Scan Only

(8mm, 16mm, & 35mm)

Whether you want to digitize old family reels or current footage of your latest project, I can provide affordable, fine quality scans at prices that don't involve taking out a second mortgage.

I scan all modern, popular formats up to 35mm with a max reel size of 2000' and a scanning resolution of 2K.

Base Setup Fee / Minimum Charge is $18

FORMAT *

$ PER FOOT

8mm/Super 8mm HD (1080p) Scan

$0.36

8mm/Super 8mm 2K Scan

$0.50

16mm/Super 16mm HD (1080p) Scan

$0.25

16mm/Super 16mm 2K Scan

$0.35

35mm 4-perf HD (1080p) Scan

$0.14

35mm 4-perf 2K Scan

$0.18

35mm 3-perf HD (1080p) Scan

$0.19

35mm 3-perf 2K Scan

$0.24

35mm 2-perf HD (1080p) Scan

$0.28

35mm 2-perf 2K Scan

$0.36

* All scans will be saved to ProRes 422 codec (QuickTime .mov) unless otherwise specified. All footage will be captured in Overscan unless otherwise specified (see explanation below). Prep and clean services come standard: They include splicing fresh leader and tail (should it be needed), a careful pass of dedicated film cleaner to remove any stubborn grime or dirt, and repair of old or broken splices.

Delivery

Film will be scanned as One Light or Best Light. I'll take the best overall exposure of each reel and use that information to deliver a well-balanced image throughout. Ideally I will bring out the characteristic curves of the given film type without too much post-processing. All your over- and underexposures will remain intact for a fairly honest representation of your film at the time of exposure. This is a great way to see what you've shot with the advantage of learning the idiosyncrasies of your camera and/or metering methods.

I scan all footage in the maximum quality setting possible; as an uncompressed 8-bit TIFF image sequence. This method allows me to colour correct from the best raw source footage. Final delivery will be saved to ProRes 422 10-bit codec which offers much smaller file sizes without any noticeable degradation of image quality. I will not provide the uncompressed image sequence unless you ask for it. **

** Please note that a 50' Super 8 reel in 2K 8-bit TIFF can chew up approximately 25 GB of data versus an equivalent 3 GB ProRes file. Bigger reels or more footage will only compound the data sizes.

Want to know how much memory your film project will take? Scroll to the bottom of this page for some handy Calculators.

Please remember to include a Hard Drive, SSD, or USB Stick with your reel drop-off.

Overscan, Full Rebate, or Cropped

( from 4:3 or 16:9 Source Footage)

With 4:3 source footage you have 5 crop choices that you can choose from upon delivery of your scan.

Accompanying each crop is the exact pixel dimensions for an HD or 2K delivery so that you can make the most informed choice.

Formats that use the 4:3 ratio are:

Regular 8mm, Super 8, Regular 16mm &

4-perf 35mm.

The example pictured is Super 8mm

4:3 Crop Choices

2K 1536px

HD 1080px

Cropped - Overscan - Full Rebate

By default all footage will be captured in Overscan . This shows the whole image frame with a little extra film rebate all around. Best for cropping your footage exactly how you want to afterwards or choose to leave it as is.

HD 1440px

2K 2048px

2K 1536px

HD 1080px

Full Rebate captures the entire width of the film gauge including perforations. Best for showing your social media friends that you actually originated on film!

16:9 Crop Choices

HD 1080px

2K 1152px

HD 1920px

2K 2048px

HD 1440px

2K 2048px

2K 1536px

HD 1080px

Cropped as the name implies captures the entire image area without any film rebate showing and takes full advantage of the sensor's HD or 2K pixel width. 16:9 delivery will be pillarboxed.

HD 1080px

2K 1152px

HD 1920px

2K 2048px

HD 1440px

2K 2048px

With 16:9 source footage there are 3 crop options to consider.

Accompanying each crop is the exact pixel dimensions for an HD or 2K delivery so that you can make the most informed choice.

Formats that use the 16:9 ratio are:

Anamorphic 8mm & Super 8, Max 8, Super 16, Ultra 16, Anamorphic 16mm, Anamorphic 4-perf 35mm, 3-perf 35mm, & 2-perf 35mm.

The example pictured is Super 16mm

(and my much younger self!)

