Scan Only

(8mm & 16mm)

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 16mm with a max reel size of 2000' and a scanning resolution of 6K.

Base Setup Fee / Minimum Charge is $22.50

FORMAT *

$ PER FOOT

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

$0.45

8mm/Super 8mm 2K Scan

$0.60

8mm/Super 8mm 4K Scan

$0.90

8mm/Super 8mm 5K Scan

$1.35

8mm/Super 8mm 6K Scan

$2.00

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

$0.40

16mm/Super 16mm 2K Scan

$0.50

16mm/Super 16mm 4K Scan

$0.70

16mm/Super 16mm 5K Scan

$0.90

Wetgate Scan (optional)

+$0.20

NEW!

* 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 12-bit DPX 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.

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.

Formats that use the 4:3 ratio are:

Regular 8mm, Super 8, and Regular 16mm

The example pictured is Super 8mm

4:3 Crop Choices

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.

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

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

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

Formats that use the 16:9 ratio are:

Anamorphic 8mm & Super 8, Max 8,

Super 16, and Ultra 16mm

The example pictured is Super 16mm

(and my much younger self!)

Cropped - Overscan - Full Rebate

16:9 Crop Choices

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!

Cropped as the name implies captures the entire image area without any film rebate showing and takes full advantage of the sensor 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.

Let's Get Technical!

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!

Welcome to the FILMFABRIEK HDS+ Motion Picture Scanner. It's expensive enough to have professional level features akin to its top-tier industry brothers, but user-friendly and affordable enough to pass these savings on to you, while boasting very high image quality.

It has a native 5K sensor with the ability to extract true 6K 4:3 resolution.

Key Features:

True frame-by-frame codec-free scanner
Full Spectrum RGB LED
12-bit scans for high colour fidelity and smooth tonal range
8mm, Super 8, & 16mm format support
Native 5K sensor (5320 x 4600 pixels)
6K 4:3 Deliverable (4320 x 3240 pixels)
In-line PTR rollers to minimize dust and debris
Sprocket-less Capstan movement with laser pin registration
Can handle damaged or warped films via active tension control
WetGate Module to remove up to 95% of vertical scratches

NEW!

WETGATE SCANNING

NEW!

WetGate* scanning is a game-changer for those who want to revive and refresh their vintage film collection as pristinely as possible. Isopropyl Alcohol is delivered automatically via the Wetgate Module and soaks the film between two sponges just before image capture. The film then dries before being spooled up on the take-up reel due to isopropyl's high evaporation rate. The fluid fills in up to 95% of vertical scratches which allows the scanner's light to pass through the film without refraction, virtually making the scratches disappear. It's fully analog to get the best possible quality right at the scan stage. Trying to digitally fix scratches afterwards is incredibly time-consuming, processor intensive, laborious and prone to inherent digital softening and artifacts.

A physical fix is always better than a digital one.

For active Super 8/16mm filmmakers WetGate shines when the film has been scratched by the camera and undesirably gouges a vertical line down through people's faces (yes I'm talking to you wedding cinematographers!). The WetGate add-on ensures the footage is free of scratches and provides an extra clean pass of fine dust and dirt. Think of it as car detailing for your freshly processed film.

Don't believe it? See for yourself!

*WetGate can only fix Base-side scratches (viewed as white or black on colour film)

*NO WetGate can fix Emulsion-side scratches (viewed as blue on colour film)

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

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