16mm Film

16mm Film Reels

     16mm film was the first amateur film gauge. It was introduced in 1923 by Eastman Kodak. 16mm refers to the width of the film.

     Amateur motion pictures in color became a reality in 1928 with the introduction of 16mm Kodacolor film.   This film type generally runs at 24 fps (frames per second).  Over a period of many decades, the pigments in color 16mm film slowly degrade and become transparent. The pigments degrade at different rates with red being the longest-lasting. This inevitably results in color film that now appears to be reddish, with few other colors.

Let us digitize your film so you can enjoy without having to set up your old projector.

Deterioration

16mm film is also known for decay and the dreaded 'vinegar syndrome'.

The first sign which is easy to detect, is the vinegar like smell. Why does it smell like vinegar? Acetic acid is released during the initial acetate base deterioration, leading to the characteristic vinegar odor. The smell in itself is not enough to end the life of your film, however, subsequent stages will.
In the next stage, the plastic film base becomes brittle, weakening the film causing it to shatter and buckle. Once this happens, the film cannot be copied in it's entirety.

Warning - If your film shows signs such as this, it is recommended that you bring your film to an expert for recovery. Network Sound and Video has years of experience in recovering film of this nature - it's what we do.

Brittle 16mm Film Reels

Remember, the quality of your transfer will depend upon your film condition. Feel free to bring in your film for a thorough inspection. One of our technicians will gladly examine your film and provide an estimate.
All work is done on premises by our technicians.

Film Reel Calculation

How much film do I have?

Here's a quick and easy guide to calculating how much film you have and how many DVDs your project will require. Please give us a call or stop in our Longwood - Orlando retail location for an estimate.

We're always available to answer your questions! 407.834.8555

Reel
Size/Length
3" - 50'
5" - 200'
6" - 300'
7" - 400'

Time
(Hr:Min:Sec)
00:01:25
00:05:33
00:08:25
00:11:06

Number of DVDs Required
Total # of Feet
up to 2400' - 1 DVD
2450' - 4800' - 2 DVDs
4850' - 7200' - 3 DVDs