Choose Process for 16mm and 35mm Film
Some customers may be wondering just how much information is actually on film. Which is a great question. The following images are a simplification to illustrate some general points. They are not exact and will vary based on specific film stocks.
16mm Film
Pro SD Scan
- This SD scan was performed with a SD professional motion picture film scanner. A 480 line SD scan will get about 1/4 of the available details on the film.
- In addition, you can see the red color shift. This is very common on 16mm and 35mm film.
- Lastly, you can see the surface defects on the film. Actually, the Pro HD shows it better since the SD scan is such a low resolution scan.
Pro HD Scan
- This Pro HD Scan was performed with a HD Professional motion picture film scanner. Although a 1080 line HD scan is better, it only gets at most 50% of the details from the film.
- Compared to the Pro SD scan you can see it has more detail in the child’s face and in the green leaves in the lower left hand corner.
Pro 2K Scan
- This Pro 2K scan was performed with a professional 2K/4K Datacine machine. To archive 16mm film a 2K scan is required.
- Look at the additional detail on the child’s face and in the green leaves on the lower left hand corner compared to the Pro HD scan. This scan also includes our optional color correction.
Pro 4K Scan
- This Pro 4K scan was performed with a professional 4K Datacine machine.
- This example also includes our optional color correction.
- Most 16mm does not require a 4K scan to get the majority of details from the film. But you can go out to a 4K format like 4K – ProRes. This would allow you to create formats for your 4K/UHD TV.
35mm Film
Pro HD Scan
- This HD Scan was performed with a HD Professional motion picture film scanner. A 1080 line HD scan will get about 1/4-1/3 of the available details on the film. You can see how much sharper the 2K and 4K scans are even on this low resolution online picture.
- In addition, you can see the blue color shift. This is very common on both 16mm and 35mm film.
Pro 2K Scan
- This 2K scan was performed with a professional 2K/4K Datacine machine. Although a 2K scan is better, it only gets at most 50% of the details from the film.
- Compared to the HD scan, you can see it has more detail in the face and his chest, etc.
- In addition, you can see the blue color shift was fixed.
Pro 4K Scan
- This 4K scan was performed with a professional 2K/4K Datacine machine. To archive 35mm film a 4K scan is required (our 4K process).
- Even on this lower resolution online version, you can see additional details on his face over the 2K scan.
Our Promise
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
Our service is the best in the business and so is our customer support. If for any reason you are unsatisfied with our results please contact us to discuss any options. *Quality of film conversion and restoration is dependent upon the condition of existing film stock and/or videotape; severely deteriorated original materials may be beyond the reach of even the most sophisticated restoration methods.