100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
If you’re dissatisfied with the results, we will reprocess your film reels for free.
Premium 16mm Film to Digital Service to Preserve Your Legacy
16mm film won’t last forever, and the analog format will deteriorate and lose quality over time, which can discolor, degrade, and tarnish your family memories. That’s why film conversion is essential to preserve your home movies at the highest quality possible.
Capture is the best film transfer service for your 16mm film reels, which is why we are trusted by major retailers like Walmart, CVS, and Sam’s Club.
Plus, we proudly work with Google Photos, which makes it easy to store, archive, and preserve your newly converted 16mm film format within your Google Photos Library.
Capture also offers the fastest 16mm transfer service in the industry, so you will get your digital format versions alongside your original 16mm film reels in less than 30 days, compared with the industry average of 70+ days.
Why Should You Transfer 16mm Film to Digital?
16mm film is resilient, but won’t last forever unless you convert the film into high-quality digital files to ensure your memories will last for generations.
Protect old film from potential damage, floods, fires, theft, and more by turning them into digital copies.
After the 16mm transfer process, you can easily rename, archive, and add information to your digital videos.
Instead of wasting space with 16mm reels, you can preserve digital files on your computer, hard drive, flash drive, or in the cloud on iCloud, Google Photos, or Dropbox.
Film projectors aren’t common anymore, but when you digitize your home movies you make it easy for all your loved ones to enjoy for years to come.
With digital files, you can share your 16mm family memories with your loved ones over social media or email, so they won’t have to fight over physical copies.
When you convert 16mm film to digital, you can instantly use platforms like Google Photos for advanced search, archive, and reminder features.
After you transfer 16mm film to digital, you can use video editing software to generate high-definition motion picture quality and even create new memories by combining old footage with new.
What Options Can I Use to Convert 16mm Film to Digital?
There are several options to transfer 16mm film to digital including DIY options as well as professional film conversion services that create high-quality versions of your family memories.
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Record While Playing
You can digitize 16mm film (or other formats like 8mm film, Blu-rays, DVDs, or VHS tapes) at home with a digital camera, camcorder, or phone by recording the film as it plays through on the film projector. This creates digital files on your recording device that you can then transfer to an SD card, through email, or to a hard drive. It’s certainly easy and affordable, but the results are typically below average. Since you are recording a video of a video, it can show glares, record outside noises, and appear jittery because of the different framerate between the 16mm film format (24 frames per second) and modern cameras (30 frames per second).
Pros
- Affordable (if you already have a quality digital camera)
- Easy to do it yourself
Cons
- Poor quality that looks jittery, shows glares and may contain outside noise
- Time-consuming because it converts at a normal playback speed
- Recording area must be perfectly quiet, clean, flat, and uninterrupted
Film Scanner Machine
A 16mm film transfer machine can be a great do-it-yourself option to convert your home movies into digital format, but many of the best film transfer options, like the Kodak Scanza, do not work with 16mm film (they only work for 8mm and Super 8 film types). Few 16mm film scanners exist, and you can find some for around $150 on Amazon, but you have to be careful to get one that works with 16mm film. Also, try to find a model with step-by-step instructions if you’re not tech-savvy.
Pros
- Good quality digital format results
- Works with most computers
Cons
- Very time-consuming because you must scan film frame-by-frame
- Requires some technical knowledge
- Hard to find machines that accommodate 16mm sprockets
Capture 16mm Film to Digital Transfer Service
We pride ourselves on producing the best quality digital transfers for your 16mm film. Plus, you can achieve peace of mind with 24/7 tracking every step of the way using our sophisticated security system. Not only that, but our efficient service means you will receive your original film reels and digital download, DVD, or USB flash drive within 30 days or less, compared to the 70+ days from some of our competitors.
Pros
- Affordable at $29.99 for the first 100 feet and 20 cents for every foot after
- Professional results and 24/7 security for your memories
- Receive high-quality results in less than 30 days compared with the industry average of 70+ days
Cons
- We do not enhance resolution or offer color correction (although you can use your own photo or video editing software to do so!)
What Makes Capture the Best Service to Transfer 16mm Film to Digital Format?
