I see an entry in January asking this question that was not responded to. I am looking in June.... Wait, or start the search for a new product???

So, I ordered the Kodak 8mm Digital converter for 399.99 + Tax. I found it easy to use and setup, large screen to view changes, large buttons for easy selection, easy on screen menu, loading the film was also easy and accessible, directions were great, exactly what I have come to expect from a Kodak product (that is why it got 2 starts). Unfortunately, this is where it all ends. The most important features of converting the 8mm & Super 8 films were totally over looked and lacking.

The clarity of the video was so bad that I thought the lenses were out of sync and frankly, they really could be. When I called support, they really were no help (I called them 3 different times). So, I returned the converter and ordered another one, thinking I had a bad machine. But, the 2nd machine had the same bad quality. Not only that, but I learned the machines resolution is 240 DPI(other machines range from 720 to 4800 DPI) --- OMGOSH, what was Kodak thinking… or lack there of! Considering this is a company that built its 112 year old reputation on Product Quality, Print & Film Clarity and being the Best in Service. Then, even the bad conversion, I transferred to a flash drive and put it into the TV to view the videos… that failed miserably! I learned that you need to convert the conversion to a compression rate of H 264 to view on the TV…which they did not build into their product … oh, and this was also the most expensive of the converters online. They did full refunds for my returns which is great. So, I say this is NOT a good buy.

Part of the issue is on me, as I bought a used unit. It seemed to work fine. I digitizied approx 20 50 ft reels and 3 300 ft reels over the span of a week. No issues other than occasionally the reel that the film transfers to during the scanning occasionally would get hung up and need assistance getting going again. Not a constant issue, but enough to where I had to babysit the unit.

Then about 2 hrs into a 3 hr scan of a 300 ft reel, the unit just shut off. All the footage from the past 2 hrs gone. The unit now shuts off about 5 seconds after turning it on.

Tried several things, multiple power cycles, firmware update (which it stayed on during and seemed to do fine). Nothing worked. It stayed on a few times, and I attempted to work on a new reel. The one time I got far enought to try, it looked like it would work, but the recording icon never appeared, and the reel did not move through the scanner. I assume it is an issue with the motor.

I contacted Kodak for assistance, and typical of a lot of companies these days, they won't do anything. No offer of being able to send it in for service at my expense. No suggestion for an area repair person. Just a "hey send in a proof of purchase or contact the retailer to see if it's under warranty". So basically cough up another $400 for a new unit...

So with that in mind, I took a look inside to see if anything obviously wrong is visible. With the parts in there, this is a highly inflated item price wise. This is maybe a $100-200 max unit, inflated with the Kodak brand name plastered on it.

Like I said, it's a great unit when it works, but buyer beware if anything ever goes wrong, and you are out of warranty.

The unit works as described, but it's missing some very basic features in a $400.00 unit. I'll just mention the big one for me which is the lack of FOCUS. The lens is a fixed positions lens, which is insane in a unit like this. Different film types will have different densities, and sharpness is very affected. My older films have all started curling a bit, which puts the image out of focus. If I push down on the transfer bed I can flatten the film, but then it doesn't want to advance the film properly. For anything but the most pristine of films, this unit will be a major disappointment.

I work in audio visual for a living, and I'm used to 35mm transfer units costing thousands. Maybe I'm being too hard on an item that's got the look and feel of a toy. It doesn't even have the strength to properly rewind films after they have been transferred.

If you want a unit that will do the bare minimum job, this is fine. If you want to properly transfer your old films, you're better off spending your 400 bucks on a service that does this professionally.

I've used 3 different devices to capture millions of frames of Cine film at www.mydigitalmedia.uk and this is by far the best.

The fact that I can transfer a 400ft film without having to split it at 200ft as the take up reel is too small is a significant bonus, but the quality of the machine is far superior compared to the Reflecta that I had previously used and the various "copies" that exist.

Having a much larger screen is also a bonus as this allows me to position the frame and ensure that I am scanning a little larger than the whole frame which will then be edited post capture to maximise the image.

The fact that this doesn't capture sound doesn't make it any different to similar models, as I am able to capture sound using a separate Cine projector with sound (via audio out) and then sync sound to picture using a process that Ive mastered. I am using this as I believe it gives the best picture (detail / very low grain / good colour etc) for the price point, and seems to be far more tolerant to poor quality film i.e. splicing that wasn't very well done originally etc.

Superb 5 Star device !, just now trying to buy a 2nd machine.