A home made Telecine machine.

[Jantje]

Hi all,

Triggered by the Telecine project of Freddy van der Putte I started my own Telecine project. Using an old Eumig Mark 8 projector and a webcam I set off. It turned out very nice I might say. Although the website is not entirly ready yet, you can have a look at http://www.movie2video.com

Let me know what you think of it.

Jan.

[reedsturtevant]

Remarkable project! I am impressed that you built your own gearbox and I like the digital frame speed counter and the lens mounting. Thank you for publishing the specifications on the web.

And the results are nice, too - is that you in the B&W clip?

[gianni1]

I was wondering if I needed the awfull fan and transformer for a projector that I'm considering converting. Then I found found your site via onsuper8.org's links. I admire how you gutted so many parts from the original projector. I don't have the electro / mechano touch that you've applied. Do it again and put your results on ebay!

Gianni

[namke]

This is really interesting I'm planning to start a similar project very soon! Unfortunately my Dutch is not very good (!) and I'm interested in the CCD sensor - is 640x480 sufficient? (DV resolution being 720 x 576 here in PAL land).
... I was thinking of setting up a slower system using my digital stills camera.

john..

[Jantje]

Hi all,

Thanks for the positive reactions.

And the results are nice, too - is that you in the B&W clip?

In fact the results are even better when you see them on a TV screen. In the color sample you can see the brightness is fluctuating. That's due to the camera I think, because it's also noticable on the film itself.
And for the B&W clip, no, that's not me, it's my older brother and sister. I was not born yet!

[Jantje]

This is really interesting I'm planning to start a similar project very soon! Unfortunately my Dutch is not very good (!) and I'm interested in the CCD sensor - is 640x480 sufficient? (DV resolution being 720 x 576 here in PAL land).
... I was thinking of setting up a slower system using my digital stills camera.

john..

John,

The project would benefit from a better webcam, that's for sure. Although the quality is quite good. Problem is there are no better webcams available yet (or alternatives for the same price). So I wait patiently.....

For a solution with a digital stills cam you need a much slower system. In my configuration you can go down to about 2 fps. After that the drive does not have enough torque anymore. To go slower, you need to alter the gearbox.

For your (understandable) lag of knowledge of the Dutch language I have a solution, change over to the English pages of the website. I've tried to translate the website to (a combination of US and GB) English.

Jan.

[unxetas]

wow that looks awesome! I feel compelled to try something like that, althought my electronic skills are a bit low.. your schematics would certainly help! (I would also be bothering some of my friends constantly haha..)

do you have any idea how much you invested into this project? Thanks a lot for sharing this with everyone else

[Evan Kubota]

Great work. Maybe you can clarify a part that wasn't translated on the site - are you using a condenser lens? Where would you obtain such a lens, and about how much would it cost?

If I could find a reliable projector, I would love to build a similar machine...

[Jantje]

Great work. Maybe you can clarify a part that wasn't translated on the site...

I'm working on it..

are you using a condenser lens? Where would you obtain such a lens, and about how much would it cost?

If you mean the condenser lens inside, yes the original lenses are used. After that the image is projected using an old lens straight onto the CCD.

Jan

[Evan Kubota]

"After that the image is projected using an old lens straight onto the CCD."

This is what I'm curious about. Does this lens create an aerial image, which is recorded?

[reedsturtevant]

My reading was that the projector lens is removed and an old 50mm focal length enlarger lens projects the frame directly onto the CCD?

[Jantje]

My reading was that the projector lens is removed and an old 50mm focal length enlarger lens projects the frame directly onto the CCD?

Yes, that's right. I bought an old enlargerlens and placed that is the grey tube (in fact it's a piece of plastic drainpipe). I'll try and translate more of that section today, so you don't have to try and figure out the Dutch language. Probably a simple drawing will be handy too.

Jan.

[ericMartinJarvies]

for the past couple of years i have been playing around with optics and electronics as it realtes to film digitizing. have also been writing software(currently osx only) to deal with frame by frame film digitizing. the software is currently named F2HD, but comes in the following flavors: F2DV, F2HD, F22k, and F24k. the obvious differances are the working resolutions, ram previewing, etc. the F2DV will most likely be the shareward version with various options disabled(like full integration with motion/shake/fcp/logic/after effects/etc.). but the REALLY cool aspect of this software is how it allows users the ability to control dSLR cameras directly from within the application itself. firewire, usb 2.0, cameralink, and ethernet cameras also being recognized(currently have 6 cameras tested/working).

