Kodak Super 8 film camera revival is finally happening but there’s a huge catch

The Super 8 film camera has become an important part of photography history, particularly when it comes to cinematography. The distinctive design of the camera and its unique format inspired many amateurs who would later become industry veterans, and that legacy is fondly remembered and even commemorated in a 2011 movie bearing the camera’s very name. Not long after that film was released, Kodak, whose name has become closely associated with the camera, announced a new version of this beloved camera that sticks true to its unique analog experience while adding a few digital conveniences. Almost 8 years later, that camera might finally be ready to roll, but it seems that very few fans will actually be able to get their hands on it.

Designer: Kodak

The Super 8 camera can probably be credited for giving birth to home movies that are now made using smartphones. Making motion picture cameras more accessible to the masses helped aspiring moviemakers get started without having to burn through their savings. Although Super 8 cameras are actually still available today, they are already considered vintage by today’s standards, especially because of their use of physical film. That said, a faithful Super 8 successor won’t be able to win hearts unless it also stays true to that format and medium.

That’s exactly what Kodak was going for when it revealed plans to upgrade the Super 8 camera back in 2016 at CES. It would still be a film camera like its predecessors, but it would add a few convenient features taken from digital cameras. The new Super 8 would also retain the same basic shape, especially the gun-like pistol grip that has become iconic of the camera’s design. There’s an addition of a top handle with an integrated run button for more difficult angles. It does modernize the aesthetic, though, adopting a more industrial appearance with plenty of flat planes and sharp angles. It is a look that’s both fresh and new yet still unambiguously Super 8.

As for those modern conveniences, it sports a 4-inch LCD swiveling viewfinder, similar to all video cameras today. It comes with a detachable wide-angle 6mm 1:1.2 C-mount lens, so you can actually use any other C-mount prime lens or adapters, depending on what you need. There’s an SD card reader for recording audio directly into storage, as well as a micro HDMI port for connecting an external monitor. Ironically, despite all the new hardware, the camera still charges with an old and slow micro USB connection. And yes, it still shoots on analog film, so you’ll need to make sure to have a stock of KODAK’s Super 8 cartridges at hand.

Given how long ago the announcement was, there were perhaps some doubts about whether Kodak would actually be able to pull this off at all. The good news is that Kodak has finally opened up sign-ups, with shipping expected to start next month. The bad news is that, in addition to limited availability, the price tag for this new Kodak Super 8 film camera is a whopping $5,495, more than twice the announced SRP back in 2016. This immediately puts it out of the reach of all but the most dedicated collectors, a rather disappointing U-turn for a camera that originally catered to amateurs and aspiring moviemakers.

The post Kodak Super 8 film camera revival is finally happening but there’s a huge catch first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Movie Theater Seat has its own built-in surround-sound system for a truly immersive experience





The FLEXSOUND Pulse generates its own immersive ‘bubble’ of full-range audio around the person sitting in it. Its makers designed it to be the cinema seat of the future, but they see it being used in gaming, live performances, and even at home.

The terms ‘immersive’ and ‘loud’ aren’t necessarily interchangeable… that’s a distinction that the FLEXSOUND Pulse focuses on. It replaces the need for those loud 5.1 surround sound systems by putting the speakers right into their futuristic movie-theater seats, so you don’t just listen to the audio, you FEEL it too.

Flexsound Pulse - The first fully loudspeaker-free cinema sound system

The FLEXSOUND Pulse is an almost cabin-esque seat that envelops you in your personal “soundsphere.” The Pulse comes with carefully-positioned full-range audio systems built right into the seat, giving you an experience that blurs the lines between auditory and tactile. Just how your heart thumps to music at a concert, the chair’s audio systems immerse your ears and body in sound and vibrations without necessarily being loud. Moreover, the chair’s felt-lined walls along the side help contain the sound within the space inside the seat, resulting in minimal sound leakage. This means your audio experience exists within the confines of your chair, so your family and neighbors don’t get disturbed while you’re watching a Michael Bay film or an exceptionally rowdy football match. Sadly though, it also means you can’t really talk to people beside you or efficiently pass the popcorn around (although that might just be a good thing).

Flexsound Pulse - The first fully loudspeaker-free cinema sound system

The chairs are designed to wirelessly receive sound, and can be arranged in a variety of numbers and orientations for smaller private cinemas as well as larger public movie theaters… and just in case you’re wondering, yes, they could potentially be used at home too, along with your TV or your gaming rig. Or better still, just pop on a VR headset and enter perhaps the most immersive movie-watching experience known to humankind.

Designer: FLEXSOUND

Flexsound Pulse - The first fully loudspeaker-free cinema sound system

Flexsound Pulse - The first fully loudspeaker-free cinema sound system

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