Kodak is doing more than making a comeback in 2016, it is also attempting to revive the art of shooting movies on traditional film. The company has announced that it will be introducing a new Super 8 handheld camera that shoots in 8mm film to meet the needs of top directors and film students alike.
The film and camera company is enjoying a small renaissance with the Hollywood directors insisting on shooting their movies on film. This was most recently fueled by Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Quentin Tarantino’s Hateful 8, both of which eschewed digital formats while shooting.
However, Kodak is not saying that it is returning to the old fashioned Super 8 camera with a pistol grip; despite how awesomely retro that would be. Instead, it has hired industrial designer Yves Behar to design a camera that fuses modern technology with the older medium. Kodak’s new Super 8 will be fitted with a digital viewfinder, along with a few other adjustments from the 21st century.
At the moment, Kodak is looking to produce limited quantities of the Super 8 cameras; which will cost somewhere between $400 and $750 (between RM1750 and RM3300). Developing the film will not be cheap either, as Kodak expects it to cost somewhere between $50 and $75 (about RM175 and RM330) per cartridge. Videographers will also have to ship the 8mm cartridge to Kodak for developing, since nobody else does that anymore. Although, the company has promised to send customers digital versions of their work in addition to developing the film.
[Source: Wall Street Journal, Business Wire]
