This Cine Film Guide will help you to tell what type of Cine Film you have, what size reel it is, how many frames per second it projects at and the running time.

In this Cine Film Guide we will look at the four main types of Cine Film that were used by amateur and semi professional film makers. Those formats are 8mm, Super 8mm (which encompasses Single 8 and Polarvision), 9.5mm and 16mm. Here at CineFilm2DVD we transfer all of these types of Cine Film. See some samples of our work here.

8mm Cine Film Guide

8mm Cine Film Transfer by CineFilm2DVD.com

Many different names are used for 8mm Cine Film. Standard 8mm, Regular 8mm, 8mm and Double 8. All are exactly the same film format, with no difference at all between them once they have been developed ready for use on a home movie cine projector.

The only one of these with a discernible difference prior to being developed was the Double 8 format. When purchased for use in a Cine Camera, Double 8 film was encased in a metal cassette. The film inside the cassette was 16mm wide and 25ft in length. The cameraman insert the cassette into the camera and film along one half of the film. At the end of the film, the cameraman would open up the camera, turn the cassette over and then film along the other half of the film.

The film would then be sent off for processing. The film would be processed and then cut straight down the middle. This would then give 2x25ft lengths of 8mm film. The processors would then join one end to the other (making 1x50ft length of 8mm film) and return it as a complete film on a 50ft reel, so that it could be projected as normal.

Visit our 8mm Cine Film Transfer Page to find out more on our transfer process. You can book your Cine Transfer order on our ordering page.

8mm Cine Film Characteristics

Sprocket holes are located running along one edge of the film and they are rectangular in shape. All 8mm Cine Film for home use was silent with no magnetic sound strip present. 8mm cameras did not have the ability to record sound. (Some avid enthusiasts would manually add a magnetic sound strip once they had received films back from the developers, so that they could add voice overs or background music. However, this was quite rare. Film could be either black and white or colour, but was more commonly colour than black and white.

The normal projection speed for 8mm Cine Film is 18fps (Frames per second).

The reel sizes are as follows; 50ft, 200ft, 400ft, 600ft, 800ft, 1200ft & 1600ft.

To determine the size of reel you have, simply measure the diameter of the reel itself across from side to side in inches.

A 3” reel holds approximately 50ft and has a running time of approximately 4 minutes.

A 5” reel holds approximately 200ft and has a running time of approximately 15 minutes.

A 7” reel holds approximately 400ft and has a running time of approximately 30 minutes.

A 8” reel holds approximately 600ft and has a running time of approximately 45 minutes.

A 9” reel holds approximately 800ft and has a running time of approximately 60 minutes.

A 12” reel holds approximately 1200ft and has a running time of approximately 90 minutes.

You can view our price list for 8mm cine transfer to DVD here.

Super 8mm (including Single 8 & Polarvision Cassettes) Cine Film Guide

Super 8 silent Cine Film CineFilm2DVD.com

The introduction of Super 8 Cine Film gave users an alternative to using Std 8mm film. It’s main advantage was that the image frame size was larger than 8mm. The larger image size is achieved by making the sprocket holes on Super 8 Film much smaller and virtually square in shape. Sprocket holes still ran along one edge of the film but the smaller dimensions of the hole freed up a lot of the space on the film.

Visit our 8mm Cine Film Transfer Page to find out more on our transfer process. You can book your Cine Transfer order on our ordering page.

Super 8 Cine Film Characteristics

When purchased from a chemist or photographic shop, Super 8 Film was sold in a square plastic cartridge and the film itself was 50ft in length. This cartridge was standard standard design which was used by all film manufacturers (Kodak, Agfa, Boots etc), to ensure it would fit in all makes of Super 8 cameras.

The only fly in the ointment to this standard, was Fuji. Fuji decided it would be a good idea to have their own format and they produced Fuji Single 8 Film. Single 8mm film was still purchased in a cartridge, but this cartridge differed in shape to the normal design of a Super 8 cartridge. It would only fit into Fuji’s own Single 8 cameras. Fuji produced Single 8 projectors to play the films on. It would be looked upon, that Fuji wanted to “tie” film makers into using their products from the filming to projecting stage.

The flaw in their plan, is that the film inside their cartridges, is in fact ordinary Super 8 Film which can be projected on any brand of Super 8 Cine projector.

Polarvision Cine Films were quite unique, as the film developed instantly inside the cassette as soon as it was shot, similar to Polaroid photographs. The film gauge inside tha Cassettes was in fact Super 8.

Normal projection speed for Super 8 Film is 18fps (some later silent and sound cameras could film at 24fps).

