FAQ
Short answers to what builders ask most.
On this page
Your camera
Will it fit my camera?
If your camera takes standard Super 8 cartridges, most likely. Cameras differ a little around the cartridge, so you print the fit kit first.
Does it change my camera?
No. You load it like film; nothing is glued, drilled or soldered. At most you take out the film gate, and it goes back in.
Silent or sound camera: does it matter?
Both work: a silent-size cartridge like this one fits a sound camera's deeper chamber. Calibrate once, as some run at another speed with it.
What do Unverified, Checked and Verified mean?
Unverified: nobody has fitted this camera yet, so it starts from the standard size. Checked: a fit kit passed in this camera. Verified: a full cartridge was printed, fitted and filmed in this camera. Your fit report moves a camera up.
Do I have to take out the film gate?
Only for focus to infinity: with the gate in place, the lens is sharp only up close. On many cameras it comes out with two screws.
Can a test print damage my camera?
Not if you follow the fit kit's order and never force anything: you close the door with the camera off, look for rub marks, and inch it one frame before you run it.
Single-8, Double Super 8 or 200 ft cartridges?
No. Those are different systems. This is a standard 50 ft Super 8 cartridge.
Building
What does it cost?
About €70 in parts, plus about 60 g of PLA for the fit kit and the cartridge.
How long does it take?
A weekend: one evening to print and fit, one to wire and install. You solder a handful of small parts and type a few commands.
Which battery?
A round 18650 Li-ion cell, 66 × 18 mm, 3.7 V, about 2600 mAh, with a JST-PH 2.0 lead. Not a flat LiPo pouch.
Do I need a Bambu Lab printer?
No. Any printer that does PLA at 0.2 mm layers works. Bambu Lab owners get a ready-to-print 3MF; everyone else uses the STL files.
Can I use another Pi or camera module?
No. The body has seats for these exact boards and their hole patterns.
Filming
How does it know when to record?
The camera's take-up spindle turns a wheel that chops a beam of light. While the light flickers, the camera is running; two seconds without a change ends the clip. No wire goes to the camera.
How much fits on a card?
About 25–50 hours on a 128 GB card.
How long does the battery last?
About five hours of use per charge. It charges over USB-C without coming out of the cartridge.
Why does a dark band roll through the picture?
The sensor doesn't match your camera's motor speed yet. Calibrate once at the speed you film at.
Does my light meter still work?
Yes. Your camera's meter and iris set the brightness, as with film.
The project
Is it open source?
The code is MIT. The models and every file the Builder makes are CC BY-NC-SA 4.0: share and remix with credit, not commercially.
Can I buy one ready-made?
No. Each cartridge is fitted to its own camera; that's what the Builder and the fit kit are for.
Does the Builder upload anything?
No. It runs in your browser, and the files are saved straight from it.