This topic came up a few months ago, but I didn't find anything when searching the forum posts. I hope folks don't mind responding again.I'm looking for recommendations (and advice) on having 16mm film converted to video in order to have a digital/archival copy made from the film. What output format do you recommend for highest quality and/or longevity?

Brian, Check your PMs

Warren - I am also looking for info on this. Thanks

Jim Herron is a master at this:http://www.herronrail.com/index.html

Thanks Bob. I have been all over his website and I must be blind. I can not find a contact phone number (just one for sales only) or email address. If someone can point me to this information, I sure would appreciate it.

Gentlemen,Do I see two questions here? Where do I get the transfer done and to what do I transfer it to?Any reputable photo shop will have the name of a transfer house they contract with to convert film to video. Your favorite camera shop might do it themselves or send it out for you. Another avenue is your local network television station. Most network stations had/have the necessary "film chain" in house to convert 16mm film to video. Usually a high-end Ikigami model that produces excellent video.Call you nearest network station and see if they might do you a public service and transfer the film for you. Do consider how much film you have to transfer, it is time consuming (in real time) and they might not want the burden - then you're back to paying for the service.As for an end product, IMHO, with today's technology you want to ultimately end up with archival footage on DVD. Having backup footage on 3/4" U-Matic, Beta or VHS/S-VHS is handy too. Digital tape formats (DVCAM) vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, be sure you have the right company's playback equipment or you won't see anything but snow and noise.Good luck,de Don, n2qhvRMLI

These days it is actually rare to find a tv station with a decent functioning "film-chain." Once upon a time back when tv stations shot film and had their own labs on their premises they needed to maintain a film-chain to get film onto the evening news. They simply do not shoot or transfer film anymore. Virtually everything they broadcast is originated on video.Even large PBS stations like WGBH in Boston, a well-known producer of programs which are often originated on film, did away with their "Rank-Cintel" years ago and now outsource the production and subsequent transferal of the film to video. There are also many medium to large post production facilities and film laboratories located throughout the country with very high-end transfer facilities. My recommendation for best quality and attention to detail would be Du Art in New York. http://www.duart.com/Hope this helps.

To what degree is transferring from 16MM to DVD still 'lossy'? Do you still loose some resolution and clarity?I wonder if people considering transferring 16MM to another medium might benefit by waiting a bit until the dust from the DVD-HD format wars settles and transfer to that.

Not exactly sure what you mean, but as soon as you view your "film" on a tv, whether it is NTSC or HD, you lose resolution. There are now processes whereby HD video can be transferred to film. The algorithims involved in this type of transfer can now create information where there was none. This used to be acheived by repeating pixel information, but the newest technology has rendered even that breakthrough obsolete.Where will be in 10 years? No doubt more confused! ;-)

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Beware in making a transfer of 16 mm silent film. The original may not have been shot at a standard frame rate (fps). Sound film should be at 24 fps. To save film some fans would shoot silent film at as slow a speed as 12 fps. You can find silent film shot at almost any speed between 12 and 24 fps. Sometimes you will see videos with trains running way too fast because the correct frame rate was not used during transfer.