First released by the Eastman Kodak company in the early ‘30’s, 8mm film has always had a special place in the hearts of film-lovers. The idea for 8mm film came during the Great Depression because 16mm film was too expensive for home movies at the time. Kodak decided to take those same lengths of 16mm film and change them up a little bit. And the 8mm was born! But this wasn’t enough; Kodak strived for better film formats and better quality. This generated the Super 8 mm film.The film was well received from home movie makers because Super 8 film was based off a loaded cartridge system rather than an open rolling system. Some criticized the cameras claiming they were cheaper than standard 8 cameras (which was true if you were only looking at cost of production) but not when it came to quality. Super 8 was equal if not better than standard. Both of these formats led to several other branches of 8mm film such as (Fuji film’s) Single 8, and another Kodak creation Straight 8, and later UltraPan 8. Film was later replaced by digital cameras, removing the actual film from the process of filming…

But that ends now! Kodak, the company that started it all, is the only company still producing and selling film, including Super 8. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, Kodak surprised many with a new member of its family: the Super 8 Camera! A new version of its original production, the Super 8 is designed with a retro style. It looks like something out of the sixties with an octogonal body and leather handle. As of now, Kodak will only be producing metal versions of the camera, but will most likely make a plastic bodied camera as the year goes on. I mean, Kodak is all about the consumer. The new camera has been revamped, sporting a removable microphone (once removed revealing a built in audio jack), an SD card port (for storing audio while filming), and a flip out LCD screen to show the user what they are shooting while filming (something the original cameras dreamt of having). With these features, the camera comes with a load of other ports for uploading and editing, such as the built in HDMI port. Not to mention all the accessories that will be later produced as well, such as the leather pistol grip for style and comfort while shooting.

Along with this new camera, Kodak is offering a new service to process and return the film to the customer in a digital and original film format to maintain vintage quality with the option of the modern convenience to ease the showing and editing process. Kodak is also offering four different models of Super 8 film ranging from fine grained film to high speed film for past-paced rolling to suit the various needs of today’s cinematographers. “It’s more than a camera. Kodak is developing new platforms for creativity. Merging analogue magic with digital convenience.”