Super 8 film could either be sound or silent and black and white or colour. The most common being silent and colour.

The reel sizes are as follows; 50ft, 200ft, 400ft, 600ft, 800ft, 1200ft & 1600ft

To determine the size of reel you have, simply measure the diameter of the reel itself across from side to side in inches.

A 3” reel holds approximately 50ft and has a running time of approximately 4 minutes.

A 5” reel holds approximately 200ft and has a running time of approximately 15 minutes.

A 7” reel holds approximately 400ft and has a running time of approximately 30 minutes.

A 8” reel holds approximately 600ft and has a running time of approximately 45 minutes

A 9” reel holds approximately 800ft and has a running time of approximately 60 minutes.

A 12” reel holds approximately 1200ft and has a running time of approximately 90 minutes.

You can view our price list for Super 8 cine transfer to DVD here.

9.5mm Cine Film Guide

9.5mm Cine Film

The oldest format used for home movies is 9.5mm. A Pathé projector, a Pathéscope or Baby Pathé is used to project 9.5mm Cine Film.  There are three large differences beteeen 9.5mm and 8mm/Super 8 Film. The first and most obvious is that it is 9.5mm wide instead of 8mm. The second is that its rectangular sprcket holes run along the center of the film in between each frame. The third difference is that, due to the sprocket holes not running along the edge of the film, the image area is much larger than 8mm or Super 8.

Visit our 9.5mm Cine Film Transfer Page to find out more on our transfer process. You can book your Cine Transfer order on our ordering page.

9.5mm Cine Film Characteristics

9.5mm film would normally be silent but could be colour or black and white. For home movies, the most commonly used format was black and white and silent.

Normal projection speed for 9.5mm Cine Film is 16fps

The reel sizes are as follows; 50ft, 200ft, 400ft, 600ft, 800ft, 1200ft & 1600ft

To determine the size of reel you have, simply measure the diameter of the reel itself across from side to side in inches

A 3” reel holds approximately 50ft and has a running time of approximately 2 minutes

A 5” reel holds approximately 200ft and has a running time of approximately 8 minutes.

A 7” reel holds approximately 400ft and has a running time of approximately 15 minutes

A 8” reel holds approximately 600ft and has a running time of approximately 22 minutes

A 9” reel holds approximately 800ft and has a running time of approximately 30 minutes.

A 12” reel holds approximately 1200ft and has a running time of approximately 45 minutes.

You can view our price list for 9.5mm cine transfer to DVD here.

16mm Cine Film Guide

This photo shows the three different types of 16mm Cine Film. Regular 16mm, Super 16mm and Ultra 16mm.

The semi professional format of 16mm Cine Film was used quite heavily for training films for industry, as well as in schools and universities. It was however, still used by the home movie buff. The great advantage of 16mm over the smaller formats, was the larger frame size on the film. As 16mm was a semi professional format, it also meant better film stock, better cameras and better lenses.

Visit our 16mm Cine Film Transfer Page to find out more on our transfer process. You can book your Cine Transfer order on our ordering page.

16mm Cine Film Characteristics

There are three types of 16mm film to mention in this Cine Film Guide. 16mm, Super 16mm and Ultra 16mm. Sprocket holes would run along both edges of the film (although in some cases only one edge to leave rooms or the sound track). Sound on 16mm Cine Film would be either a magnetic sound strip or an optician sound track. Most commonly used as a home movie film, the 16mm film would be colour and silent. For training, educational and commercial use, the films would usually be colour and optical sound.

The normal projection speed in th United Kingdom for 16mm Cine Film was 24fps, (this differs in the USA where it would normally be 18fps).

The reel sizes are as follows; 50ft, 200ft, 400ft, 600ft, 800ft, 1200ft 1600ft & 2000ft

To determine the size of reel you have, simply measure the diameter of the reel itself across from side to side in inches

A 3” reel holds approximately 50ft and has a running time of approximately 2 minutes.

A 5” reel holds approximately 200ft and has a running time of approximately 8 minutes

A 7” reel holds approximately 400ft and has a running time of approximately 15 minutes.

A 8” reel holds approximately 600ft and has a running time of approximately 22 minutes.

A 9” reel holds approximately 800ft and has a running time of approximately 30 minutes.

A 12” reel holds approximately 1200ft and has a running time of approximately 45 minutes.

You can view our price list for 16mm cine transfer to DVD here.

We also offer a full Archiving Service here any CineFilm2DVD.

We hope this Cine Film Guide has been of use to you. Contact us if you require any further information or contact us using the contact form at the bottom of this page.