Cropped - Overscan - Full Rebate

16:9 Crop Choices

2K 1152px

HD 1080px

HD 1920px

2K 2048px

2K 1152px

HD 1080px

Full Rebate captures the entire width of the film gauge including perforations. Best for showing your social media friends that you actually originated on film!

HD 1920px

2K 2048px

2K 1152px

HD 1080px

Cropped as the name implies captures the entire image area without any film rebate showing and takes full advantage of the sensor's HD or 2K pixel width. Depending on the source format used, some extra cropping into the top/bottom or left/right is likely. I will choose the less egregious option.

HD 1920px

2K 2048px

Let's Get Technical!

Learn more about my scanner to decide whether this is the right service for you

Dedicated motion picture film scanners, on the most basic level, should be able to scan true frame-by-frame, codec-free, uncompressed image sequence files saved to a hard drive, SSD or USB stick. This method alone is by far superior to the old days of video transfer services. You may remember your dad or grandfather videotaping projected Super 8 film off the wall or by using a video transfer screen. Small business professional transfer services at the time weren't much better than that!

My desire to have a "proper" film scanner that was multi-format compatible left me with only one choice between two extremes. On one end was the cheap, consumer-grade Wolverine film scanner. The image quality is terrible, and it can only scan 8mm/Super 8 film in HD only. On the other end were professional level systems, like the Lasergraphics Scanstation & DFT Scanity. With six figure price tags, comprehensive training and ongoing maintenance schedules, I decided it was not necessary to deep dive into this for ultimate image quality. My goal was to offer a mid-level system that would satisfy the needs of most people.

That left the Retroscan Universal Mark-II. It's expensive enough to have professional level features akin to its top-tier brothers, but user-friendly and affordable enough to pass these savings on to you, while boasting high enough image quality for all but the most discerning filmmakers.

Key Features:

Sprocketless design. There are no claws or pinch rollers to potentially damage your precious films. The transport rollers handle film only by the edges with no image area contact so that even old, brittle or warped footage can safely travel through the system
Cool and bright LED lamp eliminates film damage caused by bulb heat
Lightpin sensor provides excellent, steady registration for all film types
True frame-by-frame, Codec-free scans captured as uncompressed 8-bit TIFFs
2K resolution for fine quality scans of your 8mm, 16mm and 35mm source material

Limitations

Most aspiring or amateur filmmakers just want to see what they shot and this is who my service is geared towards.

As a result I do not offer "timed" grading sessions. Since every shot will not be a keeper or contender for your latest film project, not every reel needs an expensive 4K or higher scan. By scanning up to 2K max and offering attractive pricing, you can save on needless data filling up your hard drives, while having full "rushes" (as we call it in the film biz) of all your footage. Then later you can decide which reels or sections of film get further high-end scanning treatment at another shop like Frame Discreet or Niagara Custom Lab for that final grade of your festival worthy film.

For those that just want to transfer home movies then this service should exceed expectations!

Archiving Do's and Don'ts

Contrary to popular belief, digital media does not last forever (generally 2-15 years)

Digital standards and media formats change regularly over time

Make multiple copies of your digital scans. Consider the cloud & local storage options like SSD, external drives, and/or BluRays

You're original film is the best archive and proper care must be taken to ensure longevity

ALWAYS keep a copy of your ORIGINAL FILM! It is the highest resolution storage option and the best backup available

Film has the potential to last several hundred years

Store your films in a cool dry place

Do not expose them to high humidity or damp environments

As scanning technology improves, or if you desire a higher quality scan, only the ORIGINAL film can get you there

Calculators

Estimate what your films translate to in disk drive space. Think of it as INPUT and OUTPUT.

Enter the film footage amount by reel or the total collection that you are planning to scan. Then use the calculated Run-time and enter it into the Video length parameter. The default Codec is ProRes 422 HQ 1080 or ProRes 422 HQ 2K depending on your final scan resolution.

Shooting a new project? Use this calculator by entering any parameter first - like the total Run-time desired to get the amount of film you'll need
24 fps doesn't normally need to change unless you know what frame rate you shot at. Vintage films were typically shot at 18 fps for Super 8 and 16 fps for Regular 8

Choose the TIFF 1080 8-bit RGB Uncompressed file format if you think you may want the native scan data. Be warned, they are big. 2K TIFF files are roughly 12%-15% larger than the 1080 calculation
24 fps doesn't normally need to change

These are just estimates. Please allow for additional storage space when dropping off your hard drive, SSD or USB stick