Hacking the Kodak Reels 8mm Film Digitizer (New Thread)

[melw]

Hello, I'm new to the forum, bought a European D version and am very impressed with the work with the modded software. Everything is better except for the bad auto exposure that I had major problems with, have tested version D 272 and the auto exposure behaves exactly as in the original software, it gets light / dark every two seconds, especially at parts with light sky. According to some posts here, the modded version would have that feature turned off, but not that I can see. Is it possible to turn that off in the modded software? If it could be turned off, everything would be perfect. Is it something that could perhaps be implemented in the future perhaps?

Hi @mattiazze! And welcome, glad the mod works well for you otherwise!

You're right: the Type D builds (270–272) don't change the auto exposure. It works exactly as in stock firmware, so the pumping on bright skies is Kodak's own auto exposure. The Type D mod only reads the exposure value (the Exp: number on screen). It doesn't control it.

What you probably read about is 0dan0's mods for Types A–C. Those replace Kodak's auto exposure with a custom one and add an exposure lock. That code was never ported to Type D, because the D firmware is laid out differently and the A–C code doesn't work on it as such.

I'll have a look at whether it can be ported. No promises on if or when, but the first step is clear: Check that the mod can control the exposure at all on Type D. I can test that on my own unit.

Tuning the auto exposure needs real film with the problem, though, and I don't have any reels currently to test with. That's where you could help:

1. A short clip (~10s) where the pumping is clearly visible, recorded with FW 272, ideally the bright-sky part.
2. The Exp: and Gain: values on screen while it pumps: roughly the lowest and highest you see, and how fast it swings back and forth. A short phone video of the screen works well for this.

 

[mattiazze]

Hi @mattiazze! And welcome, glad the mod works well for you otherwise!

You're right: the Type D builds (270–272) don't change the auto exposure. It works exactly as in stock firmware, so the pumping on bright skies is Kodak's own auto exposure. The Type D mod only reads the exposure value (the Exp: number on screen). It doesn't control it.

What you probably read about is 0dan0's mods for Types A–C. Those replace Kodak's auto exposure with a custom one and add an exposure lock. That code was never ported to Type D, because the D firmware is laid out differently and the A–C code doesn't work on it as such.

I'll have a look at whether it can be ported. No promises on if or when, but the first step is clear: Check that the mod can control the exposure at all on Type D. I can test that on my own unit.

Tuning the auto exposure needs real film with the problem, though, and I don't have any reels currently to test with. That's where you could help:

1. A short clip (~10s) where the pumping is clearly visible, recorded with FW 272, ideally the bright-sky part.
2. The Exp: and Gain: values on screen while it pumps: roughly the lowest and highest you see, and how fast it swings back and forth. A short phone video of the screen works well for this.

Thanks for the reply. I’m uploading a couple of files so you can see the aperture value. I can’t find a file with the sky in it right now, but it usually gets worse. I hope this is ok. I can look for other examples if needed. A feature that locks the aperture value would be enough; it’s possible to split the file during editing and make adjustments. (Sorry for my awkward English—I’m using a translation tool!)

 

[DecPDP10]

I have serial J2925148BK01038 , so this should be firmware D. Rvision code " J "is after H but the lookup tool says
Your serial number was NOT found on the list.
Use Firmware B labeled files for your device.
Any guidance would be appreciated

From Gemini:
If your unit is a Type D, flashing the standard Type B firmware will result in a black screen and unresponsive controls.

This is the central flaw of the web lookup tool: the tool was built before Type D existed and has not been updated to include Type D serial ranges. When it fails to find an entry in its database, its catch-all default is to advise using "Firmware B". In the community thread on TinkerDifferent, users with newer serials (specifically H28..., K22..., and J...) received that exact same lookup message, flashed Type B, and immediately experienced a non-booting display.

 

[JohnCT]

I have serial J2925148BK01038 , so this should be firmware D. Rvision code " J "is after H but the lookup tool says
Your serial number was NOT found on the list.
Use Firmware B labeled files for your device.
Any guidance would be appreciated

The lookup tool I used on line directed me to B, but mine is a D unit. I waited for one of the learned folk here to point me in the right direction. Standby.

John

 

[DecPDP10]

The lookup tool I used on line directed me to B, but mine is a D unit. I waited for one of the learned folk here to point me in the right direction. Standby.

John

Thank you!

What Happens If You Flash Type B on a Type D Unit​

• The Bootloader Survives: The Novatek SoC hardware bootloader sits at a low ROM level and is rarely overwritten by standard .BIN files.
• The Display/Camera HAL Fails: Type D hardware uses a different internal display controller and updated sensor bus layout. When a Type B binary loads, the display driver fails to initialize, leaving the screen completely black while the power LED stays lit.
  TinkerDifferent
  
  
• The Recovery Path Remains Open: Because the low-level bootloader is still operational, the scanner will still read the root of a FAT32 SD card upon boot. You can revert it simply by loading the proper Stock Type D or Custom Type D binary as FWDV280.BIN.

How to Safely Handle a Suspected Type D Unit​

1

Do Not Flash Type B
Critical Precaution
1.Do Not Flash Type B:Critical Precaution.
Hold off on flashing any standard Type A, B, or C binaries (such as 0dan0's v7.x series). Verification: The firmware binary you plan to use is explicitly designated as Type D (developed by user melw / videodoctor on TinkerDifferent).
2

Stage the Official Stock Type D Binary
Safety net
2.Stage the Official Stock Type D Binary:Safety net.
Before testing any modified builds, download the Stock Type D Recovery Image from the TinkerDifferent repository (archived around post #666 and in the Type D thread directory). Keep this file ready on your computer so you have an immediate factory rollback. Verification: You have an untouched factory recovery .BIN verified specifically for Type D hardware.
3
Flash the Type D Custom Firmware
Release Candidate
3.Flash the Type D Custom Firmware:Release Candidate.
Format a 16GB or 32GB SD card to FAT32. Copy the custom Type D build (which unlocks native 18 fps and bumps encoding bitrate to ~31 Mbps) as FWDV280.BIN to the card root, along with an empty NVTDELFW folder. Power on and allow 30–45 seconds for the screen to cycle. Verification: The scanner completes the flash sequence and displays the on-screen display (OSD) showing frame counts and adjusted capture parameters.

What to Do If You Already Flashed Type B and the Screen Is Black​

1

Disconnect Scanner Completely
Power isolation
1.Disconnect Scanner Completely:Power isolation.
Unplug the AC power cord from the back of the scanner. Wait 60 seconds to allow the internal capacitors to drain. Verification: The power LED is completely off.
2

Prepare the Type D Recovery Card
FAT32 format
2.Prepare the Type D Recovery Card:FAT32 format.
Take a 16GB–32GB SD card to your computer, format it as FAT32, copy the Stock Type D binary to the root directory, rename it to FWDV280.BIN, and add an empty NVTDELFW folder. Verification: The card root contains only FWDV280.BIN and NVTDELFW.
3
Boot and Restore
Blind Recovery Flash
3.Boot and Restore:Blind Recovery Flash.
Insert the card into the powered-off scanner. Plug in the power cord and press the Power button. Although the screen remains black, the bootloader will detect the card, rewrite the flash memory with the Type D image (~30–45 seconds), and reboot. Verification: Once flashing finishes, the screen turns back on with the factory Kodak interface.