Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop,rec.video.production (More info?)

I've been experimenting with tranferring 8mm film to digital video but find
that the grain of the plastic on the transfer box is visible, which is
annoying to me.

Does anyone know a good place to find material that has a similar
translucence but without the graininess? My plan would be to cut a sheet to
replace the one that's in the transfer device.

Thanks for any input.

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop,rec.video.production (More info?)

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 08:57:48 GMT, "Doc" <docsavage20@Xhotmail.com>
wrote:

>I've been experimenting with tranferring 8mm film to digital video but find
>that the grain of the plastic on the transfer box is visible, which is
>annoying to me.
>
>Does anyone know a good place to find material that has a similar
>translucence but without the graininess? My plan would be to cut a sheet to
>replace the one that's in the transfer device.
>
>Thanks for any input.
>
>

Best results are obtained with a lens system which will give
you an aerial image. Other than that, try to find frosted glass,
which will not show granularity as plastic will. also try installing
some between your lamp and the film to dissipate the hot spot.

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop,rec.video.production (More info?)

foxvideo@wincom.net (Charles E. Fox) wrote in
news:41bed632.3389078@news.wincom.net:

> On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 08:57:48 GMT, "Doc" <docsavage20@Xhotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>>I've been experimenting with tranferring 8mm film to digital video
>>but find that the grain of the plastic on the transfer box is
>>visible, which is annoying to me.
>>
>>Does anyone know a good place to find material that has a similar
>>translucence but without the graininess? My plan would be to cut a
>>sheet to replace the one that's in the transfer device.
>>
>>Thanks for any input.
>>
>>
>
> Best results are obtained with a lens system which will give
> you an aerial image. Other than that, try to find frosted glass,
> which will not show granularity as plastic will. also try
> installing some between your lamp and the film to dissipate the
> hot spot.
>

There is also something called "opal glass". It is commonly found in
slide tables, and it is totally grainless, much less grainy than
even frosted glass. It also used to be used in photoenlargers for a
diffuser between the light and the negative.

The coating on normal opal glass is pretty thick, however, which
might lead to loss of definition. I think it also transmits less
light than you might like (not sure).

Check your local glass store (glazier). They may have something you
can use, even something beyond what is suggested here.

HTH,
Gino

--
Gene E. Bloch (Gino) phone 650.966.8481
Call me letters find me at domain blochg whose dot is com

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop,rec.video.production (More info?)

On 14 Dec 2004, "Doc" <docsavage20@Xhotmail.com> posted to
rec.video.desktop as follows:

> I've been experimenting with tranferring 8mm film to digital video but
> find that the grain of the plastic on the transfer box is visible,
> which is annoying to me.
>
> Does anyone know a good place to find material that has a similar
> translucence but without the graininess? My plan would be to cut a
> sheet to replace the one that's in the transfer device.
>
> Thanks for any input.


I would be interested in knowing what technique you guys are using to
transfer 8mm film to DV.




--
Ruben

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop,rec.video.production (More info?)

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 23:05:16 GMT, Ruben
<psychobuffalo@sillyspamspoiler.gmail.com> wrote:


>I would be interested in knowing what technique you guys are using to
>transfer 8mm film to DV.
>
>
>
>
>--
>Ruben


The basis of my system is a Buhl 573-200 "Mobile Multiplexer"
that I bought about twenty years ago. This is used with a JVC single
chip camera and a variety of projectors for 8, S8, 16m sound and
silent transfers. For more info, or pictures contact me at
foxvideo@wincom.net

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop,rec.video.production (More info?)

"Doc" <docsavage20@Xhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:gWxvd.4574$Yj4.3703@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> I've been experimenting with tranferring 8mm film to digital video but
find
> that the grain of the plastic on the transfer box is visible, which is
> annoying to me.

I finally landed on .020 inch matte white styrene plastic sheeting. Also
tried .010 inch opaque white, which would be a good second choice but
there's a bit more visible irregularity in the material. My assessment is
that the .010 is a little too thin, that the .020 is just right. The only
thing about the styrene is that there are small impurities in the sheeting,
probably wouldn't be particularly noticeable unless the image being
projected is practically all white such as shooting a snowdrift.

Also tried white mylar which while better than the original plastic that
came with the transfer gizmo, still has visible grain and I would rate as a
lesser choice compared to the styrene.

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop,rec.video.production (More info?)

I design and build translucent film, rear projection screens. Perhaps I may
have something that would work for you. Although our screens are made
specifically for the Jackman Media(tm) format for digital video signage,
they work well and can be adapted to several applications.

The thicker the sheet the more defused the image (loss of contrast) on the
viewing side. Glass or plastic substrates will cause other problems, due to
refraction and inner surface reflection. the goal is to find the right
formula of
distance and size of the first projection on thin poly sheet so that the
effect of grain or imperfections won't be noticeable.