State-of-the-Art Tracking and Security
With 24/7 tracking, you can have peace of mind knowing exactly where your home movies are always.
Trusted by Top Retail brands
We have exclusive partnerships with major retailer brands like Costco, Walmart, Google Photos, and CVS.
The Fastest Turnaround Time
You will receive your digital transfer and film reels within 30 days instead of the industry standard of 70+ days.
Auto Integration with Google Photos
Automatically transfer your digital copies to your Google Photos library (or upload media to your iCloud account with our help!).
Sensitive Information Protection
Our secure Memory Cloud storage system guarantees only customers have access to their 16mm film and family memories.
Complimentary Backup
We offer a complimentary 60-day backup of your digitized 16mm film, so your memories are always protected.
Quality Care
We handle your 16mm film with care while creating priceless digital copies that are guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Media Repairs
If your 16mm film arrives dirty or damaged, we will perform minor repairs, cleaning, splicing, and scratch reduction to ensure superior digital results.
How Capture Can Convert 16mm Film to Digital Files?
Even though your 16 mm movie film won’t last forever, the precious memories contained in the film can be enjoyed for generations to come as a digital download, DVD copy, or USB thumb drive. Our professional service can convert 16mm film in less than 30 days in three simple steps:
Create your new order using the button below. Then, gather your 16mm and any other information you want to give us to ensure a high-quality transfer.
Send us your 16mm film reels from your local courier. To make it easy, you can add a shipping label during the Capture checkout process. We will send you specific instructions in your order confirmation email so you can make sure your home movies are safely shipped.
In less than 30 days, you will get your digital video files as well as your original analog film in the same condition (or better if the film required minor repairs or cleaning).
How Much Does It Cost to Convert 16mm Film to Digital?
How Much Does It Cost to Convert 16mm Film to Digital?
We price our 16mm film to digital services by the length of film itself, which ensures you never pay extra for unprocessed portions of your film reels. Our pricing to digitize 16mm film starts at $29.99 for the first 100 feet. Then, we can digitize each additional foot for $0.20.
This affordable price includes our 24/7 tracking, 60-day backup, and satisfaction guarantee, but we also run special offers occasionally! If the actual length of your film reels is longer than what you originally paid for, our friendly customer service team will contact you via email to confirm what to digitize.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 16mm, 8mm, and Super 8 film?
16mm film is twice the size of Super 8 and 8mm, which is one reason it was commonly used in Hollywood filmmaking. The larger film can show more details and a sharper image, making the quality significantly better than 8mm film types.
Both Super 8mm and 8mm films are the same size, but Super 8 was a high-definition version that also had audio capability.
16mm film is twice the size of Super 8 and 8mm, which is one reason it was commonly used in Hollywood filmmaking. The larger film can show more details and a sharper image, making the quality significantly better than 8mm film types.
Both Super 8mm and 8mm films are the same size, but Super 8 was a high-definition version that also had audio capability.
Yes! Capture has been an exclusive partner with Costco for over 15 years, providing film digitization services to its members.
Instead of the flammable cellulose nitrate used in 35mm film or the magnetic tape used in MiniDV and VHS videotapes, 16mm film is made of acetate plastic. While this material will degrade over time, thereby compromising your memories, it isn’t combustible.
You can digitize your own 16mm but finding a machine to do it properly is not always easy. Plus, film scanners are typically targeted at tech-savvy users, so it may take a lot of time and patience to work through the film reels frame-by-frame.
1. Once we receive your 16mm film reels, we will carefully clean them, check for damage, and scan through the film.
2. Then, we use professional-grade equipment to convert the film to digital format by hand.
3. Then, we use professional-grade equipment to convert the film to digital format by hand. Before sending the original and digital copies back to you, we inspect the color and quality and save a backup for 60 days to ensure your memories are never lost and appear exactly as you remember them.
2. Then, we use professional-grade equipment to convert the film to digital format by hand.
3. Then, we use professional-grade equipment to convert the film to digital format by hand. Before sending the original and digital copies back to you, we inspect the color and quality and save a backup for 60 days to ensure your memories are never lost and appear exactly as you remember them.
What Other Formats of Films Can Capture Preserve?
Don’t see a format that matches what you’re looking for?
