Kodak Super 8 Midnight Black 2024

The Kodak Super 8 Camera is a beautifully weird hybrid that makes shooting real film easier than ever, especially with that big screen and digital audio. The 36fps burst is a top-tier highlight, but the lack of basic features like an ND filter and the sky-high ongoing film costs mean this is strictly for dedicated enthusiasts. If you want the real analog look and are willing to pay for it, this is your camera.

That 36fps burst is a standout, landing in the 88th percentile of our database. It gives your footage a crisp, almost hyper-real look if that's your thing. The built-in light meter and crystal sync at 24 and 25 fps keep things steady for dialogue work. But this is a film camera, so don't expect any digital stabilization or autofocus tricks. The sensor and video scores sit near the bottom of the pack compared to modern mirrorless hybrids, which makes total sense. You're here for the grain and the vibe, not clinical sharpness.

Stacking this against a Canon EOS R6 Mark III or a Sony a1 II is almost silly. Those cameras are digital workhorses that will shoot 8K video until their memory cards fill up. The Kodak isn't trying to win a spec war. It's competing with nostalgia and texture. Even against other film cameras, it's in a strange spot. A Fujifilm X-H2 gives you film simulations without the lab costs. The Super 8 Camera is for people who find that digital shortcut completely misses the point.

Value is a tricky word here. The body alone sits in a wild price range from $5,495 to $7,467 depending on the vendor, so you absolutely need to shop around. And that's before you buy a single roll of film. This isn't a practical purchase. It's a passion project machine. If you're already budgeting for film stock and lab scans, the cost of the camera itself is just the entry ticket to a very specific, very expensive hobby.

Kodak spent years cooking this up, and the Super 8 Camera is finally here. It's a weird, wonderful mashup of analog filmmaking and modern tech. You get a big 4-inch articulating screen, digital audio recording, and an HDMI out, but the heart of the thing is still loading up a classic Super 8 cartridge and hearing that mechanical film advance whir at up to 36 frames per second.

Skip this if you need to shoot quickly and cheaply. If you're a content creator who needs to turn around videos daily, the cost and delay of film processing will drive you nuts. Also, if you need any kind of stabilization for handheld run-and-gun work, look at a digital camera with IBIS because this has none.

This is for the filmmaker who already knows what a Super 8 cartridge feels like in their hand and misses it. Beginners who are curious about film will find it surprisingly easy to use, with a friendly screen and simple controls. But if you're just looking for vintage-looking footage without the hassle, a digital camera with a good LUT will get you 90% of the way there for a fraction of the long-term cost.