Regular 8 film or Standard 8 film scanning
Standard 8 or Regular 8 as it’s often referred to was introduced by Eastman Kodak around 1932. This film type has slightly larger sprocket holes than Super 8 and as such the image size is slightly smaller than Super 8.
Regular 8 film reels have a spindle diameter of approximately 8mm as opposed to Super 8 with a 13mm diameter.
Most common reel sizes are
- 50ft – 3inch / 75mm diameter
- 200ft – 5 inch / 125mm diameter
- 400ft – 7 inch / 175mm diameter
8mm film is generally recorded at 16fps. This chart gives an indication of run time in minutes vs feet of film.
These times are approximate
We scan 8mm film using the frame-by-frame method. Post scan we render files at the correct frame rate for 8mm film which is generally 16 but could also be 18 or 24 fps. Colour correction (if required) is applied during the post scanning phase.
Vinegar Syndrome – Acetate Leach
Film that has suffered acetate leach (vinegar syndrome) may not be able to be scanned.
If a strong vinegar smell is present, this is a sure sign of acetate leach, and the film should be scanned as a matter of urgency.
Film damage is usually worst at the outer edges of the reel. In some cases film toward the middle of the reel can be recovered succesfully.
Film Cleaning
Before and after cleaning with film cleaning solution.
Output files
Standard file types are as follows.
- 2k MOV – as scanned with no editing or correction.
- HD MP4 or MOV – 1920 x 1080 with sides masked for 4:3 display on 16:9 screen.
- Image sequence – TIFF, JPEG or PNG.
If you require a different file type, please let us know, our systems allow for almost any file with customizable settings i.e.. bandwidth, compression type etc.
Film Leaders
New film leaders will be spliced to the head of the film if required.
There are additional charges for leaders.
A typical sample of 8mm film scanned on our system. This film was not cleaned prior to scanning.
Film Viewing Equipment
We have 8mm dual format film viewers available for short term hire.
Contact us for more information on this service or go to this page on our website for additional information.