Transfer Super8, 8mm and 16mm Film Reels To Digital

Transfer Super8, 8mm and 16mm Film Reels To USB, DVD, and Digital Download

Vintage 8mm home movies on film reels with film leaders and spools.

Do you have old film reels that you can no longer play? At PipeWolf Media we can convert your Super8, 8mm and 16mm film reels to a digital format called MP4, this is the most universal file format for videos.

We’re able to transfer Super8, 8mm and 16mm film reels, with and without audio.

Pricing:

$45 Set up fee, and then $4 per minute of tape, rounded up to the nearest minute per film reel for the following film formats:

16mm Film Reels (with and without sound)
8mm and Super8 Film Reels (with sound)
8mm and Super 8 Film Reels scanned on Wolverine scanner (without sound)

$45 Set up fee, and then $8 per minute of tape, rounded up to the nearest minute per film reel for the following film formats:

8mm and Super 8 Film Reels scanned on PipeWolf scanner (without sound)

When we receive the film reels, we’ll assess them to see if they require any cleaning or repairs.

We charge $25 per reel for cleaning and $40 per reel for repairs.

We’ll transfer each film reel to a MP4 file but can use another format upon request.

Film reels are transferred via a film scanner – excellent quality image
Payment is only required when the order is complete
30-day satisfaction guarantee

Wolverine and PipeWolf 8mm and Super8 Film Scanners

We have two ways we can scan 8mm and Super8 film reels, the Wolverine scanner and the PipeWolf scanner.

The Wolverine scanner only scans at 1080p resolution.
It’s a fully automated standalone unit, and we have two machines, so orders processed on the Wolverine scanners will be turned around more quickly.

The PipeWolf scanner is a custom build that we made in-house. It can scan up to 2K (upon request).
It’s a more complex system and involves manual editing to finalise the transfer process. Orders processed on the PipeWolf scanner will take longer to turnaround.

The above video shows a side-by-side comparison of each scanner.

The set-up fee for both scanners is $45, the Wolverine scanner is $4 per minute of film, while the PipeWolf scanner is $8 per minute of film.

Three Ways To Receive Your Digital Video Files

USB/Harddrive

Supplied by you or purchase through PipeWolf Media.

Cloud File Download

We provide a shareable Dropbox link to your digital files (suitable for orders until 30GB in total, link will expire after 30-days).

DVD

Supplied by you or purchase through PipeWolf Media.

Online Calculator

Click here to use our online calculator and get an instant quote for your film reel transfer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do media transfers for film reels take?

We use a digital scanner to transfer 8mm film, each frame is digitally scanned one at a time and our software then processes all the frames together and we export the video. It takes approx. 30-mins to scan 1-min of 8mm film.

Once we’ve transferred the tape we then need to export the file and copy it onto to your USB/hard drive/DVD, depending on the size of the file this can take a little while. Generally we’d allow for a few days to complete an order of multiple film reel transfers.

If you need your film reels transferred quickly please let us know ahead of time so we can accommodate tight deadlines.

Is there are bulk discount for large orders?

Unfortunately we don’t offer a discount for large orders.

What happens if a film reel is too old to play?

We’ll make every effort to transfer all of your film reels – sometimes tapes are old and unfortunately they can’t be transferred. We only charge for reels that are successfully transferred.

What size USB do I need to put my film reels onto?

Great questions – As a rule-of-thumb, a 3-min 8mm film reel will convert to a file under 1GB.

It’s important to keep in mind that the actual storage space on a USB or hard drive is usually around 80%, as a rule of thumb, of what was advertised. That means if you have an 8GB USB you may only be able to fit 7GB of data on there.

How can I tell if my film reel has audio on it?

With Super 8 film, a reel that only has sprockets (and is solid black) is silent. If the reel has a thin yellow or rust-colored strip alongside the reel next to the sprockets and a thicker yellow-colored strip on the other edge of the reel, then congrats! You’ve got a film with sound.

How to get your Super8, 8mm and 16mm Film Reels to us

Step 1

Contact us to book an appointment.

All our drop off and pickups are by appointment only.
Our office is in Berkeley, a short 10-min drive from Wollongong.

When we’re not out filming, our office hours are 10am – 6pm Monday – Friday.

Call, text or email us to book a time to drop your film reels off to us at 7 Stafford Street, Berkeley.

We can also pick up tapes anywhere in the Illawarra or orders can be posted to our office.

Step 2

Fill out our client form.

Please fill out our quick and easy online form before you drop the film reels off.

Step 3

Drop your tapes off.

Drop your film reels off at the time you’ve booked. We’ll transfer everything and contact you when they’re ready for pick up.