S8 techguide  - film.project-consultant.net

   S8   = Super8 and the crisp Single-8

I will update this site continously (last modification: aug 16, 2006)

An important question for those who want to make movies with high imagequality.

Which one is the best: old film - or modern digital video?

Comparision of optical capabilities

(real HD cameras with 1/2”sensors and 1920 pixels (vertical) must compare with 16mm film which has (calculated) more than 2400 pixels )

Recommendations for usage of film or video at the end of this page..

Please let me explain in brief the technical background:

Fim in general:

Filmmaterial for photo and cine/movie cameras uses emulsions of chemical materials which are lightsensitive and has to be developed by a chemical process after filming. This emulsion is placed in a sandwich (picture forming layers and filter layers) on the clear acetat (Kodak) or polyester (Fujica) filmbase. Light sensitive materials are made from silver particles.

Black and white film:

The silver particles will be washed out during processing at areas which has got fewer light. Clumbs of this silver particles are called grain. B/W film can have highest sharpness due to finest grain! This is the film for long term archives - 100 years and more are possible if stored well!

Granularity

Actual filmmaterials granularity is nearly the same like humans  vision background noise. You can “view” it in darkness or with closed eyes. The reason for this is neural activity and the granularity of optic nerves at the eyes background. The granularity of films is depending of filmspeed, kind of film (colour or b/w) and also processing.

The granularity of films is not directly comparable to digital pixels. But for modern 35mm colour films we can calculate with a worth of more than:

5000 pixels (vertical) !

The objectives for engineering is to develop higher pixel/sensor density. On the other hand there is the huge amount of data to transfer and to store inside the camera. There are also technical limitations. Therefore compression is absolutely necessary. But compression is allways a loss of informations (dependant of intelligent algorithms)

Video technology is made for home use. DV- Video has vertical pixels around 0.7 k (720 pixel for PAL) and new HD 1.9k (1920 pixels for PAL). For NTSC it is not far from this....

The sensor has only one sensibility (~filmspeed). The cameras amplifier  increases signals from the sensor and the camera can run also in very low light (1 Lux). Unfortunately this increases also free electrons (not light emitted by sensors) which are responsible for visible noise. Also in higher temperatures the sensors and electronics produces  visible noise.

The real sensor sharpness is lower for video (also HD) than for film. The software of the camcorder tries to eliminate this lack by “sharpening”   edges/corners and lines by filling pixels. This gives a “artificial” sharpness feeling to a lot of viewers.  Maybe comparable to music from CD which is not true and seems to be  “artificial clear”.

Movements: Video pictures are seperated horizontical into lines. Every 25 Hz (1Hz=25000 part of a second) one half of the picture (a line followed by a gap) is recorded and presented. After this the other half (gap followed by a line) is recorded or shown. Due to inertia for humans visibility it seems to be one picture!  For analogue movie each frame is a complete picture and will be presented in 18 or 25fps. Fast movements results in slightly flickering. Video film seems to be better , more flowing as 24 fps (or 18 fps) Super8 film, .but with less sharpness! (35 mm analogue moviefilm will also run smooth with 48 fps - every picture is twice on the film - actually this is the best technology!)

Another important lack is shock sensitivity for this kind of video cameras which are made with smallest mechanical parts from plastics and thin plastic-housings!.Nothing for real outdoor or professional usage and long durability..

Conclusion:

1. “Semiprofessional” DV-Video (also HD) is made for TV not for large scale projections - better for projection is Super8 (sometimes used for blowups to 16 or 35mm).
2. Videocams are easy to use and you can view immediately the results....
3. Videostorage is cheaper than Super8 film but has short life expectancy. Durability for analog  b/w film material can reach 100 years and more if stored dry
4. Film has better optical results for true sharpness, contrast ratio (greyscale). colour presentation than video.
5. DV-Video or any other video is dependant of special hardware (DVD-player or computers) which are made for short durability (plastic or cheap electronic parts) and dependant of software and their releases. Maybe after 8-10 years your digital films are lost due to other “standards”.
6. Film is still visible without special tools and knowledge.
7. Durability for old Super8 cameras and projectors is much better. Repairs are often possible.
8. Repairs of modern video (handy)cams are seldom possible due to integrated systems, costs or unavailability of spare parts after 2-3 years.

Recommendation:

for longterm archives, for documentations, for classical and worthfull movies please use analog filmmaterial and store it well  Use digital copies for quick usage....

My comment:

Digital technique is allways cutting, seperating. It has no advantages in the analogue world of light or sound. There is allways a gap and a loss between the cuts  (eg. pixels). Digital technique can not reach or simulate the reality. It is only possible to get closer, nothing else. This is the reason for synthetic, artificial feeling of people watching video or hearing CD´s.

The reason to use digital technique are:

• lower production costs
• shorter developement and lifecycles for products
• easier handling  for consumers

Unfortunately the digital cinema is reality today in hightec countries. Cinema projectors (large beamers) produce only pixel pictures without the reality, colour, sharpness and true movements or panning of fine acetat or polyester film.......You can see the large pixels on the moviescreen now!  But the most people do not know: and realize this facts. This technic is only quick and dirty and some steps backwards to quality of life and observation!

Real analogue cinema and films will be soon an area only for artists. The fast producing movie makers of the movie industry in  Hollywood, China or other industrial countries  tries to force digital technology and will loose quality..........

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