[fotoreporter1975]

Fake scanning of transparencies and film by using a macro lens on a good DSLR is a nice concept that is very imperfect. I've been converting film to digital media for clients for a few years. I've set up a similar workbench using an inverted color enlarger head with color correction capability. I've used it to convert 135mm and medium format media. I've also tested the same against a dedicated film scanner and a good Epson flatbed scanner with film scanning capabilities.

Nothing beats a film scanner. The flatbed and the DSLR method were essentially tied-- not because they produced the same images, but because both produced equally good or mediocre images that looked different from each other , thus requiring more attention in post. The variables were the type of film (Kodak, Agfa, Ansco etc) and contrast quality of the original work.

It would be far easier for the OP to get the 8mm movie converted to DVD and do a screen capture for cleanup later in software.

M

Hi Miguel,

on this I have to disagree. If you take a look at my results they are tied with the ones of a drum film scanner (albeit the drum scanner can go up to 12.000 dpi).

The problem with this method is achieve the perfect alignment and the correct focus; you can obtain both simply using live view to focus and avoiding enlargers, copy stands etc.. You simply have to put the camera directly on top of the film, using a metal hood as a spacer / light screen (look at the pictures in my post to have a better idea, please).

[HGMonaro]

my thoughts... a DVD copy of the 8mm film is going to be DVD quality at best unless they can extract a HD version (something to ask before getting it done). A frame taken from a DVD will be the DVD resolution... not great. A HD source will be 1920x1080 at best, DVD most likely 720x480 (something like that) in a NTSC world. Making a print from that will be bad at best, but more likely to be terrible if you want it bigger than a postage stamp! looking at the actual size of a frame of 8mm (4.8 x 3.5mm according to Google) then scanning it at 4000dpi with a film scanner would yield a 755x551 pixel image... about DVD quality!! (although the quality of those pixels might be better depending on the scanner). hmm thought it might be better than that. Enlarging 4.8x3.5mm of film optically, if my calcs are correct, a 10x8" print would be like marking a 46" enlargement from a 35mm neg... that's not going to look good! Taking a macro shot of the frame using a digital camera might be the best way to get the resolution needed for a decent sized print. What this shows is that moving images don't need to be high resolution to entertain! Any method is going to very dependent on the quality of the frame on the 8mm film. A better likeness might be obtained by one of those guys that sketch charactertures of you at tourist attractions...

[Colbyt]

I surely do respect everyone of you technical guys and I am sure your assessments are 100% correct.

I just want to point out that most folks do not demand the quality most of us expect. If they did the 110 cameras would never have lasted as long in the market as they did. Also, sentimental images of a reduced quality are far better than none at all. I personally have some not so great family pictures of people and places that no longer exist and while I may cringe a bit when I see the quality, I enjoy them all the same.

[LazyPup]

I have done this many times, but I use an oldschool method that is almost lost to the new generation.

It would be extremely difficut to do with an enlarger even if you had the proper size negative carrier because the movie film frame is a positive image, and you normally need a negative for the enlarger, although it is possible to do direct printing, but that is often an expensive, time consumling nightmare in the home darkroom.

I have an Asahi Pentax Auto Bellows with the Slide Copier attachment. I attach my Pentax K10 or K20 to the Bellows, then I place a 35mm, 16mm, or 8mm slide or movie film strip in the slide copier, then I extend the bellows, which has the same effect as cropping a 35mm slide, until I get the smaller format full frame in the viewfinder. Make final focus adjustments with the slide copier bellows and snap a pic and voila', you have a full frame digital image to work with.