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How to Transfer Eight Millimeter Film

Eight millimeter film was a popular format in its day. Smaller than 16mm, 8mm was an inexpensive, easy to use format that was extremely common in home video cameras in the '50s and '60s. Though the film is fragile, much of it was preserved to this day because of careful storage of film that captured family memories and special events. Now, with a lack of 8mm projectors, you either need to find a projector at an antique store or digitize the film in order to watch it.

Things You'll Need

  • 8mm film projector
  • Digital camcorder
  • Projector screen
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set up your 8mm video projector.

    • 2

      Load your film reel onto the projector and turn it on.

    • 3

      Set up your digital camcorder on a tripod at the same height as the 8mm projector. Get the camera as close to the projector as you possible can to avoid distorting the image.

    • 4

      Set up the projection screen about four to five inches away from the projector's lens.

    • 5

      Run the projector.

    • 6

      Zoom your camcorder in so the projection fills the entire frame.

    • 7

      Turn off the projector and reset the film to the beginning.

    • 8

      Press the record button on your camcorder to begin recording.

    • 9

      Start the 8mm projector. Run the projector until the film is over.

    • 10

      Turn off the camcorder about five seconds after the film has stopped playing. This is called "lead-out" and ensures that you did not miss any of the video.

    • 11

      Transfer the video from your digital camcorder to your computer, where you can edit and export the video as you would normal digital video.

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