BajaNomad

Film transfer to DVD...and more

El Camote - 3-3-2010 at 01:17 PM

Seeing the 1949 Baja travel film posted recently reminded me of this service we offer as a dealer for one of the best transfer houses in southern California.

We just received a client's order with 8mm film from 1956 and the quality was fantastic. In the past 15 years we've been a dealer, we've transfered movie film dating as far back as the 30s and 40s that have exceeded our clients expectations...and ours.

We also offer a full range of video services performed in-house. Your film transfer can be edited with titles, voiceover narration or simply adding a music track. We can also transfer all home video formats including VHS, SVHS, video 8, Hi-8, Digital 8, and DV to DVD.

A special rate for Nomads of 8% off your film transfer from orders of $75 and above.

Woooosh - 3-3-2010 at 01:28 PM

The new film transfer technology is amazing. I recently did this with all our 8mm family films from 1949-1970 using a High-def MiniDV tape option. Ten years ago the technology just wasn't there when I did it to VHS- very poor results. The new transfers are color corrected and amazing. Really brought tears of joy to family members who thought they'd never see their missed loves ones on film again that clearly. No flicker, no threading, still no sound though... :)

DENNIS - 3-3-2010 at 02:13 PM

Remember those old black and white soundless movies of naked people frolicking and cavorting around a bedroom? You know....the man never took off his black shoes and socks........those movies.
I'd sure like to see some of them on the big screen. :lol:

David K - 3-3-2010 at 02:26 PM

I took a Super 8 movie of the 1973 Baja 1000 where the racers left the pavement near Ojos Negros... I may have seen it a couple times afterwards... and that was what, almost 37 years ago!

"Help me El Camote, you're my only hope..." [insert Princess Lea recording her plea before being captured by Darth Vader, here]

Woooosh - 3-3-2010 at 08:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
I took a Super 8 movie of the 1973 Baja 1000 where the racers left the pavement near Ojos Negros... I may have seen it a couple times afterwards... and that was what, almost 37 years ago!

"Help me El Camote, you're my only hope..." [insert Princess Lea recording her plea before being captured by Darth Vader, here]


If you've had them that long, they're still important to you. Ours weren't packed that well over 60 years and they still turned out great. It does not improve the photographers skills though. Having it digitally on the PC is a huge plus. You can post it on YouTube and be famous.

The price shouldn't be too bad for one reel. You do get what you pay for though. I don't know the price per foot for this vendor- but they usually charge a little more per foot for image filtering, high def, color correcting (you can do at home probably).

It is nice to click on the mouse and see my grandfather and father trout fishing years before I was even born. I'll bet many people (geezers like us I guess) have old 8mm reels they don't know what to do with.

El Camote - 3-4-2010 at 12:00 PM

David, there's a minimum charge per order to account for all the handling, shipping, set-up, etc. so one 50ft S-8 reel, if that's what you mean, would be quite pricy to transfer by itself. You're talking about less than 5 minutes of screen time.

Best bet is to find 5 or 6 more reels that size, at least 300 ft, to make it more cost effective. Once it's transfered, I can make you a nice Quicktime or AVI file of just the race footage so you can post it on the internet like whooosh mentions.

[Edited on 3-4-2010 by El Camote]

David K - 3-4-2010 at 05:59 PM

I would like to see you finish the Baja Book Authors interview of 2003...

That lttle reel from 1973 is about 2.5" in diameter... That is the only super 8 film I have.

Yam man...

Mexray - 3-4-2010 at 09:53 PM

Back in the 70's I used a Super 8mm system that synchronized with a cassette recorder for the sound. I then mailed the cassette and the exposed film to the processor who would then deposit a thin oxide strip onto the 8mm film, that they then recorded with the sound from the cassette...

Playback was made on their proprietary projector that 'read' the sound from the strip as the movie was shown...I think I still have my projector stowed away, but, like most people haven't cranked it up in 30 odd years!

I had to crack up at my first attempt at making a 'talkie'...Our usually talkative infant son was in a kind of a swing that was hung with a spring that allowed him to bounce up and down - he loved that thing, and was usually very verbal - except when I broke out the new camera...the only audio was the 'squeeking' of the damn spring as he bounced away!:lol:

I'll bet the guys at the processing lab got a kick out of that one...:yes:

Bob H - 3-4-2010 at 11:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mexray
Back in the 70's I used a Super 8mm system that synchronized with a cassette recorder for the sound. I then mailed the cassette and the exposed film to the processor who would then deposit a thin oxide strip onto the 8mm film, that they then recorded with the sound from the cassette...

