[Bob 256]

I have to appeal to some of the K-1 experts out there for a bit of input on the use of a K-1 for converting old movies to digital.

What I have is a film transport that I can convert to slow advance (frame-at-a-time) transport for 8mm film which I want to convert to a digital movie. I understand that the K-1 has an interval movie mode which will take a sequence of still shots and do just that in 1080p format. There isn't a whole lot of information in the K-1 manual however.

A couple of questions:
1) Can the movie mode use the electronic shutter to prevent the wearing-out of my K-1's regular mechanical shutter when doing this (and would the electronic shutter work for the repetitive exposures needed)?

2) Is there any way to utilize movie mode in this manner with a shutter trigger rather than the interval timer so I can fire the electronic shutter in sync with the film transport (when a frame is brought to a stationary position in the film gate)?

I have a means to image the movie frames for still capture and advance the movie film at a rate, say 2-10 frames per second, taking a still shot for each frame, but synchronizing the transport to the camera is problematic unless I can fire the camera shutter using the regular electronic remote connection. I have the optics issues solved - just need a capture solution.

Anyway, as a K-1 user, if you have any ideas, I would appreciate hearing them. Thanks.

[aaacb]

I've never tried what you're describing, but here is what I know:
- You can enable the electronic shutter after going into live view (firmware v1.30 or newer). Check that the light you have works well with electronic shutter, some types of light sources cause banding.
- Internal video from stills is a setting under drive mode, interval shooting. This has a minimum 2s between shots (so .5 frames per second), which may be a bit slow. Another issue may be keeping things in sync over time, if either camera or film drifts a little.
- On my K1ii, if I enable interval movie, I can't select electronic shutter even in live view, the setting is greyed out and off (but it works for single shot)
- If you can trigger the camera through the cable release using the film advance and take single shots, you could create a video from the images quite easily on a computer, and have the option to batch process the images to correct color and such.

[K-Three]

Not an answer to your questions, but a different solution:
Wolverine Data 8mm and Super 8 Movie Reels2Digital F2DMM100 B&H

I've been using an older model of this to convert my Grandfather's and Dad's 8mm films to digital. Does both 8mm and Super 8, I've only used the 8mm capability.
It's reasonably gentle on the old films, and you can set it up and let it run, without having to baby sit it.
Not sure how well the films I've been copying would hold up to being blown up onto to a full frame sensor. The stuff I'm doing is basically snap shots that have motion to them.
No connection to either B&H or Wolverine, just a thought.

[acoufap]

I've never tried what you're describing, but here is what I know:
- You can enable the electronic shutter after going into live view (firmware v1.30 or newer). Check that the light you have works well with electronic shutter, some types of light sources cause banding.
- Internal video from stills is a setting under drive mode, interval shooting. This has a minimum 2s between shots (so .5 frames per second), which may be a bit slow. Another issue may be keeping things in sync over time, if either camera or film drifts a little.
- On my K1ii, if I enable interval movie, I can't select electronic shutter even in live view, the setting is greyed out and off (but it works for single shot)
- If you can trigger the camera through the cable release using the film advance and take single shots, you could create a video from the images quite easily on a computer, and have the option to batch process the images to correct color and such.

Just an idea in addition. If you can trigger the film movement image by image exernally you could synchronize both devices by an external cable interval trigger.

[Bob 256]

I've never tried what you're describing, but here is what I know:
- You can enable the electronic shutter after going into live view (firmware v1.30 or newer). Check that the light you have works well with electronic shutter, some types of light sources cause banding.
- Internal video from stills is a setting under drive mode, interval shooting. This has a minimum 2s between shots (so .5 frames per second), which may be a bit slow. Another issue may be keeping things in sync over time, if either camera or film drifts a little.
- On my K1ii, if I enable interval movie, I can't select electronic shutter even in live view, the setting is greyed out and off (but it works for single shot)
- If you can trigger the camera through the cable release using the film advance and take single shots, you could create a video from the images quite easily on a computer, and have the option to batch process the images to correct color and such.

You're right, 1 fps is pretty slow and I would like to do better than that but my main concern is wearing out the mechanics of the camera since there are a lot of exposures involved. I had considered interval movie mode but the syncing issue you mentioned comes into play. If the camera uses a crystal clock (and it most certainly does), I had considered syncing the projector to the camera but that still involves getting a good mesh between them when all those exposures begin so isn't too practical. It appears that every exposure mode involving the electronic shutter release depends on the mechanical shutter - hence back to the mechanical wear and tear. It could be that the K-1 just isn't suited to this use but thought I would put it out there and see if anyone had a good approach. Many thanks for the input.

---------- Post added 12-04-2020 at 09:43 AM ----------

Not an answer to your questions, but a different solution:
Wolverine Data 8mm and Super 8 Movie Reels2Digital F2DMM100 B&H

I've been using an older model of this to convert my Grandfather's and Dad's 8mm films to digital. Does both 8mm and Super 8, I've only used the 8mm capability.
It's reasonably gentle on the old films, and you can set it up and let it run, without having to baby sit it.
Not sure how well the films I've been copying would hold up to being blown up onto to a full frame sensor. The stuff I'm doing is basically snap shots that have motion to them.
No connection to either B&H or Wolverine, just a thought.

