Frequently Asked Questions
- What type of film do I have?
- How do I tell how many feet of film I have?
- Can you transfer film with sound?
- How long does the service take?
- Can I provide my own external hard drive?
- If I do choose to provide my own hard drive, how do I know what size to send?
- What's the difference between Professional Hi-Definition and standard HD?
- What is 2K scanning?
What type of film do I have?
| Regular 8mm Film |  |
| Super 8 Film |  |
| 16mm Silent Film |  |
| 16mm Sound Film |  |
| Super 8 Reel Hub |  |
| Regular 8mm and 16mm Reel Hub |  |
How can I tell how many feet of film I have?
Please use our film to digital Calculator to determine total footage. A 3” diameter reel is 50ft, 4” 100ft, 5” 200ft, and 7” 400ft. To determine footage on larger reels (16mm only), look on the engravings on the reel itself.
| Reel Diameter | 3" Reel | 4" Reel | 5" Reel | 6" Reel | 7" Reel | 8" Reel | 10" Reel | 12" Reel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # of Feet | 50 | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 600 | 800 | 1200 |
If you are unsure of the size of your film, you can use the Reel Size Form, which will give you the size, length, and approximate run time of your film.
Can you transfer film with sound?
Yes, we offer sound syncing with our frame-by-frame transfer. Please refer to prices page to get the current sound transfer price.
How long does the service take?
Depending on the amount of film included in your project, we normally finish a project within 5-10 business days.
Can I provide my own external hard drive?
You have the option of providing your own hard drive for a fee of $20.00 which covers formatting for PC or Mac and data upload.
It is important to note that hard drives formatted in FAT32 file system have a file size limit of 4.5 GB. If the drive that you send is formatted in FAT32, we will need to reformat. If you have information on the drive that you would like to keep, we can back it up for an additional charge.
If I do choose to provide my own hard drive, how do I know what size to send you?
You can use our Calculator to determine how much space you need. You’ll need to know either how many total linear feet or how many hours of film you are transferring to use the calculator.
What's the difference between Professional Hi-Definition and standard HD?
First, Professional HD captures each color channel (RGB) separately, allowing us to color correct a specific channel without affecting all the others, especially useful on aged film where certain dyes have deteriorated faster than others. Secondly, Professional HD shows each frame to be crystal clear, allowing you to capture and print a photograph from a desired frame, as opposed to standard HD which produces blended frames during capture. Finally, Professional HD captured at 1080P which has more than double the number of pixels than standard HD captured at 720P, ensuring the clearest, most accurate reproduction of a film in a digital form.
What is 2K scanning?
2k scans the digital film to a resolution of 2048 pixels in width and up to 1556 pixels in height. We offer Spirit HD and 2K film scanning services for 16mm and 35mm film.