Super 8 Video Tap
I always wanted to add a video assist or video tap system to my Beaulieu 40008 ZM4. There is some information online on how to do it on a Super 8 but its either outdated or poorly detailed so I thought It would be great if I shared my experience.
This should work on any Super 8 but the Beaulieu 4008 is one of the best out there so I just focused on that one.
I am using a HD SDI 1080P cctv camera with a 1/2.8''Sony Sensor 2MP with a 6mm lens (MTV or M12 mount).
I ordered this board camera and then changed the pinhole lens to this one and the casing to this one but any HD SDI 1080P should work. That was due to some trial and error, If I had to do it again I would search for a camera that had a metal casing and a 6mm lens.
Probably the SDI output is a little overkill but anyways I was just having fun. And I wanted it to be more versatile so I ordered a cheap SDI to HDMI converter which works perfectly to display the image on any HDMI monitor. The only thing with this particular converter is that it is USB powered and I had to make a custom cable for it. So it might be better to use something like this.
Now to the fun part, how did I attach the camera to the viewfinder? The eyecup that came with the camera was in really bad condition but it had a thread that screw perfectly into the viewfinder so I designed an adapter that would fit that thread and attach to the board camera.
This is the 3d printed adapter that attaches to the thread. I added also three small screws to secure the thread on the adapter. It is specifically designed to fit that thread so for other Super 8 cameras it would require some modification.
The adapter then attaches to the board camera housing with magnets.
I drilled four holes in the housing and added four powerful magnets.
Usually this type of board cameras always have cables poking out of the case that are very flimsy and breakable. This is why I added the orange back casing with the BNC, DC power and OSD connectors. That way the everything would be more accessible and secure and the system would be more reliable.
The following are some of my original 3d renders before I 3d printed the parts.
I cut the cable to shorten it and rewired it to the new external connectors. The 3d printed case came out slightly thin so I added a bit of tape around it to prevent dust to do inside of the circuit.
Using some spacers I was able to screw the whole thing together.
For the OSD (which controls the board camera settings) I used a 6 pin DIN connector even tho I only needed 5 contacts.
This is the whole set up together.
I am using a very cheap screen fed through the composite video signal out of the board camera because I didn’t have a HDMI or SDI monitor at the moment but I have tested both and it works with either. Actually the best configuration was using the SDI signal straight to a SDI monitor, it was exceptionally sharp and very helpful when focusing.
I did different tests with other m12 lenses to get closer to the image but I settled on the 6mm one because that way I could see the whole thing and with some monitors you can always crop a little closer.
Let me know if you have any questions or if you would like the 3d files available.
I hope you enjoy my post! Thanks for stopping by!