If you can send me some specs of the Buhl set up and possibly some pics I'll
see what I have that might work.

Paul


--
Jackman Media(tm) http://www.jacktech.net
"Doc" <docsavage20@Xhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:gWxvd.4574$Yj4.3703@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> I've been experimenting with tranferring 8mm film to digital video but
find
> that the grain of the plastic on the transfer box is visible, which is
> annoying to me.
>
> Does anyone know a good place to find material that has a similar
> translucence but without the graininess? My plan would be to cut a sheet
to
> replace the one that's in the transfer device.
>
> Thanks for any input.
>
>

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop,rec.video.production (More info?)

The best results I got were by projecting onto white paper and shooting with
the camera next to the projector. Only very slight image distortion due to
off axis geometry but easily overcome by slight zooming to exclude the non
rectangularity of the outline.


SSR


"Doc" <docsavage20@Xhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:gWxvd.4574$Yj4.3703@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> I've been experimenting with tranferring 8mm film to digital video but
find
> that the grain of the plastic on the transfer box is visible, which is
> annoying to me.
>
> Does anyone know a good place to find material that has a similar
> translucence but without the graininess? My plan would be to cut a sheet
to
> replace the one that's in the transfer device.
>
> Thanks for any input.
>
>

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop,rec.video.production (More info?)

You could check your local art store. Whatever you find will need to be very
thin. Also check with a local pane glass company and check out the various
frosted materials they have. For a long time I did my transfers in a very
unconventional way. I had tried those little transfer boxes by Ambico, etc.
and like you wasn't really too happy. I then found a Sima device that folded
out and had a surface area for projection that was about the size of an 8x10
photo laid on its' side. I really wasn't happy with that either. Just like
the transfer boxes the image is bounced through a mirror surface and the
image is really not completely rectangular, but a little squatty on one end.
I didn't like that either.

I took the Sima device apart. Well, actually I destroyed it because there
was no other way to get it apart. I then built a little frame for it so it
stood upright by itself. I then built a platform for it, the projector and
the camcorder. I carefully measured the foot spacing of the projector and
then cut matching holes in the platform for them to sit in. At the same time
I had made sure the projector lens remained perpendicular to where I was to
place the screen, which I intended to place in the middle of the platform.

I then carefully measured the distance from a flat table surface to the
center of the projector lens, and did the same with the camcorder. I then
did other measurements of the camcorder bottom surface dimensions. Afterward
I built a little pedestal for the camcorder to sit on so that the center of
its' lens matched the center of the projector lens in height. With a few
last measurements I made sure the camcorder lens would be perpendicular to
the screen as well, and then attached this pedestal to the platform.

With this setup the projector never moved during threading or rewinding. The
screen was also stationary, and the camcorder as well. Without placing a
tape in the camcorder I attached it to the computer with the firewire cable
and opened the capture program. Once I had the projector threaded I would
start the capture and then start the projector - having made sure it was in
focus first. Once the reel was completely done I stopped the capture and
then the projector.

The biggest problem is this system is that the picture is backward. In
Premiere I picked to flip the picture horizontally and did the rest of the
trimming of non-picture frames, adding soundtrack, color correction, etc.
Now I don't know how well this works with a non-real-time editing system, so
I can't say you wouldn't have to render the horizontal flip. The systems I
used for this had the Matrox RT2000 in one and the Canopus DVRexRT in the
other both capable of doing the horizontal flip in real-time.

The platform I built afforded me to be able to get a picture large enough to
get away from being able to see the grain in the plastic screen, but not too
large as to loose picture clarity. The next thing I added that helped to get
rid to the hot spot in the center of the projector lamp was a Neutral
Density filter on the camcorder lens. It's not the best system for doing
transfers but it sure beats that little box thingy.

--
Larry Johnson
Digital Video Solutions
webmaster@digitalvideosolutions.com
http://www.digitalvideosolutions.com
877-227-6281 Toll Free Sales Assistance
386-672-1941 Customer Service
386-672-1907 Technical Support
386-676-1515 Fax


"SR" <sranauta@ab.bluecross.ca> wrote in message
news:IwBDd.3615$06.2129@clgrps12...
> The best results I got were by projecting onto white paper and shooting
with
> the camera next to the projector. Only very slight image distortion due to
> off axis geometry but easily overcome by slight zooming to exclude the non
> rectangularity of the outline.
>
>
> SSR
>
>
> "Doc" <docsavage20@Xhotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:gWxvd.4574$Yj4.3703@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> > I've been experimenting with tranferring 8mm film to digital video but
> find
> > that the grain of the plastic on the transfer box is visible, which is
> > annoying to me.
> >
> > Does anyone know a good place to find material that has a similar
> > translucence but without the graininess? My plan would be to cut a sheet
> to
> > replace the one that's in the transfer device.
> >
> > Thanks for any input.
> >
> >
>
>