Transferring OLD MOVIE FILM To Digital Format.

[ameerat42]

I found some old Super 8 (not the movie) film rolls (again) the other day while cleaning/reorganising.
(I knew I had them and there are more of them.)

Of course, I started to think about digitising the footage - not just recording it onto video (so 1980s)
Pretty soon I realised it could become bigger than BEN HUR (the movie)!

I have a good (old) Eumig Super/Standard 8 projector... ...and... nothing much else, though I can get hold of a Video 8 camera.
This latter has USB and Firewire out (as well as the unmentionable AV out).

OK, what ideas are out there? All are welcome, as I'm trying for the best reproduction I can, and there's a lot to cover.

Ta.
Am.

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PS: Oh, silly me! I forgot I also have a 1080p-capable smart-phone. - Or, should I just forget about that?

[Mark L]

If it's important images, pay for someone else that has the machines to do it to get best results.

[arthurking83]

If you don't mind spending a few $ on a device to do it .. they are available for between $100 and $200 that will do a job.

Note I said 'A' job .. not 'the best' job.

I reckon it'll depend on how fussy you are, what software you would potentially use to finish off the digital conversion.

I was looking into just such a device about 3 odd years back.
After my sis built a new house on my folks property, there was a massive cleanup of some old junk in every nook and cranny.
In one of those nooks, I found some old Super 8 reels from the 70's. I reckon about 10-20 reels.
For me it was a totally Eureka moment, as I remember most of those films, and that I loved playing with the movie camera from a young age.
Problem was that all the films were seriously affected by mould all the way through the reel .. so after a few days of ... I decided to bury them in a back fill site on the property.

(still devastated from the event) .. but I do remember seeing a small device which can do a digital conversion for 'ya.

If you do just such a thing, you may want to invest in some good software too. I reckon the colour may have faded a bit, and the films may look a lil washed out, so some restoration may be required to give them a nicer feel. I'm not saying that they WILL .. just that they may!
So consider your capture method for this possibility.
You want to try to achieve a good capture data rate, think of it just like uncompressed raw vs raw vs jpg comparative.
Don't worry simply about the video bit rate, ie say 50Mbps vs 200Mbps .. more is better obviously, but not always obvious in the resultant video stream.
Things to contemplate that I reckon may be more important will be colour sampling rates. you probably want a minimum of 4, 2, 2 in this spec, (as opposed to simply having a higher bit rate bandwidth)
even better 4, 4, 4 which is a professional sampling rate.
What this allows is to assist in any restoration of the old film as there is a higher captured colour sample to work with.

I'm thinking one way you could capture the video in a homebrew manner would be to project the film image onto a small matte screen not too far in front of a digital camera with a capable HD video feature. The camera and lens would have to be sealed off from the ambient environment all the way to the matte screen projection. Any stray light from the projector would lower contrast in the digital video capture.
The entire shebang would have to be created in a totally dark environment too.. that is for the projector to also create a well defined image onto the matte screen.

Personally I'd just acquire one of those film to digital conversion devices. ... they look like a film scanner and I think most of them do scan film too .. so they're multi capable.
But like I said, look for the colour sampling specs and if none are listed, then assume the lowest quality capture rate(ie. smartphone quality video!)
Once the conversion has been done .. sell the device. Hopefully minimal loss of funds in that process.

[ameerat42]

If it's important images, pay for someone else that has the machines to do it to get best results.

Mark. I've been looking on the net as well as asking a 2ple of places nearby. There is a very W-I-D-E range of "someones" who purport to
have "the machines", ie. able to do it, but ask what it involves, and I've concluded they're cash registers and the results are usually only "best" for them.
The responses range from none to something dismissive - like, why are you asking? I reckon I would not be able to find anything that's not
too expensive, and besides, the films are not in the Hitchcockian league.

And my ultimate rationale (being mainly a cheapskate) is: What!?!?! Ask somebody else to do what I should be able to do!!! It brings to mind
what Miss Muffet said, No whey, Jose! - The spider was of Spanish background

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...I found some old Super 8 reels from the 70's. I reckon about 10-20 reels
...I remember most of those films, and that I loved playing with the movie camera from a young age...

AK, you an' me, boaf!

...Problem was that all the films were seriously affected by mould all the way through the reel...

...colour may have faded a bit, and the films may look a lil washed out...

Gldly, none of the foregoing.


And ta for the extensive technicalities. I have come across two "little machines", but neither had a couple of hundred attached to them from memory,
so if you do see them again pls let me know. So far, it's the "good transfer" I am wanting to do. Without that any PP would waste time I reckon.

[arthurking83]

The device I originally saw for the super 8 conversion looked something like THIS(link to ebay)

I have no idea how this one works .. can't find any specs as to whether it's automated and whatnot.
The device I originally found years ago was different tho. Can't remember if it's the same brand and stuff either. It looked similar, but I know it was different.

Having had a quick search for other products too, I did find a link to a very non $200 device in the Hammacher Schlemmer digital conversion projector.
Looking at the price, my very well educated guess would be that it's well out of your(and my) price range

Both those products seem to capture each individual frame as opposed to capturing a video of the projected super 8 reel in real time.
That is, they capture each frame where you have to somehow combine them into an actual video. I assume that they come with stills to video creating software of some type tho(otherwise the entire products would be relatively useless as advertised.
This would be good for quality tho.

I'm pretty sure that the device I originally found did a video in real time. I could be wrong tho, as my memory isn't what it (never)used to be!
(I can barely remember what I just typed, let alone stuff from 3 years ago).

I suppose the other question you'd need to elaborate on is what video capturing devices do you have access too.

If I were to do anything like this (now) .. it'd be using the D800 in video mode with some badly cobbled up home made contraption.
Does your projector focus closely to create a condensed aerial image of the projected footage?
Part of my problem was that the projector was found, but not working, so I HAD to purchase something to do a conversion.

[ameerat42]

Yes. I saw that projector-looking machine (and its price) as well.
Ta.

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Hmm! You mean a real image but up close. I dunno. It can get to a few inches across from memory (rutted and pot-holed) lane.
But, that's an idea. A cam in video mode. - And the reels are only 4 mins each. So... project the image "focused at infinity" and
let the cam capture it. -- And vertigo!! The cam would have to be upside down (wouldn't it).

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Boy! I just scrambled out of another pot-hole. That was a deep one. How silly of me! Those 1st machines you're talking about
are film editors!!! I've seen heaps, and no doubt are still available - will look in a tick!...

Here's a variety...
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=s...Ch1Q4gTd&dpr=1

[arthurking83]

The thing (I'm starting to slowly and vaguely remember) I was looking at/for ... I think(still vague-ish) is similar viewer device where you connect a capable camera at one end, and run the reel at the other.
Technically that makes it a telecine machine. (maybe do a search for telecine!)
While it wasn't small, it wasn't unwieldy either. So the film was projected onto a screen inside the device, and with the camera attached to the other end, you 'filmed' the film being played within the confines of this contraption.