Kodak set to finally release Super 8 camera eight years after it was announced

The nearly eight year wait for Kodak's new Super 8mm camera is almost over, with the company (finally) giving it an official announcement.

First announced at CES 2016, the Kodak was billed as being able to shoot on film, using Super 8 cartridges, and record audio to an SD card. 

Now available for pre-order, the Super 8mm camera features a detachable wide-angle 6mm 1:1.2 C-mount lens, an on-board sound recorder and external microphone connectivity, a micro HDMI output, and a 4' LCD viewfinder. 

The camera can shoot 16:9 (widescreen) and 14:9 full-frame. 

At launch will be three different Color Negative Film stocks, including TRI-X Black & White Reversal Film and Ektachrome Color Reversal Film.

And while the ability to shoot super 8mm film hasn't changed, the pricing sure has.

In 2016, The Wall Street Journal quoted Jeff Clarke, Kodak’s then-CEO, that the camera would sell for a projected price of between $400-750 USD ($600-$1,130 AUD).

The last update on the camera was in 2018, after Clarke had departed the company, and with it came confirmation that the price would also increase to $2,000-3,500 USD.

However today, the Super 8 Camera is available for pre-order for a whopping $5,495 USD ($8,315 AUD), with keen buyers having until November 28 at 11:59 p.m. EST to register their interest. As many film photographers will likely also know, processing film has significantly jumped in price over the same time period, making the whole setup an expensive proposition.

According to Kodak, the camera will initially launch in the US and later become available in other countries.

"Kodak will contact customers in sign-up order when a camera is available for purchase in your region," the company states.