Digitalizing Old 8mm and Slides
- ReligionX
- Joined: Sat Oct 19, 2002 10:51 am
- Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
- Contact:
Digitalizing Old 8mm and Slides
I searched for this type of thread, and found no such thing. Since a lot of you seem to be well educated in the field of capturing video and images to digital formats, I was wondering if you could help to educate me.
We've got a bunch of old 8mm reels and boxes of slides. We're hoping to get resolution around 600x800, or better if possible.
I've heard that you can run the 8mm film along a track in front of a Digital Video Camcorder, and capture the video that way. Is this completely off the wall, or does anyone have any suggestions?
And we can't come up with any better way to get the images off of the slides short of projecting them, and taking digital pictures. This will work, but seems like a horrible idea. Using a scanner will only get us a 1" x 1" picture. Holding the slides directly in front of a digital camera comes out blurry. Does anyone have any suggestions?
We've got a bunch of old 8mm reels and boxes of slides. We're hoping to get resolution around 600x800, or better if possible.
I've heard that you can run the 8mm film along a track in front of a Digital Video Camcorder, and capture the video that way. Is this completely off the wall, or does anyone have any suggestions?
And we can't come up with any better way to get the images off of the slides short of projecting them, and taking digital pictures. This will work, but seems like a horrible idea. Using a scanner will only get us a 1" x 1" picture. Holding the slides directly in front of a digital camera comes out blurry. Does anyone have any suggestions?
- Kionon
- I ♥ the 80's
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- Joined: Wed May 16, 2001 11:20 pm
Friend of mine had the same problem. Best we came up with - without spending stacks of $$$ - was to project on a quality screen and film it with a camcorder. The prime difficulty is that you can't put the camcorder on the centerline. So it takes some care to minimize a trapezoidal outcome.
For the still pic slides, the solution is as simple as spending some money: slide scanners. Epson might still make a photo-grade flatbed scanner (Perfection series) that has a slide adapter. But your best bet is one of the Nikon or Minolta units that are designed for slides (and negatives). Minolta's go for around $300-$400; Nikon costs more. B&H Photo is a good online source.
For the still pic slides, the solution is as simple as spending some money: slide scanners. Epson might still make a photo-grade flatbed scanner (Perfection series) that has a slide adapter. But your best bet is one of the Nikon or Minolta units that are designed for slides (and negatives). Minolta's go for around $300-$400; Nikon costs more. B&H Photo is a good online source.
- gangstaj8
- Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2003 1:12 pm
- Location: Oregon
- Contact:
I've got a similar project on the back burner. I'd also say slide scanners are the best way to go.
Concerning Film, I managed to find one of those "little black boxes" that transfers an image from your film projector into a camcorder. I can't tell you how well they work cause the old family projector broke down after having been in storage for so long. You may have trouble finding one though, I just came across one at a thrift store. A simple screen will be a lot easier to come by.
Check into some professional options before you decide which road to travel. Spending the money may be worth avoiding the hassle of doing it yourself. Good luck.
Concerning Film, I managed to find one of those "little black boxes" that transfers an image from your film projector into a camcorder. I can't tell you how well they work cause the old family projector broke down after having been in storage for so long. You may have trouble finding one though, I just came across one at a thrift store. A simple screen will be a lot easier to come by.
Check into some professional options before you decide which road to travel. Spending the money may be worth avoiding the hassle of doing it yourself. Good luck.
- oldwrench
- Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2004 4:15 pm
- Location: Erehwon, MN
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Co ... m+to+video
Many good scanners come with film and slide addapters, scanners made for film and slides work better but are more expensive.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6838111118
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6838108112
Many good scanners come with film and slide addapters, scanners made for film and slides work better but are more expensive.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6838111118
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6838108112
Where did you say I'm going?.... And what am I doing in a handbasket?
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- ReligionX
- Joined: Sat Oct 19, 2002 10:51 am
- Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
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Thank you everybody!
I've shown these scanners to my father, and he's not listening to reason. He thinks he's got something figured out through projecting and re-recording. Now all he needs is a video capture card to actually digitalize the footage. The problem that we were having was that we couldn't get the 8MM or Slides converted through any sort of modern input or output (firewire, USB or RedWhiteYellow A/V cables).
gangstaj8, he actually found one of those "little black boxes." I think it's all smoke and mirrors, with more mirrors than smoke. The video quality is terrible, and it's half cut off on the side or blurry on both edges. Since he spent the time and money researching this on his own, he's bent on getting the footage this way.
One he sees how bad it's going to look after digitalizing, burning it to DVD, and then played back on a TV, he might... might pay someone to do it professionally. He's never sat down to do any sort of A/V editing, and thinks that slide scanners sound like they will take to long to work with. It all takes times.
He now wants to do voiceovers... (sigh) so, I'll check out the threads to see if anyone's posted about those things. Home movies. Our 2 tons of photo albums and VHS tapes, 8MM, and slides are all going to be squeezed into 10-15 DVDs. It's unreal.
Thanks again--Over and out - ReligionX
I've shown these scanners to my father, and he's not listening to reason. He thinks he's got something figured out through projecting and re-recording. Now all he needs is a video capture card to actually digitalize the footage. The problem that we were having was that we couldn't get the 8MM or Slides converted through any sort of modern input or output (firewire, USB or RedWhiteYellow A/V cables).
gangstaj8, he actually found one of those "little black boxes." I think it's all smoke and mirrors, with more mirrors than smoke. The video quality is terrible, and it's half cut off on the side or blurry on both edges. Since he spent the time and money researching this on his own, he's bent on getting the footage this way.
One he sees how bad it's going to look after digitalizing, burning it to DVD, and then played back on a TV, he might... might pay someone to do it professionally. He's never sat down to do any sort of A/V editing, and thinks that slide scanners sound like they will take to long to work with. It all takes times.
He now wants to do voiceovers... (sigh) so, I'll check out the threads to see if anyone's posted about those things. Home movies. Our 2 tons of photo albums and VHS tapes, 8MM, and slides are all going to be squeezed into 10-15 DVDs. It's unreal.
Thanks again--Over and out - ReligionX
- oldwrench
- Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2004 4:15 pm
- Location: Erehwon, MN
I converted some old 8mm by projecting it and recording it with a video camera. It wroked ok except it gets lighter and darker because of sync difference between the 8mm and the video camera. It's annoying.
Where did you say I'm going?.... And what am I doing in a handbasket?
Come and join us on the tiny but fun forum at http://www.allanime.org
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- gangstaj8
- Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2003 1:12 pm
- Location: Oregon
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Well, I can't say I'm surpirsed. It seems like a pretty chintzy method. Of course, if one has the money, they could always look into machines like these.ReligionX wrote:he actually found one of those "little black boxes." I think it's all smoke and mirrors, with more mirrors than smoke. The video quality is terrible, and it's half cut off on the side or blurry on both edges.
*dreams of winning the lottery*