8mm Film to Digital Service

Heirloom digitizes Regular 8mm and Super 8 movie film, including both silent films (the majority) and films with sound. If you’re unsure which type you have, Heirloom experts identify each reel during inspection.

Small reels are 3 inches or less in diameter, while large reels are anything over 3 inches. Reel size helps determine handling and scanning time, but you don’t need to measure—Heirloom handles classification for you.

Yes. Heirloom digitizes Super 8 films with sound, preserving the original audio alongside the video whenever present. Silent and sound reels are both handled using professional film-safe workflows.

That smell is often vinegar syndrome, a sign that acetate film is starting to decay. Heirloom can often recover film affected by early or moderate vinegar syndrome, but reels that are actively falling apart cannot be safely digitized. Every reel is inspected first, and you’re only quoted for film that can realistically be recovered.

Vinegar syndrome is progressive and irreversible. As it advances, film can shrink, warp, and become brittle. Digitizing early—before the vinegar smell intensifies—greatly improves the chances of preserving the footage.

Yes. Each 8mm or Super 8 reel is converted into its own individual digital video file, preserving the original structure and making it easy to organize, watch, and share.

Digitized films are delivered as MP4 digital video files that stream easily on modern devices and can be shared securely on Heirloom. Original reels are carefully returned after processing.