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Some customer in Billings may be wondering just how much information is actually on film!! That's a good question. Film is an analogue source, like a painting. There is a certain resolution needed to faithfully capture all the details in a digital form. The following images are a simplification to illustrate some general points and are not exact.

In general it is recommended that you scan at or above the resolution of the film. For 8mm and Super 8 that means scanning at HD or 2K.

16mm Film Billings

16mm HD 2K 4K Scan

Process Comparison

  • Super 16 can have over 2K resolution. Older 16mm will have up to 2K resolution.
  • An SD scan will only get about 1/4 of the resolution on the 16mm film.
  • An HD scan will get about 1/2 of the details on the film.
  • To archive 16mm film a 2k scan (1556 lines) is required.


Pro SD Scan

  • Our Pro SD process uses a professional motion picture film scanner. A 480 line SD scan will get about 1/4 of the available details on the film. You can see how blurry the Pro SD scan is compared to the Pro HD or 2K scan.
  • The red color shift. This is very common on 16mm and 35mm film.
  • Because this is a low resolution scan you can't see the surface defects that well. Look at the HD scan below and you will see them better.


Pro HD Scan

  • Our Pro HD process uses a HD professional motion picture film scanner. Although an 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.
  • Also, the red shift was fixed for the most part.

 


Pro 2K Scan

  • Our Pro 2K process uses 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.
  • In addition, to the sharpness you can clearly see that the Pro 2K process removes 80% of the defects on the film using the Pro Hollywood restoration.
  • You probably won't find anyone in Billings that can scan at this resolution and with restoration. If you don't, contact us.

 

35mm Film

16mm HD 2K 4K Scan

Process Comparison

  • 35mm film has at or above 4K resolution.
  • A 1080 line HD scan will get about 1/4-1/3 of the available details on the film.
  • Although a 2K scan is better, it only gets at most 50% of the details from the film.
  • To archive 35mm film a 4K scan is required.


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 scan 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. There just isn't anyone in Billings that can scan your film like this at 2K or 4K. Contact us today.

 


Pro 4K Scan

Billings Fun Facts: Billings was nicknamed the Magic City because of its rapid growth from its founding as a railroad town in March 1882. The city is named for Frederick H. Billings, a former president of the Northern Pacific Railroad. With one of the largest trade areas in the United States, Billings is the trade and distribution center for most of Montana, Northern Wyoming and western portions of North Dakota and South Dakota.

Montana Fun Facts: Montana is the fourth largest U.S. state by area, behind Alaska, Texas and California, but with an average of just six people per square mile, it is one of the country’s least densely populated states. Although the name Montana is derived from the Spanish montaña (“mountain” or “mountainous region”), it has an average elevation of only 3,400 feet, the lowest among the Rocky Mountain states. Montana is home to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, which memorializes the historic 1876 battle between the Sioux tribe and U.S.

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