording on a separate device. Things like what recording devices to use, how to dub it and sync it to your video and such. Anyone have a link to a good newbie sound write-up?


Thanks again all.
 
First off, what you have is an 8mm vieo camera, not Hi8. Hi8 has red, wehite and yellow RCA cjakcs (meaning stereo sound), and yours has mono sound, so it's only an 8mm video camera.

YES, you can still connect and edit with it. If you borrow a DIGITAL 8 sony camcroder, you can even capture firewire (although you cannot preserve timecode or do batch captures). IF not, a cheap analog video capture device is your way INTO the non linear comptuer. Another alternative is borrwing a miniDV camcorder that has a line in and plug your camcorder into their camcorder that's firewire into the PC (like the Canon ZR series).

I often use a camcorder to record my audio when shooting on film. If you're shooting on video, don't get the audio seperate. record it on the same device, just use an external microphone. Why create a synch audio step when you don't have to?
 
Thanks Boo.

I didnt plan on recording the sound separate while shooting video. I just want to learn the basics of how it's done as I am clueless to the whole process. I was going to look for a reasonably priced mic to plug into the external jack and go that route tho.

In the near future I will probably go the miniDV route. That way I can use my computer fairly easily for the post production stuff.

Thanks much for all the info on all this. Time to get busy!
 
I bought a Canon ZR40 just to use as a VCR. It was $300 new from Broadway Photo and it does anolog line in, and even "thru", meaning I can capture to the harddrive from any analog source THROUGH that camera to the hard drive without recording to DV tape.

As for the process of synching - use a "slate", or in lieu of that - have an actor CLAP their hands. On the timeline, you can line up the frame where the hand or the slate closes to the visual on the tiemline of your audio track where the "spike", or soundwave of the clap is.

BEWARE - if the camera is not "crystal synch", meaning running at EXACTLY 24 frames per second, theaudio will drift, meaning loose it's synch every few seconds or so.
 
Really?!??

because I started on digital, then went to film, and I go back & forth all the time... So I tried that, and your theorum didn't work!

Make up your OWN mind. Everyone has opinions and not all of them are right for you. Let the story & your budget dictate what format you shoot on.
 
Back
Top