8mm & Super 8 Films Digitizer Converter

After having tried many times to get a collection of family 8mm films into digital format but always being dissatisfied by poor flickering finally decided to purchase this scanner. Read all the reviews and nearly put off by the negative comments. However found it works well, true the resulting image does have some artifacts but these are minor compared to the lovely clean image. I have run through about 40 4min films and not have any broken or damaged films. The instructions are very light weight, but if followed will enable the digitiser to be operated very simply. Some of the negative feedback must be as the result of improper use as the comments don't relate to my experience. My only concern may be about the durability of the unit, as there has been some change in the noise of the feed mechanism during the time I have been using it. I will continue to assess this while I complete my digitisation of my collection. It may be wearing in or wearing out.... at the present I am very satisfied.

Initially I tried to feed the film as shown on the instructions book / diagram on the unit itself, but the film path on the unit was completely different. The film was jamming and juddering badly producing files which were useless. However, closer examination revealed that there are now a total of three tabs, one at each end of the front edge of the film guide (they are not marked in white) and one central tab (marked in white) nearest the machine. It’s a little tricky at first to feed the film in but once completed it feeds reliably and produces a pleasing result, worth persevering. The instructions and film path on the machine need updating, in fact the booklet makes quite entertaining reading with some of the translated descriptions. Overall, a useful unit which will digitize your home cine films, though at 30 minutes for a 3 minute film it’s not a speedy process - fortunately once it’s set in motion it can be left to its own devices as long as you don’t have too many bulky splices. The overall appearance of the unit is very plasticky and cheap looking but it functions well enough so I feel that can be forgiven. The output mp4 files have to be slowed down but there’s lots of free software out there which will accomplish this very speedily. Well worth considering.

The principle of this machine is fine but in practice it is poorly designed and simply not fit for purpose. After 2 hours of trying to scan I gave up, not having completed a single reel. The scanner was constantly jamming and when it did run the camera was out of sync and would shot between frames as the film was moving. I followed some advice from others who have experienced the same issues but to no avail. I would be amazed if this machine cost more than £25 to make.

Fantastically easy to use, quick and capable of surprisingly good results straight from the box. A costly item but if you have a number of old super 8 home movies, well worth it to see them again in compact mp4 format. Scan speed is about 2fps so a 10minute film will take about an hour and a half to record, memory size is not a problem on a fat format sd card, 32GB is supplied which is ample. Need to keep an eye on the process as bad film splices can make it hang up, auto exposure and tram/zoom adjust are simple and rarely need adjusting. Film will run too fast and needs to be slowed down by some simple computer editor at a ratio of 18/30 to give smooth natural motion. All in all an excellent piece of kit

This product is temperamental to say the least. The initial set-up takes a little practice, but after a couple of goes you'll get the hang of it. I recommend unwinding the films initially if they haven't been used in a while. The ones I converted hadn't been watched in 20+ years, and we're stuck together in parts. It makes it easier for the machine. I used tweezers to place the film under the 3 tabs. It's quite difficult doing this with big fingers! And rather than following the instructions with the route of the film to the empty reel, if you look at my photo I found this worked better. Otherwise the film becomes taught and doesn't flow well. Then patience is the key. My first unit broke after 4 reels, the digital screen stopped working. I returned it, and the replacement had been opened and used before, so I sent that one back too. Frustrating... It isn't worth the money, but other options are limited.

Works well, although replay menus are a bit random. Also the Kodak splice mid reel will invariably get you when it jams. Videos are at a higher frame rate, can be adjusted with third party apps or on-line. Grandkids didn't mind the speeded up replays. The five inch reel supplied is a bit wonky, but I have a few of my own. Very pleased I could convert all my films at a low average cost. Threading the film is easiest on the white leader and then pull through to the start frame before switching on. Be prepared to renew some splices. A good purchase, especially as I caught the fifty pounds discount.