Almost seven years ago, Kodak announced that it would soon be offering a digitally enabled movie camera that shot on good ol' analog Super 8-mm film. Well, it's taken a while, but prospective buyers can now reserve a Kodak Super 8 Camera of their very own.
Long awaited? By who? Super 8 cameras are still readily available. It costs $80-100 for 3 minutes of footage. That’s why no one uses these except YouTubers.
In 10 minutes on kdenlive, I created a template to make any footage look like 8mm. Why would you go through the stress?
Because it’s fun.
The price point for the OP is ridiculous, but a regular Super8 can be a good time. It’s fun to be limited by 50 feet of film and knowing that what you get is what you get. It’s more than just the nostalgia for the 8mm look.
Sure, it’s a lot pricier than just shooting videos on a phone, but that’s kinda how hobbies tend to work.
There have been 3 CGI Trolls movies since the last Miyazaki animated film, why go through all the stress of hand drawing it?
Because it doesn’t look the same and you know it. There’s a reason if they want a film look, big productions still use film instead of a filter in post.
Nostalgists who collect things like typewriters, record players, fountain pens, pinball machines, etc. They like technology that requires human interaction to function. The act of disassembling a fountain pen to clean and fill, then reassembled to use makes them happy.
They are a niche market that likes to interact a with fidgety technology and they actually embrace the quirks of getting it to work properly. The cost isn’t necessarily a prohibition, but serves as a badge of honor amongst their peers of collectors.
Ask someone with a Kiss Pinball machine how much they bought it for. They’ll either brag they spent way too much or they’ll tell you they got it for a song, and had to spend way too much to repair it to this pristine shape. The finding of parts and ability to fix it is part of the appeal.
Think of people who own and showcase Model T cars, it’s the same type.
I own a Williams Indiana Jones pinball machine, so I felt that comment. I agree with most of what you said, but you know what this niche group doesn’t want? LCD screens and HDMI out. Kodak somehow went for the worst of both worlds at a ridiculous price.
If they hit their original target of $1,000 then maaaybe you’d find an audience. It’s still Vision film which has gorgeous color reproduction and organic grain.