Playback was made on their proprietary projector that 'read' the sound from the strip as the movie was shown...I think I still have my projector stowed away, but, like most people haven't cranked it up in 30 odd years

I had to crack up at my first attempt at making a 'talkie'...Our usually talkative infant son was in a kind of a swing that was hung with a spring that allowed him to bounce up and down - he loved that thing, and was usually very verbal - except when I broke out the new camera...the only audio was the 'squeeking' of the damn spring as he bounced away!:lol:

I'll bet the guys at the processing lab got a kick out of that one...:yes:


Ray, would LOVE to see that video! Bob H


[Edited on 3-5-2010 by Bob H]

El Camote - 3-5-2010 at 11:02 AM

Ray, great to hear from you! The other side of the coin is all the silent 8 and S-8mm I have of my family where someone is talking away and all you see is lips moving. Oftentimes, that's preferable. :O

Time to get your footage transfered if you haven't already done it. I'll get you a deal you can't refuse, especially if you have quite a bit.

bufeo - 3-5-2010 at 01:19 PM

Mike, I've sent you a U2U.

Allen

Pompano - 3-5-2010 at 01:43 PM

I bought the program 'Movie Studio Box'....works great. I transferred to computer discs all the old 16mm, 8mm, and VHS movies I have from my father's16mm collection (from the 40's-60's) and my own 8mm and VHS movies from the 60's to last year. I can also make still frame photos.

Pretty great technololgy out there these days. I still have some old movies to do..transfers to DVD...and for better quality, I will get them to this Nomad advertiser, El Camote.


[Edited on 3-5-2010 by Pompano]

bufeo - 3-5-2010 at 02:40 PM

Pompano, have you transferred any 35mm transparencies to
DVDs?

Pompano - 3-5-2010 at 02:46 PM

Not yet, bufeo. Indeed, I am just becoming familiar with this program/machine and do not know if will do transparencies, but I 'think' it would be possible.

My local computer guru, Hugo, is coming to the house manana to check out my s l o w i n g Hughes sat. internet... and I'll ask him.

bufeo - 3-5-2010 at 02:56 PM

Thank you, Pompano. Locally I can get them done for 59¢ each with a $10 set-up charge. I see the service offered via various internet sites for 35¢ ea. plus some s/h charges. I have an absolute ton of transparencies to transfer. It may pay me to purchase the apparatus. I'll wait and see what El Camote says in his reply.

Allen

bajaguy - 3-5-2010 at 03:06 PM

Allen....have you seen this???

http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102962361&...

bufeo - 3-5-2010 at 03:48 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajaguy
Allen....have you seen this???

http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102962361&...


No I hadn't. That's worth looking into. Thanks

Allen

Woooosh - 3-5-2010 at 04:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bufeo
Quote:
Originally posted by bajaguy
Allen....have you seen this???

http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102962361&...


No I hadn't. That's worth looking into. Thanks

Allen


Costco has it for less and with 100 free in-store prints to boot.

None of these do what the original post was about- transferring 8mm movie film though.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11497817&am...;Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&;Dr=P

bufeo - 3-5-2010 at 04:09 PM

Quote:
...None of these do what the original post was about- transferring 8mm movie film though...


You're correct. My apologies for the hi-jack, but I did send El Camote a U2U regarding my question. Sorry.

Allen

Question

tripledigitken - 3-5-2010 at 04:11 PM

I understand the editing software aspect of all this. What HARDWARE is used to record the 8 mm film to a digital format?

Thanks

Telecine

El Camote - 3-6-2010 at 11:13 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by tripledigitken
I understand the editing software aspect of all this. What HARDWARE is used to record the 8 mm film to a digital format?

Thanks


There is no home solution to converting motion picture film to video. It's a complex process requiring frame rate and exposure compensations. It's changing apples to oranges and takes specialized equipment in a telecine chain. This is TWs area of technical expertise, maybe he'll jump in. ;D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecine

The big drawback to the photo/slide transfer devices posted above is no exposure control. Your subject will be either overexposed or underexposed to the point of no visible detail depending on the contrast variation with the background. If your photos/slides are perfectly exposed with a very limited contrast ratio of one or two stops, these would potentially work great. But most of us live in the real world and don't take our pictures in a photo studio with perfect 3-point lighting. Read the product reviews and you'll get an idea how well these work.

Here's another Costco model advertised in their latest flyer
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11486976&search=Image%[Edited on 3-6-2010 by El Camote]

[Edited on 3-6-2010 by El Camote]