DIY 8mm projector and camera

The last time I stumbled upon an 8mm projector, it was a prop in a movie set set in the 1970s. As for an 8mm camera, it was behind a glass case in an exhibition about the history of film-making. These near antique devices are long forgotten in our current high-definition era, but there is something nostalgic about the grainy, flickering effect of films shot and viewed on 8mm devices.

Hobby-kit manfacturer Gakken has always taken a hands-on approach for its products. It used to churn out DIY pinhole cameras, but recently, an 8mm projector was spotted in its portfolio.

The projector is hand-cranked so the frame rate is dependent on how fast you can rotate the handle. Instead of the usual heat-emitting bulb as a concession to modern times, an LED is used to light up the film strips. In true Gakken style, it comes in a flat package (think IKEA) and you get to glue everything together like a fix-it-kit.

The 8mm camera has yet to be announced by Gakken, but is already making its round on the Web. It is reported that this no-frills model will run on normal batteries and is lightweight enough for aspiring film-makers to ferry around. Only thing that would be hard to find is 8mm film stock.

Sadly, Gakken is not available in every Asian city, so your best bet would probably be eBay or a friend in Japan.

Via Gizmodo and CScout Japan

Panasonic's new SDHC capacities

HONG KONG--We are all used to SDHC media over 4GB having capacities in multiples of four, such as 8GB, 16GB and 32GB cards. Today, Panasonic bucked that trend by announcing 6GB (RP-SDM06G) and 12GB (RP-SDM12G) SDHC cards.

Differing in color from its regular yellow SDHC cards for still photography, these two have been designed with the HD camcorder user in mind. In full-HD mode, the 6GB card can capture 90 minutes of footage, while the 12GB version can store up to 180 minutes. This follows the conventions that we have been used to in DV tapes, which makes it a logical transition for those switching over from their older videocams.

Aside from the odd capacities, these cards are still pretty much similar to other Panasonic Class 4 SDHC media, so you can still pop them into your digital camera and use as normal should the need arise.

The 6GB card will go for approximately US$45, with the 8GB at US$89. According to a Panasonic spokesperson, for a more accurate representation of how much the 6GB version will cost in your country, just add 50 percent to the existing price of the 4GB Class 4 SDHC--this will account for price differences in each area. The RP-SDM06G will go on sale in Asia Pacific soon at end August, while the 12GB SDM12G will arrive later in the year. And in case you're wondering, no, you can't buy that oversized version held by the model in the photo. Click for larger images of the two cards.

Click for larger image:

And you thought your camera was big?

Shooters these days are shrinking, and it seems like they are not going to stop anytime soon. This image from 1900 brings to mind how cameras were once gigantic and required intense human labor to operate.

George R. Lawrence built the "mammoth camera" in 1900 for a railway company which wanted to capture the essence of its trains and would require more than the usual setup used in photo studios. Lawrence spent US$5,000 (a humongous sum then) to construct this device and the sheer size of it required a van to ferry it around and 15 people to work the knobs and switches. All this effort had to be put in to snap a shot.

In the past, there wasn't any film or sensor, but in its place were plates--slivers of metal coated with light-sensitive chemicals that reacted when exposed. Then, it cost US$1,800 for a dozen plates, so Lawrence had to make every shot count.

Quite a pity, because the giant photos he took were eventually shrunk to fit into a handy pamphlet. Although the headline was something else--The Largest Photograph in the World of the Handsomest Train in the World.

Picture credit: Smithsonian Institution

Nikon announces D700's price tag

One of the hottest cameras to arrive on the scene yet, the Nikon D700 is what every fanboy of the Japanese company has been waiting for. With a full-frame FX-format sensor, 51 autofocus points, maximum ISO sensitivity of 25,600 and a whole slew of nifty features packaged in a weather-sealed body, this shooter is set to give its rival, the Canon EOS 5D, a good run for its money.

The D700 sits nicely between the acclaimed D3 and the D300, and this professional series has been engineered to work seamlessly together.

At the launch, Nikon also spoke of its current DX-format cameras, and it busted speculations that it is going to stop production for this lineup of dSLRs. For the firm, the DX-format is a great complement to its FX-format shooters.

Targeted at serious hobbyists and enthusiasts, the D700 has a recommended retail price of S$4,499. This is an attractive pricing and a far cry from the S$6,500 tagged to the EOS 5D when announced. With this in mind, we predict the heavily anticipated successor to the Canon will quickly follow suit.

The D700 will be available in Asia from August.

2D photos in stunning 3D galleries

How to make your friend grit in agony after a long day at work? Show them your latest snaps from your recent vacation in stunning 3D photo galleries.

To FotoViewr's credit, the plug-in for your Flickr or Facebook albums has only one simple calling, and that is to make picture browsing on the Web a more interactive experience. Not quite what we have in mind, but that's besides the point.

The plug-in is free to use and you can choose from six different styles of galleries, from Flow (resembles Cover Flow in Mac) to a 3D wall, to a messy pile of pictures which you select to view. It loaded a little slowly when we tried it out, but then this is still in beta stage, so we'd give it some leeway.

Try it out!

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