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I've got an 'even worse' problem - a box of about 20 different 8mm (or similar) reel-to-reel tapes, containing family videos from perhaps as far back as the 196

by Jedd 6y ago

I've got an 'even worse' problem - a box of about 20 different 8mm (or similar) reel-to-reel tapes, containing family videos from perhaps as far back as the 1960s, but certainly much from the early 1970s. The tape tins themselves don't reveal anything about the media type or actual content. Apparently there are some cheap (~A$500) devices that let you convert these directly to digital, but reviews and blogs suggest highly variable results, probably based on how well the tapes have been stored. Paying someone to convert them is hideously expensive, however, and is generally charged on a per-tape processed rather than viable output basis -- which is why most people stump up for a 'single use' device and spend the time. On the upside, at least there's no audio track for these things.

shiftpgdn 6y ago
I would be curious to see how well a dslr with a remote trigger and a nema stepper motor could capture an 8MM reel. The quality would be really incredible if done right.
- Jedd 6y ago
  Yup - I (and lots of other people : ) have considered that option, but equipment isn't readily available, so it's a bit of DIY needed there, and when working with old, brittle film, this adds to the risk. I suspect the process would be very time-consuming, and generate huge amounts of data. An easier / cheaper way that seems fairly popular is to buy an old projector, set it up square to a good screen / wall in a very dark room, and just record that. The quality loss is probably going to be modest, given the low-quality of the original material in any case.
- snarfy 6y ago
  I setup something like this for a friend, except it was a rig for doing stacked focus photography. The rig is basically a stepper motor, driver, arduino, and IR LED. Most cameras have remote controls and you can program the arduino to send camera trigger signals with the IR LED. It shouldn't be much modification to get it to turn a reel and take a photo. https://github.com/zenakuten/cameraslide https://github.com/zenakuten/cameraslide

by Jedd 6y ago

shiftpgdn 6y ago

I would be curious to see how well a dslr with a remote trigger and a nema stepper motor could capture an 8MM reel. The quality would be really incredible if done right.

Jedd 6y ago
Yup - I (and lots of other people : ) have considered that option, but equipment isn't readily available, so it's a bit of DIY needed there, and when working with old, brittle film, this adds to the risk. I suspect the process would be very time-consuming, and generate huge amounts of data. An easier / cheaper way that seems fairly popular is to buy an old projector, set it up square to a good screen / wall in a very dark room, and just record that. The quality loss is probably going to be modest, given the low-quality of the original material in any case.
snarfy 6y ago
I setup something like this for a friend, except it was a rig for doing stacked focus photography. The rig is basically a stepper motor, driver, arduino, and IR LED. Most cameras have remote controls and you can program the arduino to send camera trigger signals with the IR LED. It shouldn't be much modification to get it to turn a reel and take a photo. https://github.com/zenakuten/cameraslide https://github.com/zenakuten/cameraslide