Priced by the foot, not by the reel
This is the single most important thing to understand before you compare quotes, and it is where most confusion comes from. Film is billed by the footage actually transferred, not by a flat fee per reel. If a 400 foot reel is only half full, you pay for the film that is really there.
That means two people who each say they have ten reels can be quoted very different totals, and both quotes can be fair.
Published rates, as of August 2026
- Roughly $0.29 to $0.32 per foot, which is where the familiar figure of about $14.50 to $16.00 for a standard 50 foot 8mm reel comes from.
- A $50.00 service minimum applies. If an order totals less, a line called “Minimum order adjustment” makes up the difference.
- DVDs are $5 per disc for disc-only orders, or $15 per disc when a drive is included.
Rates move. Ask for a current quote rather than relying on a figure you read on any website, including this one.
Estimating your own order before you call
You need footage, not reel count. Two numbers cover most collections: a 3 inch reel holds roughly 50 feet, and a 7 inch reel holds roughly 400 feet.
| Reel diameter | Approx. footage | Ten of them |
|---|---|---|
| 3 inch | ~50 ft | ~500 ft |
| 5 inch | ~200 ft | ~2,000 ft |
| 7 inch | ~400 ft | ~4,000 ft |
Same sentence, eight times the bill. Most people underestimate their total footage by two times or more, so if you are guessing at a thousand feet, expect closer to two thousand.
A worked example
Say you have eight 3 inch reels and four 7 inch reels. The eight small reels are about 400 feet. The four large reels are about 1,600 feet. Total: roughly 2,000 feet, which at published rates is about $580 to $640 in scanning.
Notice the shape of that bill. The four big reels are a third of your reel count and about 80% of the cost. If you need to trim an order, trim it by footage, not by reel count.
Not sure what you have?
Send a photo of one reel. We will tell you the gauge, roughly how much film is on it, and what the transfer would involve. No obligation, and no pressure if you decide to wait.