The Difference Between 8mm and Super 8 Film and Why it Matters for Playing Your Old Film

In 1932, standard 8mm film was released by Eastman Kodak as an affordable alternative to 16 mm film. 8mm film has two times as many perforations, or sprocket holes, as the 16mm film format. It began as “double 8” film because it looked similar to a 16mm spool but had two sides that you could turn over. 

The double-sided film stock made it more convenient for capturing longer memories. Then, when you had it processed, the lab would split the reversal film down the middle, splice each side of the film together, and provide you with an almost seamless home movie. 

8mm cameras and film are lighter, cheaper, and less cumbersome than the larger film 16mm format. In fact, despite the names, 16mm is four times larger than 8mm film. Plus, not long after the double 8mm format was released, Bell & Howell developed and released a pre-split type of 8mm film. This made it even more compact and useful for movie-making at family gatherings with ease. 

Super 8 film was introduced in 1965 and became the go-to option for amateur filmmaking and home movies. Using Kodak Instamatic Movie Cameras, Super 8mm film made it easier to capture memories because the film reels were contained in a cartridge that reduced jamming, eliminated manual threading, and provided the opportunity to shoot an entire film spool without stopping. 

Super 8 film cameras also offered more features than older 8mm models like various lenses, built-in filters, and zoom lenses. Plus, Super 8 film offered a rust-coloured magnetic strip on the side that could record sound without any need for additional audio equipment. 

While Super 8 Ektachrome film was briefly discontinued, the motion picture format is so popular among film archival enthusiasts that Kodak released it, which means you can still buy new Super 8 film. Compared with videotape cassettes, Super 8 film also lasts longer.

As you can see, there are several differences when comparing 8mm film vs Super 8 including the number of sprocket holes, the picture quality, the length of home video, sound, and more.

The shape of perforations or sprocket holes is one of the easiest ways to learn how to tell an 8mm reel vs super 8 reel. At first glance, the film types will look the same, but Super 8 sprocket holes will be more square and smaller while 8mm sprocket holes are larger, rectangular shaped, and horizontal. In addition, with Super 8mm film, the smaller sprocket holes will be centrecentred on each frame whereas 8mm sprockets are located between frames. 

For similar reasons, Super 8 film offers an ISO of up to 500, which means it’s significantly better at filming in low-light situations. Finally, since Super 8 films are recorded at a higher frames-per-second than standard 8mm film (18 fps versus 16 fps), it will appear smoother and closer to what you’re used to in the digital age. 

When it comes to availability and cost in 2023, Super 8 wins out again. Not only is new Super 8 film available from Kodak, but it’s also cheaper to find Super 8 equipment like a camera or projector. That being said, both can be affordable options depending on the purpose of the motion picture film. If you don’t care for sound or colour, then black and white 8mm film can be an affordable option. 

Most standard 8mm film does not record sound, but there are some types that do. If the film offers sound recording, it will have a brown strip down one edge. The same goes with Super 8 film, but Super 8 was much more likely to offer sound capabilities. In fact, almost all Super 8 films since 1973 can record sound. If you compare sound quality from both types of film, then Super 8 quality will be higher as well.

If you want to view your precious home movies that are captured on 8mm film formats, then you need to know how to do so. There are a couple of options you can choose to view or play 8mm or Super 8mm film.

You can use a projector to view your film but remember that you will need a dual projector if you have both Super 8 and standard 8mm film. In addition, it can be a little hard to find a good projector these days, but if you do it can be a lot of fun to view memories as they were originally intended.  

While it won’t technically play your film as a home movie, a viewing table projects light through the film so that you can see the frames and the memories captured on them. This can make it hard to share those memories, but still lets you experience them. Plus, it doesn’t cost much and, unlike projectors, always works for both film types.

Turning your Super 8- and 8-mm film memories into digital format is a great way to preserve the home movies forever. Plus, it makes it easier to share them over social media and email, use editing software to enhance the picture quality, and more. Capture can transfer your film into high-quality digital format in less than 14 days and make sure your original film reels are safe and secure the entire time.

When it comes to 8mm vs Super 8, the main similarity is the width of the film. After that, there are tons of differences including sound capability, the shape of sprockets, frame rate, size, and overall picture quality. Once you identify the type of film you have, you can use a film projector to view it and enjoy the precious memories you captured long ago. 

Even if you prefer viewing your memories on a dedicated projector, we recommend digitising them first to ensure the home movies are never lost. Capture offers affordable videotape digitisation services that get your digital copies and original videotape back to you in 14 days or less. We can also transfer your old VHS tapes and other videotapes into pro-quality digital video. Click here to learn more about our videotape digitisation services!