Wednesday, August 24, 2011

8 mm to digital

In Finland like everywhere people want to move their audio tapes and home movies into digital formats. Although I am not an expert in these matters people often ask even me how it could be done. A good starting-point is your nearest library. They know where to go and might offer help themselves. In the center of Helsinki at the Glass Palace at Mannerheim Street Reel One is another good starting-point.

In today's Iltalehti (24 Aug 2011, page 14-15) Jarno Juuti has collected useful comparisons on the digitization of
- C cassettes
- 8 mm films
- Slides
- Photographs
- Vhs cassettes
- 35 mm camera negatives

P.S. 14 Sep 2011: In Finland also 1", D2, HighBand and other tapes to DigiBeta, DVCam or QuickTime-movies: Skarvi Oy (Satamakatu 4 A, Helsinki).

As every photographer's guide will tell you, digital files are durable for only ca five years, and you need to update or migrate them regularly, also to conform to the ever-changing computer programs. It's a good idea to make quality prints of photographs and keep photochemical negatives and images (also 8 mm films) in cold storage, where the life expectancy is some five hundred years.

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