the goal here is to have a working software application that covers all the basic functions used on various telecine devices from DIY all the way up to high end systems. contact closure and stop animation features being standard features, with onion skinning capabilities used for dealing with the jitters. hopefully soon(don't hold your breath), i'll be able to post a solid beta version here on the site for folks to test and play with. some great features some of you will appreciate will be how it manages thousands/hundreds of thousands of sequencial still images, being able to pan and scan, matte, crop, etc. additionally(but not available in version 1), will be add-on filters for EVERY filmstock, negative, reversal, posative. these filters allow drag and drop color correction, inversion, etc. specific for that film stock, based on intense film chart/color chart/res chart/reg chart, etc. testing with each and every filmstock currently on catalog with kodak, ilford, and fuji. later we will deal with discontinued stocks, but first need to get our hands on films for purposes of testing so the filters can be created correctly/accurately. will also have filters for dealing with bad/old tape splices, breathing, and tinting of older films ... again, specific for each stock and NOt general filters for all the stocks. this is important and is a BIG time saver!! being able to thumbnail preview in realtime hundreds of thousands of still images in the form of a movie WITHOUT having to convert those images into a movie! pretty sweet. easily drag frames to any position in the timeline. i am not making an editing application like final cut pro ... just the basic tools needed to QUICKLY take frame by frame film scans to an editable state in the nle and/or fx application of your choice. also, i have the new apple intel computer, so our version 1 will work on current osx version(10.3 and greater), as wel las the soon to be released intel apple. an xp and linux version to follow sometime next year.

i have created a simple set of hardware componants for film digitizing ... depending on demand, i will either sell these as a kit, or a fully assembled machine. the machine being controlled via usb 2.0, and having linear slides for x, y, z adjustments of camera(moves up, down, forward, backward, left and right!), lens(and extension tube depending on film size/format. and camera and extension tube/lens are connected via a bellows system, and this also moves up, down, forward, backward, left and right!), diffused opal(forward/aft), glass/resin filter holders(4 of them, each with forward/aft linear adjustment), diffussed magnification lens(forward/arf), and finally the light source(led or halogen w/forward/aft linear adjustment, as well as tempurature adjustment!). the gate is nice and easy, and comes with a clutch so fast forward and reverse at high speeds can take place. additionally, there is a mount for anyone who wishes to add a low res ntsc video sensor and light sourse for pre gate realtime previewing!! so you cna be watching what is advancing to the gate via your computer screen or tv monitor in realtime, while your computer is capturing frame by frame at resolutions up to 8k(if you can afford that camera and have the muscle in your computer system to deal with those images).

so all in all, because the software will have an in point and out point cross hair marking capability, users will be able to easily take the jitter out of their films. the gate is pin registered, and film is gentely locked and push into position, so basically the only registration problems a user will experience will be a result of the actual camera that shot the film, and not this device digitizing the film(there are factors to consider that does not make this entirely true, but again, the software easily corrects these problems).

here are some vectorwork drawings i made to give you an idea of how the device works(hardware). i have all the componants in g-code format for easy machining, and those items like sprockets that are purchased over the counter, i have a list of compatable suppliers(not a very long list ... not too many people sprockets anymore these days. but for the stepper motors, leds, etc. the list is fine). the gate shown in the photos is not the final product, in fact, betwen the 4 gates i got my hands on from other manufactures, mine is a cross between each one of them, using the best attributes each had to offer. this drawing was an early one, and looks very similar to an existing gate used on another machine(no patent infringement btw).

enjoy, and if you have any questions ,please feel free to ask. i created this because i could not find a solution ANYWHERE for what i wanted to do. between roger not wanting to sell me a workprinter, and me not wanting to spend a small fortune on a rank or spirit, and living in a remote area as i do, i was basically inspired to find a solution myself or live without ... i chose the solutiuon. my long time working partner lewis sellers has been working with me on this project(lewis and i broungt early internet users/programmers sites like javascripts.com, internet.com, etc., which were membership sites that distributed free code we wrote, and that members posted themselves. we were the first sites to launch such products like allair's cold fusion(now macromedia), ICQ, and many more in the early 90's, fyi. so rest assured, the software will be smokin! the hardware on the other hand has been moving slowly, as i am new to cad cam and machine work ... but i'm getting the hang of it, and soon will be tooledgeared up to make things reality in a much shorter period of time from the point of idea.

regards,

eric

[ericMartinJarvies]

one more note; i have about 20 printing lenses i have literally MADE. using recycled nickon lenses purchased from ebay, and re-engineering them and re-housing them, i have a printing lens that is capable of resolving far greater then your film stock resolution and any large pixel sensor up to 3k.

remember, when looking for a sensor to digitize your filmstock, find a sensor with large pixels. most consumer 6mp cameras have 2-4?m pixel space/size. the larger the ?m size ... the BETTER!! always remember that. also, CMOS sensors are better then CCD sensors for digitizing film. the foveon sensor technology is a GREAT technology, but still needs some improvements/advancements ... but ?m for ?m value compared to ccd/cmos sensors, foveon wins hands own every time, becuase unlike ccd and cmos sensors, the foveon sensor is stacked, each representing R, G, B. so comparing physical sensor size to the ccd and cmos counter parts is not fair/accurate, hence it takes a larger ccd/cmos sensor to equal the quality of a smaller foveon sensor. also, remember the aspect size of the sensor ... obviously, having a 16x9 sensor with 10 x 10?m sized pixels is one kick ass sensor when compared to a 4x3 or a square sensor like most consumer brands/cameras, wherein their phyical size is much smaller, and their ?m size per pixel is much smaller.

