8mm Forum: Star Wars - 16mm vs Super 8

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Topic: Star Wars - 16mm vs Super 8

Adam Deierling
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 717
From: OH
Registered: Nov 2010

posted June 30, 2014 08:54 AM

Has anyone ever done a comparison of these? I am curious wich has better image quality, the derann Star Wars or a low fade 16mm print? I have the derann print and its nice, however I can't help but notice the extra sharpness and resolution in my 16mm prints of other titles. Anyone have any insights on this? Really considering getting the 16mm ones.

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Jason Gronn
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 237
From: Boyne Island, Queensland, Australia
Registered: Sep 2013

posted June 30, 2014 09:06 AM

Hi Adam,

go take a look at the 16mm for sale section on the forum there is a video clip from ROTJ in 16mm from Peter Richards here in Australia, and im very tempted but l would rather a S8 print.

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Oemer Yalinkilic
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 547
From: Berlin, Germany
Registered: Jul 2003

posted June 30, 2014 05:50 PM

I had in the past one 16mm original Star Wars (scope fuji) print and Empire original 16mm (flat LPP) and Return of the Jedi original 16mm (scope LPP) print and all prints are definitely better than the Super 8 prints.
The best one was Return of the Jedi.
But the most prints for sale are reduction or dupe prints and I never watched one of this prints, maybe in this case are the S8 prints similar or better.
Also I never watched Empire on Super 8.

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Pete Richards
Master Film Handler

Posts: 302
From: Australia
Registered: Sep 2010

posted June 30, 2014 08:16 PM

The 16mm prints vary a lot.

The Star Wars I have on 16mm has finer grain and more detail than the Derran Super8, but the colour and contrast is better on the Derran.

The 16mm Jedi I have looks a lot better than the Derran Super8 Jedi, better colour, way more detail etc.

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Gary Crawford
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 979
From: Manassas, VA. USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted July 01, 2014 06:15 AM

I had a scope 16mm Star Wars several years ago. It was just so so. Then I bought a Derann print that had been re-recorded in stereo.......and I sold that 16mm print. There was no comparison. Perhaps the 16mm was a bit sharper, but the color palette was off from what it should have looked like. Not reddish, but just not quite right. The 8mm was superb ..and the stereo sound was FAR better. I'm sure most 16mm prints are sharper than their 8mm counterparts, but there are other considerations and in my case, the Super 8 won hands down. I still have it and love it.

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Oemer Yalinkilic
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 547
From: Berlin, Germany
Registered: Jul 2003

posted July 01, 2014 08:54 AM

Note, the mentioned 16mm prints I had in the past, are original rental prints from 20th. Cent Fox.
So the quality was outstanding like any other original prints from the studios.

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Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted July 01, 2014 09:34 AM

I think Star Wars, like Grease is one of those films where the stereo sound capability of super 8 makes for a much more impactful viewing experience than the 16mm mono print.

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Adam Deierling
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 717
From: OH
Registered: Nov 2010

posted July 01, 2014 09:41 AM

The sound is one of those things going through my mind...stereo vs mono. But as much as I like stereo sound, I am really more interested in picture quality and sharpness. I have a few nice features in 16mm and they don't even come close to super 8 prints. And the mono sound? Its really not that bad. Its very clear mono track. Would it be better in stereo or 5.1? yes! But such is a trade off with 16mm prints.

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted July 01, 2014 12:58 PM

Let's face it, those Derann prints were in large part, a fine work of love (and art! certainly for a super 8 print!)

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Larry Arpin
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 953
From: Sunland, CA, USA
Registered: Dec 2006

posted July 01, 2014 11:34 PM

I was fortunate to get a partial feature of Die Hard 3 then a 16mm print became available, both scope. The differences was astounding. Without comparing you would think the s8 was just as good as a 16mm but was not. The difference is the printing. The 16mm is contact printed and s8 goes through glass and mirrors to be printed. I've seen 2 prints on 16mm of Raiders, one on Agfa which wasn't too bad but lacked color saturation. The other was so contrasty it wasn't enjoyable. The s8 is very good. And I'm with Adam with the sound. Yes it is better with stereo sound but I don't mind the mono either.

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