What Kind Of Projector Do I Need To Run My Movie Films?

This is the most commonly asked question when one has so many reels of film but no idea what projector to buy. Welcome... You've arrived at the right place! In the next few minutes you will know the basics of movie film and what type of projector to buy in order to play your films.

8MM Film: Around 1935 8mm film came on the scene and was popular for family's to capture those special moments. For the time, 8mm was relativity inexpensive and remained the popular film choice until the mid 1960's. Match a piece of your film to the diagram below to see if it's 8mm format.

Super 8 Film: By 1965 Super 8 (or Super 8mm) film was gaining steam and would soon be the choice for those who were purchasing movie equipment. Super 8 remained popular until the mid 1980's when video cameras and camcorders arrived on the consumer market. The ability to record and playback video instantaneously made home movie film obsolete almost overnight. Match a piece of your film to the diagram below to see if it's Super 8 format.

I Have Both 8mm & Super 8 Film. Do I Need 2 Different Projectors?

Good News! You can buy a projector that will play both 8mm & Super 8 Films. This type of projector is commonly known as a Dual 8 movie projector. Depending on the manufacturer, a Dual 8 projector was also referred to as a Dual 8mm, Duo 8, Du-All 8, etc. It’s important to know if the projector you’re looking for has the ability to play both types of movie film.

I Believe My Movie Film is Sound… Do I Need A Special Type of Projector?

If your film has a soundtrack, it will look almost the same as the film in the diagram below. However upon close inspection you will see a narrow strip on one edge of the film. That narrow strip indicates your film is sound movie film. In order to listen to what was recorded on the film you will need a sound projector.

What About 16mm Film… Do I Need A Special Type of Projector?

The 16mm film format is entirely different thus is not compatible with either 8mm or Super 8 projectors. There are primarily two types of 16mm film.

16mm silent film has sprocket holes on each side of the film. This is commonly referred to as Double Perforation or Double Perf. 

16mm sound film has sprocket holes on one side of the film. This is commonly referred to as Single Perforation or Single Perf. While the film in either format is the same size the easiest way to identify which film you have is by these perforation holes. The example below is 16MM Sound Film.

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