8mm Forum: Super 8-to-digital Transfer Service Recommendation Wanted

This is topic Super 8-to-digital Transfer Service Recommendation Wanted in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=009247

Posted by David M. Ballew (Member # 1818) on June 23, 2014, 02:35 PM:

Can anyone recommend a Super 8-to-digital transfer service that won’t cost an arm and a leg? There are several here in Burbank, but they seem geared toward the professional or semi-professional filmmaker and not so much the ordinary home movie trade. As you might expect, they charge a little more than I am willing to spend.

I have a 400-foot sound reel of family home movies with tape splices every 50 feet. I also have three 200-foot silent reels with numerous tape splices throughout, owing to the way these particular films were edited. All four reels run at 18fps.

While I don’t want to spend an outrageous amount, I also want to be sure the people (company) I entrust my films to will handle them gently and with appropriate care. The visual results don’t necessarily have to be stratospheric, but should meet ordinary standards of acceptability. My big concern is with the tape splices, which are north of 25 years old. I don’t want someone innocently treating my films with a cleansing agent and peeling away my Presstapes!

Any sensible advice will be hugely appreciated. Thanks so much.

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on June 24, 2014, 01:30 AM:

Yale Film and Video might still have a basic analog Elmo transfer station at reduced rates as compared to Rank transfer. Also there used to be a business in Northridge called something like the Transfer Station that offered multiple quality levels and costs.

But a MovieStuff rig that scans whole frames into a computer probably looks better and doesn't end up cropped. Not sure who has one of those locally.

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2