I've been looking at that option but its a bit steep in price for the amount of film I want to convert and I have a good frame-by-frame transport available so thought if the K-1 (or K-01) could be used, it would be a great option. I have experience to set up the electronics (to interface a camera with the transport) but lack the knowledge to actually make a capture device which renders a movie format to an SD card so would have to use a camera with that capability. If I had the latter (the knowledge that is), I would probably make my capture device from scratch using a CMOS imaging chip and interface, but a camera with the needed abilities sounds a lot easier if such were available.

Thanks for the suggestion though - I may end up there if the K-1 or K-01 doesn't prove usable for this.

[aaacb]

If you don't have a lot of film to scan, you can send it to a lab. Found a few just buy searching for 8mm scanning. Never did it myself

[Bob 256]

Just an update - this project is evolving.

I've also considered a lab, but the fun is in doing this myself and I enjoy the challenge. Also, I don't have to trust my films to someone else or send them out (no local labs around here with good equipment).

I figured out that really what I'm after is a "stop-motion" capable camera with electronic shutter. As far as I have discerned, the K-1 and K-01 have the former abilities but not the latter (and I am now thinking it would be a waste of resources to put thousands of exposures on them), so presently I'm looking at the Raspberry pi HQ camera which is a low cost ($50), fairly high resolution (12.3 MPx) imager (Sony IMX477) which can be used with a Raspberry board to accomplish what I'm after. It's lensless so that fits the bill also. It will take some learning of the Raspberry Pi system, but I have the R Pi camera book on the way and plenty of home time ahead so it will give me something to do.

I guess that kicks me out of the Pentax forums, to somewhere else, but thanks for the help and input on the Pentax side. If I get this to work, I'll take a photo with my K-1 and post it.

https://www.adafruit.com/product/4561?

---

Last edited by Bob 256; 01-01-2021 at 03:42 PM.

[Haenzel]

That is exactly what I was about to suggest...You can mount fairly good lenses (even Pentax) on this HQ module...

[acoufap]

Just an update - this project is evolving.

I've also considered a lab aaacb, but the fun is in doing this myself and I enjoy the challenge. Also, I don't have to trust my films to someone else or send them out (no local labs around here with good equipment).

I figured out that really what I'm after is a "stop-motion" capable camera with electronic shutter. As far as I have discerned, the K-1 and K-01 have the former abilities but not the latter (and I am now thinking it would be a waste of resources to put thousands of exposures on them), so presently I'm looking at the Raspberry pi HQ camera which is a low cost ($50), fairly high resolution (12.3 MPx) imager (Sony IMX477) which can be used with a Raspberry board to accomplish what I'm after. It's lensless so that fits the bill also. It will take some learning of the Raspberry Pi system, but I have the R Pi camera book on the way and plenty of home time ahead so it will give me something to do.

I guess that kicks me out of the Pentax forums, to somewhere else, but thanks for the help and input on the Pentax side. If I get this to work, I'll take a photo with my K-1 and post it.

Raspberry Pi High Quality HQ Camera [12MP] ID: 4561 - $50.00 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits

Sounds very interesting to me. Please let us know how your project evolves!

[Bob 256]

Just an update if anyone is still following this thread:

I'm knee deep in the Raspberry Pi and the HQ camera - very nice (and relatively inexpensive) little package. I did some work in taking photos with the camera using my 35mm lenses and a 3D printed CS mount adapter (have svg files for Pentax Screw thread and KP mount if anyone needs them - PM me) and it really takes good photos (not up to a K-1 though). I have yet to explore shooting full frame (FF HQ camera frame which is a 1/2.3inch 3040x4056 pixel frame) at around a 2 frames per second rate to see if the Pi & HQ camera can keep up with that (jpg frames to be later joined & converted to a motion picture file - it most certainly can do this at lower frame rates for time lapse photography). Alternately, it can shoot at 1920x1080 in movie mode at frame rates up to 60fps but I would like to use the higher pixel area and then post process to the 1080 format. That way would allow software framing and cropping. In the meantime, the Raspberry Pi itself sidetracked me into an older project that I had put on hold, involving making a film scanner for transferring bitmap files to film (for the purpose of making printed circuit boards), but I think I will even build the Rasberry's camera capability into that project now that I've discovered its usefulness.

I had been thinking about using a more conventional film transport with a pull-down mechanism, but now I'm drifting toward using a pin-spring mechanism for its simplicity and better registration, plus it would interface with the PI really well. This is similar to what is (was) used with Imax projectors where a traveling loop of film is used to advance the 70mm film, frame-at-a-time. The 8mm film in my case is tensioned against a small leaf spring which raises the film as tension increases, allowing it to pop free of a registration pin, and slip to the next frame where the next sprocket catches on the pin (at which time an image is flashed). It can be a little rougher on the film but there will only be one pass if all goes well.

More updates to follow.

I have not read all the input so maybe someone already have said so but:

WARNING! The interval movie mode gives you a choppy video so do not use it. It gives you a 8 fps movie with repeated frames.