I successfully digitised around 50 x 3" reels and even 3 x 7" reels (more about that later) without too much trouble but I had to watch over the process for the most part and be very patient. Was a little dubious before purchasing, due to what I now think were unwarranted negative comments on here.
I had a box of 8mm reels from 1955 - 1965, precious memories of my stepmother who hasn't seen them for 60 years. I first checked over the reels and cleaned them by running them through a cloth moistened in film cleaner (Isopropyl alchohol) whilst the film ran onto another reel using an old 8mm projector to do this (this can be done by manual winding).
Once cleaned, I fed the reels through. It soon became apparent that if the sprocket holes on the film were damaged in any way (eg if it has snagged in the projector), or if a splice is a bit wobbly, the machine jams - not the machine's fault. Just stop the machine, release the foot that hold the film in place and draw the damaged film through and reset the film on the next good section (obviously losing a few frames, but this shouldn't be a problem).
For the 7" reels, I'm afraid my only solution requires a whole lot of patience! The reels were mounted on external posts and manually wound (every 10-15 seconds worked OK). I know this sounds like a whole lot of work and it's very tedious, BUT the footage content on these reels was priceless and in view of this, I thought it was definitely worth the effort.
I hope this helps. Don't be too put off by other people's negative comments; the world is full of those who are too quick to blame their tools.
| Brand | Mersoco |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 33.02 x 12.7 x 19.05 cm; 2.03 kg |
| Item model number | M127-S |
| Manufacturer | Mersoco |
| Series | M127-S |
| Colour | SILVER |
| Standing screen display size | 2.4 Inches |
| Wattage | 60 watts |
| Power Source | DC |
| Are Batteries Included | No |
| Item Weight | 2.03 kg |
| Guaranteed software updates until | unknown |
