Wolverine Reel Converter Scanner to Convert Film into Digital Videos. Frame by Frame Scanning to Convert 3 inch and 5 inch 8mm Super 8 Film reels into 720P Digital

This is one of the most amazing gadget-ty things I have ever owned. YES, there IS a $2500 device you can buy that performs this task more professionally, but I guarantee you it comes no where near achieving ten times the quality of the result. Reading other reviews, I find that buyers were not careful to know what they are buying.Before I expound on that, let me state that I am just DELIRIOUSLY happy to own this thing!Okay! Other reviewers complain as follows: It does not capture audio. It is limited to 5 inch reels. It is limited to 720p scan resolution. The files it creates play back at 30 frames per second (too fast). It only creates mp4 files which are grainy and the video runs too fast. There are many other complaints.There is nothing inherently “grainy” about mp4 files. Graininess on amateur film video is generally from an automatic gain control (AGC) circuit that is trying to compensate for the fact that you are failing to provide enough light for what you are recording. This problem is most over with respect to modern gear which simply does not require the type of illumination that was necessary in home movies and early camcorders….and of course, there is nothing about mp4 files that make them play back at a different speed. What is wrong with 720p? It still looks pretty good on our big screen TVs! Do you think there is much more to capture on a tiny frame of 8mm film?READ the sales information carefully, and none of this should surprise you, and NONE of this is really a problem when you consider that the savings on the first 10 videos you digitize will pay for the cost of this machine. I used the (recently ubiquitous) services of the most visible provider of this service. The results were fine, but I waited a few weeks and paid a lot of money. I since redid a couple of my films myself and the results were EASILY as clear and watchable. Yes, the default playback speed of the videos you create gives you a pretty fast video, but when you use the common software video players, they almost all give you an opportunity to slow it down. I recommend .6 of the recorded speed. If you burn dvds, editors such as Corel VideoStudio and most others will let you CREATE a DVD that plays back at the proper speed without needing any special tweak by the person you send it to.Reading other reviews, it sounds like this machine might not be as sturdy as a Sherman tank. I recommend you do not use it for rewinding. Just rewind by hand with the help of a pencil. Save the motor for the more important use during processing. Keep it clean. Follow the directions about keeping dust out of the little place where the frames are squared up for having their picture taken. To me, with proper use, this should last a pretty long time, and should be fixable for most little minor things that might happen. Most end users would not even need the machine once they have gotten through all of their archival videos. At that point, you can probably sell it online and recover some of your costs.The little 13 page owners manual is very well done, and obviously has ENGLISH as its primary language.Just understand that you should be very cautious and careful with this. If you do that, you will be stupendously delighted as am I. Don't try to compare it feature by feature with devices that cost a four digit number!I could go on further, but there is probably a maximum review length. Ask me questions if you like - I think there is a way you can do that! I am a big fan.John in Wisconsin

Easy to use but does not handle early super 8 movie (mid 1970's) all that well. Had to use the "folded paper trick" from their website to get the film to track through the machine smoothly. Later super 8 from the 1980's tracked fine without the paper trick. Useful tip from either one of the posts here or their website, was to run old sproket damaged film through backwards. Then use a video editor to turn the film right way up, flip horizontal and reverse the play and all is well. That tip works a treat. Had to use that twice so far including on an obviously well watched wedding taken on standard 8 in the 70's. Sproket holes were so bad it would not track at all in many places, but of couirse the back side of the sproket holes were perfect.There were no issues with any standard 8 movies, except for worn sproket holes as mentioned above.In terms of use, you do have to baby sit the process, not because of any inherent machine issue but because you get problems with old film, like breaking and sometimes jamming over poor splices. So, you do need to have a film splicer and either film cement or splicing tape handy for running repairs. Also. if you have your film on 400 ft reels you will need to split the film in two as this model Wolverine only tales 200 ft reels.Fortunately my film and splicing gear, including cement, were all stored in an airtight metal box for 30 odd years and so there was minimal deterioration and even half a bottle of film cement for splicing.Overall, a worthwhile purchase.UPDATE September 7th 2018Was a bit concerned about how it would handle sound striped film. Have 3,000 feet of Super 8 film with sound added on after the processing via a sound stripe. Have processed 1,000 feet of it so far with no issues at all. All of the film is 35 to 45 years old with some of the sound striping being added in 1976.. Adding a sound track via the movie projector, after you have added the sound stipe using a striping machine, is not a process you forget easily. That is how I remeber when it was done so clearly.In any case point is, the Wolverine handled the striped film with no issues except over the taped joins which were used (because of the sound stripe) instead of the usual cement joins. So, a bit of addirional baby sitting needed to watch for the joins.