8mm film was very popular in the early days of amateur film making.
Transferring your old 8mm movies to a DVD is a great way to prolong the life of your cherished memories. Because DVDs are digital and not as fragile as 8mm film stock, you will no longer have to worry about your movies becoming unplayable by the wear and tear nature places on them. There are a few pieces of equipment you will need before you begin the process of trasnfering your old 8mm movies to a DVD.
8mm Film Projector
This is the most important piece of equipment you will need. Before you use the film projector, ensure it is dust free and the lens is clean. Also, adjust the projection lens so the image that is displayed on the screen (more about the screen in a moment) is as tightly focused as possible. Ideally, you will want your projector to have a sound output so you can record the sound of your movie. However, many 8mm film projectors do not have this feature. If yours does not, simply cover up the fan of your projector so the fan of the projector does not give too much background noise. If you go this route, you may have to take several breaks in transferring the movie so the projector does not overheat.
Smooth, White Area
You will use a smooth, white area to project your 8mm film. This can be anything; a wrinkle free sheet, a white, smooth wall, an actual projection screen, and so on. Basically, anything that is flat, smooth, and white can be used as your makeshift projection screen.
Digital Video (DV) Camera with Tripod
A DV camera will be used to capture the film being projected onto your smooth, white surface. You will place your DV camera onto your tripod next to the film projector, but at the least possible angle; this will ensure the projector will not be in the DV camera's field of vision.
Computer
Your computer will be used to transfer the film captured on your DV camera to your computer's hard drive. Once on your hard drive, you can open your favorite video editing software (MyDVD and Nero are a few recommended applications) and import the video to your hard drive. From there, you may copy the captured video to as many DVDs as you wish. Keep in mind, however, something can always happen to your DVDs. Therefore, it would be wise to backup your home movies on your computer's hard drive as well as an external hard drive if you own one.
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