Recommendations on a good super 8 scanner?

[Habib Beh]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a good quality super 8mm film scanner. My main purpose is to transfer old family films. but I also would like to use it to transfer my own film.  

My search came up with two models:

The Pacific Image Reflecta Super 8+ Scanner

Wolverine Movie Maker

I'm not sure which (if either) is the best choice. Since I don't have much experience in scanning, I'm hoping to get some input/recommendations on which scanner is the better choice.

One thing I did notice is that the Wolverine Movie Maker supports the transfer of regular 8mm, whereas the Pacific Image Scanner does not.

If there are any better options than the two listed above, please feel free to mention them!

Oh, one last thing. For rolls that have sound, what's the best way to transfer the sound? Playback the film on a projector and record it using the headphone jack as the audio source? Or are there scanners that can also transfer sound as well?

Thank you very much!

Edited February 10, 2020 by Habib Beh

[Will Montgomery]

Those units are inexpensive enough for you to purchase and try them out. My experience with the Wolverine was that it was ok to see what was on the film and probably fine for family members to see but no where near the quality I was looking for. Part of what is so great about film is how amazing it can look when transferred properly.

If you are looking for a step up check out http://moviestuff.tv. Significantly more money than what you've mentioned but leaps and bounds higher quality.

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

As Will said.  The Wolverine is OK if you are showing on a phone...maybe. But for everything else it produces subpar content.

I had 2 of them. Had issues with them both. First one broke after 20 sans and ate up film. It was an important beatnik 8mm stag film too. But I was just learning and didn't know proverbial squat about film scans. Second Wolverine had issues before 10 films. Sent both back to BH for refund. If Wolverine produced decent 2K scans then 20 - 30 scans and trash them would be OK for $300. But they don't.

My full res test scan on YT and Vim: Both NSFW

YouTube

 

Vimeo

Below is one of my first 8mm movies I made in 1975 at L.A.C.C. beginning film class. Very rare film about a carnival performer that reenacted a trick they would do in the carnival back in the 1940's - 50's.  I had it scanned and he applied grain reduction software. Kinda plastic look, but still nicer than the rough original option with no grain reduction.

I'd post before and after photos but my upload limit is very low and waste of time with postage stamp size photos.

NSFW

https://archive.org/details/GoneUpInSmoke

Film was scanned frame by frame and I have the TIFF files...but he only sold me the TIFF files for post processed version. I don't have the raw scans. They would have been hundreds of $$ more. You pay for every GD thing with film scans. 

When I had it done, a few years ago, I didn't even know what a MP4 was. Don't know what scanner he used. It is all hush-hush with some of these operations...top secret!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 20, 2020 by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.