Super-8 Filmscanner

About the Project

It all started when I received some old Super 8 films from my relatives. I inquired about ways to digitize the films with the best possible quality. Unfortunately the available options were either too expensive or of poor quality.

For this reason, I decided to build my own film scanner for Super 8 films. With a lot of elbowgrease, I managed to develop a device that allows the transfer of Super 8 films into digital formats.

As this was my first project in the area of electronics and engineering, it made for a challengeing process. This process proved to be an invaluable experience for me as it provided the opportunity to improve my existing CAD and image processing skills, while also allowing for the development of new skills.

Below, I will present my self-built film scanner and I will demonstrate how it works, along with its advantages.

How it Works

The machine is set up in a similar manner to how old magnetophones handle their tapes. The film is fed through a film gate where a light illuminates the picture from behind. A camera with a macro lens (not shown) captures a high-resolution and high-bitrate photo of each frame. The film is held by two spools with teeth that perfectly grip the sprocket holes of the film. A stepper motor is used to make precise movements, positioning each frame in front of the camera. All movements of the machine are controlled by an Arduino microcontroller.

For each film frame, the stepper motor rotates 10°, aligning the current frame with an illuminated backdrop. Then, an electrical signal triggers the camera through its remote control port. Two DC motors assist in winding up the film and maintaining tension, resulting in neatly wound film on another spool.

To provide user control, a small controller box with 9 push buttons is connected to the machine via a cable. This allows the user to pause the process, rewind, fast forward and adjust the film frame if necessary. The entire setup is housed in a tool case for easy transportation, storage and a more aesthetic appearance. It features a USB-B port for convenient software updates, a 2.5mm jack to connect the camera, and a 2×16 LCD screen on the front for user information and software debugging purposes.

The output is an SD card containing digital copies of each film frame. These raw files can be further processed on a computer to create a video file, offering complete control over color and brightness adjustments.

Current Flaws

Currently, the setup is in the prototype stage.

As of now, the software is functional, but it still has a few bugs that need to be fixed to enhance user experience. One major issue is that the buttons on the controller box only work when the motors are spinning. This limitation arises from my use of the delay() function in the Arduino software. Instead, I should have utilized the millis() function, which allows the running of simultaneous processes. However, I am finding it challenging to grasp the concept and implementation of this function. Therefore, using the delay() function was a temporary solution to achieve the desired outcome.

Additionally, I plan to revisit the film gate as there is a minor problem with maintaining precise focus on the film. Some frames appear slightly blurry compared to others. To address this, I intend to incorporate four more rolls into the film gate to increase tension and hopefully eliminate any misalignment issues.

Another major flaw with the current setup is that everything is mounted on a sheet of Plexiglass. This is not ideal for the stepper motor as it tends to heat up a lot. I have actually destroyed a stepper motor in the past due to prolonged use on this setup. A metal plate would be a better choice as it would effectively distribute the heat over a larger area working as a heat sink.

For the Future

If you’re interested in building such a scanner yourself, I plan on releasing the build plans, 3D-print files, schematics and the software in the future.

However, I want to work on some of the issues mentioned above first. I also want to try and create a custom PCB in the form of an arduino shield, to reduce some of the wiring which currently is a bit untidy.

For now, please take a look at some cool photos of the scanner below (click to enlarge).