Film Digitization

CFA’s experienced film technicians can digitize your 35mm, 16mm, 8mm, Super 8mm and 9.5mm films using our state-of-the-art film scanners. Your payment for these services helps support Chicago Film Archives’ archival preservation efforts.

Determining Estimated Pricing

Pricing estimates for our digitization services depend on multiple factors.

Questions? Contact us

1. The format that your footage is in.

We can digitize 35mm, 16mm, 8mm, Super 8mm, and 9.5mm films. If you need help figuring out what film format you have, call or email us.

2. The total length of your footage.

You can estimate the total footage length of your film based on these standard reel sizes:

3″ diameter: 50 feet
4″ diameter: 100 feet
5″ diameter: 200 feet
6″ diameter: 300 feet
7″ diameter: 400 feet
12″ diameter: 1200 feet
2" 9.5mm (Pathe/Pathex) cartridge: 28 feet
2.5" 9.5mm (Pathe/Pathex) cartridge: 56 feet

3. Additional labor.

Base prices for each of our scan options include film inspection and prep for transfer. If a film requires extensive repairs or handling, CFA will charge for additional labor by the hour. We will notify the customer if this time is likely to exceed 30 minutes of work. Free estimates are available in person, over the phone or by email.

4. Your choice of scanner.

CFA offers multiple digitization options, allowing for flexibility in terms of budget, resolution, and intended use. Read on for more about this, or contact us for an estimate by calling (312) 243-1808 or emailing info@chicagofilmarchives.org.

5. Shipping & handling.

The following charges apply to all orders:

• Administrative processing: $15 per order
• Shipping: all charges handled by customer
• We do not charge a fee for copying your files to a supplied hard drive or uploading your files to the web.

For orders under 50GB in size, we can deliver your files via a download link; for anything larger than that, please provide a hard drive. We can work with Mac, ExFAT, or NTFS formatted drives. Please make sure that your drive has enough room on it for your files!

You can also purchase a drive through us. The cost will depend on the size of the drive required (which depends on the file format, resolution and footage count of your order). Please contact us for more information and costs.

Filmfabriek HDS+ Scanner

The Filmfabriek HDS+ scanner is a high-quality option for home movies or professional projects. This sprocketless system scans 16mm, 8mm, Super 8mm and 9.5mm film to HD resolution and can capture both magnetic and optical sound. There are standard and premium options for this machine, as outlined below.

Standard Scan

The Standard Scan option is the simplest way to receive HD transfers of your films. This option uses one-light exposure and does not include any post-production. Clients can receive their scans either cropped or as overscans.

Rates

16mm film: $0.45 /ft
8mm, Super 8mm & 9.5mm film: $0.60 /ft
Mag/optical sound (16mm): + $0.15 /ft
Wetgate: + $0.25 /ft

Premium Scan

The Premium Scan option offers manual best-light exposure and post-production adjustments, including contrast correction and fixing frame jumps. From the 2048x1536 edge-to-edge scan, CFA can deliver a finished file in HD (1080p).

Rates

16mm film: $0.70 per foot
8mm, Super 8mm & 9.5mm film: $0.85 per foot
Mag/optical sound (16mm): +$0.15 per foot
Wetgate: +$0.25 per foot

There is a $50 minimum on all FilmFabriek jobs.

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Kinetta Archival Film Scanner

Our gentlest option, the Kinetta Archival Film Scanner is a sprocketless flatbed scanner capable of producing 4K overscans of 35mm and 16mm film, with optical sound on both of these formats. This scanner was specifically designed for damaged, shrunken, and warped film that won’t run through other systems. CFA can deliver a 2K (2048x1536) finished file for theatrical or home presentation. Scene-to-scene exposure adjustment and color correction for faded films are also available.

Rates