i have had to study all of this, and thus i incorporated the facts into the F2HD software, wherein it shows the user the sensor they are using compared to the filmstock size they are digitizing and how the ?m size of each pixel will effect the resulting digital image size you wish your frames of film to be. for example, lets say you want to end up with 2k images from your s8mm filmstock ... my software tells you the best sensor to use in order to accomplish this. and this is done based on all of the test i have conducted personally. so, in the world of sensors and filmstocks, unfortunately, size does count ;) so for those of you that will one day have their own film digitizing machine, knowing what sensor to purchase will make all the differance in the world. now take note, the taking/printing lens lpi/resolving factor ALSO plays a role, and so to simplify things, i have used my hybred lens design as the benchmark ... so users with different lenses need only discover their lpi/resolving power value, and enter it into the applicalbe field in the F2HD software, for it to give you the best sensor to frame size combo. and one more, talking about frame size ...meaning the physical size of the filmstock frame itself, depending on the lens adjustment in relationship to the frame of film, and the lens' optical value(magnification, etc.), one may be focussed on a full frame of film from side to side, hence those considerations are ALSO taken into account, and the software has crosshairs that denote the actual area one is imaging on the frame of film itself. pretty cool if i say so myself. and to top things off, all this info is stored(metadata, dB), and so later down the road if you need to integrate some filmstock into your digital production, you can replicate the conditions from a previous batch/capture.

for those people who really want to have firm control over their filming and post production, i will offer test film strips and a special clapper board that has a color chart with specific colors/values, that are filmed(assuming one uses the clapper slate in frame). so, during processing and digitizing, one can literally control the outcome of their film, assuming they have previously used the system and understand the dynamics of repeatable measurements being entered, tracked and used. the slate has a large LED, as well as a keypad that allows the user to enter in hundreds of fields of information from camera type, lens type, light meter reading, distance to subject, lighting schematics and light types, lens filters used, fps, shutter angle, scene, take, and on and on. the slate automatically marks the time of day, tempurature, elevation(gps data), and knows what direction it is facing. why does it need to know this? well, because it records the gps data, it knows where the sun was in relation to where the slate was. if months later one needs to re-shoot a scene for a particular sequence, and assuming they entered all the critical information into the slate, they can literally replicate the envirnment that those other scenes were shot in(assuming outside). when used inside, this only need reference the lighting conditions, and as mentioned earlier, the slate has a lighting grid function that allows the user to set lights in their applicable positions, and set their values(light type, temp, etc.), inclduing any filtering and scrims that may have been used. this may sound like a lot of work/data to enter, but for some it's worth it. my intentions are to eventually create a plug in system for chemical processing labs wherein this data is used at that step all the way through to the digitizing, so the user need only send this data fro mthe slate board via email as an attachment to the lab, and the lab has all they need, and the user can then direct the lab based on old data indexed, and new data just delivered, thus allowing certain processes and looks to be replicated EXACTLY. the slate board connects to the computer via usb, so if using F2HD, immediatly upon plugging in the clapper clate, the software will ask if you want to d/l the data. the slate is capable of hundreds of sessions, and may be custom programmed for advanced users.

the film strip i will sell will allow users to calibrate their camera so it is in tune with the software and the various filters i previously mentioned. for power users, i will supply a third party monitor calibration tool($300.00) that will allow the user the ability to calibrate their monitors so that the film is displayed as FILM as it would be on a projector. for example, if a user opens a dpx/cineon file/image on their computer screen, they will not really be seeing the image as it would be seen on a projector. F2HD solves this, and thus allows TRUE film projection quality viewing on computer monitors. this did not make sense to me until i actually learned about it, and then finanlly got to the point of being able to view my digited film in it's intended projected quality ... a real eye opener!

ok, last o nthe list, and available NOW is my digital video tap monitor with built in hard drive and mpeg recording. i did not create this device, but i work out a deal with the manufacture. it's small, 7" 16x9, and can record video tap footage for hours and hours. right now that it is, aside from power plug/connection options(xlr, panavision, etc.). however, once i have time to edit the onboard software, it will soon be integrated with the rest of my tools, wherein one can immediatly start editing their video tap footage, and so when they actually do get their films processed and high res digitized, they need only press a button to have the new high res footage conform/replace the edited video tap footage. again, a big time saver. and again, shake, after effects, fcp, etc. friendly.

regards,

eric

[gianni1]

Amazing stuff eric, thanks for sharing with us.
You show us there is plenty of life left in film shooting,
and all this non film technology that's advancing film.
The first thing I thought after reading your post was,
will you sell out to Abobe or Apple?
Then you reveal you can play on their level...

I had to copy and paste your posts into text edit to read it without scrolling.

Gianni