How do I know if I have Super 8 or regular 8mm?

Look at the sprocket holes along the edge of the film. Super 8 has smaller, squarer holes positioned between frames — about 0.036" wide. Standard 8mm has larger, rectangular holes that sit next to the frames. Super 8 reels are also typically in plastic housings; Standard 8 reels are often metal or smaller plastic. If you're unsure, take a close-up photo of one frame and we can identify it before you ship.

How long does a typical Super 8 reel run?

A standard 50-foot Super 8 reel (3-inch) runs about 3 minutes 20 seconds at 18 fps (silent) or 2 minutes 30 seconds at 24 fps (sound). 200-foot reels run around 13 minutes silent; 400-foot reels around 27 minutes. When estimating your project, use 50 feet per standard reel unless you know they're larger.

Will you scan my Super 8 if it’s damaged or has that vinegar smell?

Almost certainly yes. Sprocketless transport means the film is held by its edges, not pulled through a gate by sprocket holes — so shrinkage, brittle splices, and torn perforations don't stop us. Vinegar syndrome: we scan it safely until the film becomes too brittle to run at all, which is rare unless decay is very advanced. If we determine your film can't be scanned safely, you pay nothing beyond inbound shipping.

What if my Super 8 has audio — can you capture it?

Yes. Super 8 sound film has a magnetic audio stripe along one edge, and our scanner reads picture and audio in a single pass — delivered synced in the final files. Sound capture is a flat $0.18 per foot across all tiers and formats. Not sure if your film has audio? Look at the edge: a thin brown or brass-colored stripe along one side means it has sound. Or check the cartridge for a "SOUND" marking.

Should I get Access, Preservation, or Archival tier?

Access ($0.42/ft) for watching and sharing on TV — 2K frame-by-frame with H.264 delivery and basic color, better than any bundle service. Preservation ($0.98/ft) for irreplaceable film — 2K with ProRes HQ master, scene-by-scene color in DaVinci Resolve, Topaz AI, automated dust and scratch removal. The default recommendation. Archival ($1.65/ft) for institutional, grant-funded, or estate work — 4K, ProRes 4444 + DPX, reference-grade color, manual frame-by-frame restoration, FADGI documentation.

How should I pack my Super 8 reels?

Reels in their original cans or cases if you have them. Wrap each reel individually in bubble wrap or paper. Pack in a sturdy box with padding (crumpled paper or bubble wrap) — the reels shouldn't shift when you shake the box gently. Include a copy of your order number and any notes about the collection. We send a prepaid, insured FedEx or UPS label when you place your order — everything tracked door-to-door.

Super 8 Film Digitization: Frame-by-Frame Archival Scanning

01 / What we scan

Super 8, identified.

If you have small reels with square sprocket holes and a plastic cartridge somewhere in the collection, you likely have Super 8. Here's the quick reference.

Kodak’s home-movie format, 1965 — present

Released by Kodak in 1965 as a successor to Standard 8mm. Super 8 dominated home movies through the 1970s and 80s until camcorders took over. Still manufactured today for filmmakers and enthusiasts.

Gauge: 8mm (wider image than Standard 8)
Sprocket holes: Small, square, between frames
Frame rate: 18 fps silent · 24 fps sound
Reel length: 50 ft (3-inch) · 200 ft · 400 ft
Runtime per 50 ft: ~3:20 silent · ~2:30 with sound
Audio: Magnetic stripe along film edge (sound film only)
Common stocks: Kodachrome · Ektachrome · Tri-X

Not sure what you have?
8mm and Super 8 look similar at a glance.

Format guide

02 / Why Super 8 needs care

Super 8 film is fragile now.

The newest Super 8 home movies are 40+ years old. The oldest are approaching 60. Three kinds of deterioration are active in nearly every collection — each one disqualifies film from most consumer conversion services.

01 · Vinegar Syndrome

Acetate breakdown

Cellulose acetate film releases acetic acid as it degrades — the vinegar smell in old film cans. Advanced cases cause shrinkage, curling, and fragility. Once started, it accelerates.

Sprocketless handles it

02 · Color Fade

Magenta shift

Ektachrome loses its yellow and cyan dyes first, shifting toward magenta. Kodachrome is more stable but still fades over decades. Scene-by-scene correction recovers most of it.

Color-managed grading

03 · Shrinkage

Sprocket misalignment

Film contracts over decades, typically 0.3 — 1.5%. On a projector or sprocket-driven scanner, sprocket holes no longer line up — the film tears or jams. Sprocketless transport ignores sprocket alignment entirely.

Up to 1.5% shrinkage

Most consumer scanning services use sprocket-driven transports built for new film. Anything with shrinkage, vinegar, or perforation damage either gets refused or damaged in the gate. Sprocketless transport is the difference between “we can scan this” and “we can’t accept it.”

03 / Sound recovery

Does your Super 8 have audio?

Most customers don't know. Super 8 sound film carries a magnetic audio stripe along one edge — barely visible unless you know where to look. If it's there, we capture it in a single pass alongside the picture scan.

Super 8 sound film cross-section

The magnetic stripe

The audio you didn’t know you had.

Super 8 sound film has a thin magnetic-oxide stripe along one edge — usually brown or brass-colored when you look closely. A narrower “balance” stripe runs along the opposite edge to keep the film flat as it winds. If the cartridge says “SOUND” or your reels show that distinctive edge coloration, there’s audio on them.

