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At CES 2016, Kodak unveiled their new hybrid camera that records video on traditional 8 mm film and audio via a digital mic. We got to see it again this year at CES 2017. Its called the Kodak super 8 camera and it has got a lot of people going crazy about it. Im no fan of traditional filmmaking, but even Im looking forward to see this one in the market. Lets have a look why.

The super 8 camera is amazingly built. The body and lens housing are made of solid metal and feel excellent. Whats interesting is that, instead of a traditional viewfinder, theres a display on this camera. Even though you are recording video onto a film, youre getting a preview through the sensors, on a screen, just like regular digital cameras. Theres a dial on the same side as the fold open display, that can control different settings and modes. Theres a top handle, as well as that traditional pistol grip add-on available! Theyre gonna hit the sweet spot in memory land for some people?.

The audio, like I said is recorded digitally. Theres a 3.5 mm audio port that can take any sort of external mic you have, and record audio onto an SD card in the camera. This was a missing feature from all retro cameras, as recording audio was a difficult thing back then. Now you kinda get the simplicity of this digital age with the taste of some classics.

There are plenty of ports too. On the back of the camera, youll find a full USB type A port, an HDMI port, and also 2 aux ports?. On the right side, theres a sliding panel which reveals the slot to insert the film. Kodak are selling the film themselves and each film cartridge is about 50 feet long. It can record up to 3 minutes. This really gets you thinking, what to record and what not to. You dont have a lot to waste and this automatically improves the quality of the stuff youd want to record. 

Of course, you can adjust the framerates to 18, 24 or 36 fps. But theres a special benefit with these generic 8 mm film cartridges. You dont have to process them yourself!

Thats right, Kodak will do it for you. You can ship them your film and theyll send back a digitized 4K version of it as well as the final processed film. Thats pretty cool, right?! Theres also compatibility for any C mounted lens on the camera, and a 6 mm one ships with the package. Literally, all the hassle of traditional film making has been solved, preserving the benefits. Well done, Kodak!

The Kodak super 8 will launch initially as a collectors edition, at a crazy $2000. But later in the year, a consumer variant will be released, expect anywhere from $500 to $750. Now look, you may be either super excited with this, or you might still be with wondering whats so dope about a film camera. It all depends on the audience mindset and clearly, theres a targeted group here. Our grandparents will probably appreciate these vintage vessels more than us, and it would make one helluva gift for a retired filmmaker in your family. 

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