Where to find info on converting old 8mm reels

I'm hoping there are some people on the forum that have done this or have some info. I have some old family videos on 8mm reels and I want to convert them to a digital format. I'm pretty sure the only way to do this is run them on a projector and record the projection, however I know nothing about running 8mm projectors.

If anyone knows of any internet resources/forums/etc that might be helpful to me, I would appreciate it. Most sources I have found are either business charging huge amounts or forums that are just people who watch/collect 8mm films (which may be helpful in some ways.)

Thanks!

Keep looking both online and locally for a company that will convert your Super8 movies onto DVD or better yet to uncompressed digital footage they'll put on a thumb drive or hard drive you supply (so you can easily edit the files later).

chas_m said:

Keep looking both online and locally for a company that will convert your Super8 movies onto DVD or better yet to uncompressed digital footage they'll put on a thumb drive or hard drive you supply (so you can easily edit the files later).

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I know there's a lot of companies out there that do this work, but the problem is that they cost an arm and a leg if you have a lot of footage, and don't do much more than what I could do any day, which is start playing on a projector and point a camera at it. I think with the amount I have it could be more cost-effective to do it on my own and I think I could do a better job based on some info I've already found.

The part that begins to equalize costs is that you need a projector which is variable speed, so you can minimize flicker. You have to look through the camera's viewer and nudge the projector rate up or down until it looks best. Unfortunately, variable speed 8mm and Super8 projectors are in demand for this very reason, and are far more expensive. And if you end up needing a bulb replacement, you may be spending the same that a company would charge for a handful of reels. Also, a pro company would ideally scan each frame individually, probably yielding better results.

So it absolutely can be done; you could search for "diy telecine" to find some good examples. But if you have just a few reels, consider sending them out.