01
Captured in one pass
Our scanner reads picture and magnetic audio simultaneously. No second pass, no sync issues, no separate audio transfer fee beyond the per-foot rate.
02
Delivered synced
Audio embedded in the ProRes master and H.264 access copy. Plays on any device with sound — no manual syncing required.
03
+$0.18/ft surcharge
Flat rate across all tiers. Preservation tier sound film: $1.16/ft.

Full guide to Super 8 sound

04 / Choose your tier

Three tiers. One standard.

All three tiers use frame-by-frame scanning and sprocketless transport. Differences are in resolution, output format, cleaning, and documentation. Rates shown are for silent Super 8.

Tier 1 · Access

Access

$0.42/ ft silent · $0.60 sound

2K frame-by-frame scan
Auto white balance & exposure
Basic global color pass
Basic stabilization
H.264 MP4 delivery
Vault free for first year
Original film returned on new reels

For: Families who want a reliable digital copy to watch and share. Better quality than any bundle service.

Tier 2 · Preservation

Preservation

$0.98/ ft silent · $1.16 sound

2K frame-by-frame scan
Scene-by-scene color in DaVinci Resolve
Topaz AI enhancement
Advanced stabilization
Automated dust & scratch removal
ProRes 422 HQ master + H.264
Vault free for first year

For: Irreplaceable film that deserves an archival master. The tier most customers choose.

Tier 3 · Archival

Archival

$1.65/ ft silent · $1.83 sound

4K frame-by-frame scan
Reference-grade color (custom LUTs, flicker correction, fade restoration)
Topaz AI with operator-reviewed model selection
Manual frame-by-frame restoration on problem sections
FADGI documentation included
ProRes 4444 + DPX + H.264
Chain of custody documentation

For: Professionals, institutions, estates. Grant-funded projects and archival masters of record.

Film handling & prep: $50 base + $6/reel. Order minimum: $150. Shipping at-cost both ways on FedEx/UPS commercial account, insurance bundled. Damaged or distressed film is quoted after inspection rather than via automatic surcharges.

05 / Your film's journey

From your hands to archival master.

What happens to your Super 8 reels after you send them. Every step logged, documented, and reversible.

01Day 1
Intake & barcoding
Your shipment arrives. Each reel is assigned a unique barcode, photographed, and logged. We weigh and measure the collection, then send a confirmation email with the intake report.
Timing
Same-day on receipt
You receive
Intake confirmation email
02Day 1 — 3
Inspection & condition report
Each reel is visually inspected for vinegar syndrome, shrinkage, brittle splices, mold, and edge damage. A written condition report documents what we found, any treatment required, and whether the film is suitable for its intended tier.
Timing
1 — 3 business days
You receive
Written condition report
03Week 1
Prep & cleaning
Each reel hand-cleaned with conservation-grade pads and solutions. Failed splices repaired by hand. New leaders attached. Preservation and Archival tier reels are rewound onto new plastic industry-standard reels.
Timing
1 — 2 days per 10 reels
Depends on
Tier + film condition
04Week 1 — 3
Frame-by-frame scan
Reels run through sprocketless transport one frame at a time. 2K or 4K capture depending on tier, 16-bit RAW in the scanner's native colorspace. Sound film gets magnetic audio captured in the same pass as the picture.
Throughput
~200 ft/hr Preservation
Typical order
1 — 2 days active scanning
05Week 2 — 4
Post-processing & color
Scene-by-scene color correction (Preservation and Archival). Output encoding to ProRes 422 HQ (or DPX for Archival), plus an H.264 access copy for easy viewing. Full QC pass against the original scan.
Per reel
15 — 30 min color work
QC standard
Frame-accurate sync check
06Week 3 — 5
Delivery & return
Vault link delivered first — usually 24 — 48 hours before the physical return ships. Your original film is packed in its returned condition and shipped back insured and tracked.
You receive
Vault link + film return
Total turnaround
3 — 5 weeks typical

06 / What it actually costs

Three common orders.

Estimated totals including scanning, handling, and shipping (at-cost both ways with insurance). Final total locks at intake — no checkout surprises.

preservation tier

6 reels, silent

Six 50-ft Super 8 reels — a typical family drawer's worth. Preservation tier with USB 128 GB backup.

Scanning · 300 ft @ $0.98: $294
Film H&P · $50 + ($6 × 6): $86
Vault Family Y1: $0
USB 128 GB: $65
Shipping (both ways, est.): ~$28

Total~$473

Starter order — fits a drawer, ships in one box.

preservation tier

20 reels, mixed

Twenty 50-ft Super 8 reels, half silent and half with magnetic sound stripe. Preservation tier with USB 512 GB backup.

Scanning · 1,000 ft @ $0.98: $980
Sound · 500 ft @ $0.18: $90
Film H&P · $50 + ($6 × 20): $170
USB 512 GB: $129
Shipping (both ways, est.): ~$48

Total~$1,417

Typical full-collection order — most customers land here.

preservation tier

60 reels, 3,000 ft

Sixty 50-ft reels from a full family collection. Bulk discount activates (15% off footage above 2,000 ft). Preservation tier with USB 1 TB backup.

First 2,000 ft @ $0.98: $1,960
Next 1,000 ft @ $0.98 × 0.85: $833
Sound · 500 ft @ $0.18: $90
Film H&P · $50 + ($6 × 60): $410
USB 1 TB: $189
Shipping (both ways, est.): ~$90

Total~$3,572

Estate-scale order — bulk discount + larger drive.

Exact total shown before payment. Shipping at-cost on FedEx/UPS commercial account (typically 20 — 30% below retail) both ways with insurance bundled. Vault free for year one; renewal pricing on the pricing page.

Estimate your project

07 / Sample scans