Film Digitizing Service
“They did a perfect job of over 20 rolls of 16mm from the 50's. The quality of the work is excellent....none of the colors look faded and the framing perfect.”
Vivian K. - Yelp
Receive a disc or drive of your old films, digitally archived and ready for the devices we use every day with our film digitizing service.
What We Transfer
Standard Sizes
Standard Sizes
There are a number of films you can have digitized, starting with the standards.
16mm — The oldest format of film we transfer, dating back to the 1920s
8mm — Our 8mm film to digital conversion service is popular because it was the original consumer film format introduced in the ‘30s (widely adopted in the ‘40s).
Super 8 — A variant of 8mm with smaller sprockets to allow a larger film frame (60s and later).
35mm — For most of the twentieth century it remained the dominant film used for image origination and projection until the advent of digital photography.
Additional Sizes
Additional Sizes
9.5mm — Introduced in 1922, it was intended initially as an inexpensive format for copies of films to be seen in homes. It became popular in Europe where projectors were mainly sold in England and France. It is still used by a number of enthusiasts today.
17.5mm — First used in 1898 it was created by splitting unperforated 35mm. It was used through the late 1940s after which 8mm and 16mm film took its place.
22mm — First used in 1912, this film contains three linear rows of pictures. This film was not widely used. It is sometimes referred to as Safety Film having been developed after a horrible fire in a Parisian cinema pavilion in 1897.
28mm — Introduced in 1912, this film had three perforations on the left side and one on the right. For a while it was accepted as the standard size film for portable film projectors by the Society of Motion Picture Engineers.
Microfilm
Microfilm / fiche
At one point in time, microfilm and microfiche were state of the art media. That is no longer the case. Let us convert your microform into digital files. We recognize that the prospect of converting your microfiche/film collections may seem like herculean tasks. Let us guide you through the process. Our superior technology, and our focus on customer service and effort to understand your project goals provide for an efficient and easy process.
Learn more about our Microfilm digitization services.
Smaller Reels & Splicing
Smaller Reels & Splicing
Most films started as 3-inch reels (50 feet), which were sometimes spliced together onto larger 5, 6 and 7-inch reels (200, 300, and 400 feet, respectively). An order with more than a few small reels will be spliced together during the cleaning and repair process. After we complete our film digitization service, you will receive the original (now-empty) three-inch reels back, along with a larger reel containing the film.
Why We’re the Best
Top of the Class
There are many different ways to convert film to digital files, but thanks to our vast amount of experience, our film digitizing service utilizes cost-effective film conversion methods that will not sacrifice the quality of the final product.
We’ve done the comparisons and have mastered methods that produce the best-looking images possible in this price range, and we back it up with great service. Our system and staff ensure every request is met and communication is made with honesty and respect. Our culture is to focus on the relationship with the client as much as the digitization process itself. Just ask the internet!
Film Conversion Service Options
We offer different resolutions and levels of service to meet the different needs of our clients. We also have a handy tool on our estimation page to help you determine which options may suit you best.
Standard
Standard Definition
Standard Definition (SD) is the equivalent of DVD resolution. The aspect ratio is more square, like film, and you will get most of the useful detail from regular 8mm and Super 8 film.
High
High Definition
High Definition (HD) is a wider format with about 4 times the resolution of SD, and is the most common resolution in use today. It will retrieve every ounce of detail from 8mm and Super 8 film, and for 16mm makes an even more dramatic difference. The differences between HD and SD can be subtle on smaller screens but as they are viewed on larger displays with increasingly large resolution (such as the latest 4k (also known as Ultra HD) the difference becomes more noticeable.
Need more details? You got it. SD is 720 x 480 pixels. HD is 1920 x 1080 pixels. We always output progressive frames, not interlaced. By default, we output to editable AVI or MOV files (AVI for Windows, and MOV for Mac). SD files are saved as DV codec files which are ~15 GB per hour, and HD files are Motion JPEG for AVI and ProRes for MOV which are ~40-60 GB per hour (ProRes files are larger). Learn more about the common video file formats here.
Direct
Direct Service
Direct service includes editing so that you receive one complete file for each reel or group of small reels. Blank or obviously unwanted areas are removed along with any leader in the editing process.
Complete
Complete Service
Complete service adds hand adjustments to color and contrast for each scene. Color shifting is removed as much as possible, and under or overexposed images are improved.
Want more details on file formats and results? Check out our FAQs.
Let us help you preserve those memories.
Get in touch for a free estimate on your digitization project.
