This week, we’re spotlighting one of our community members, Dennis, who has been hard at work preserving decades of memories with the Wolverine 8mm & Super 8 Reels to Digital MovieMaker Pro Film Digitizer — and loving the results.
Dennis recently shared his experience with us, and it’s a wonderful reminder that with the right tools (and a bit of patience), anyone can bring old film reels back to life.
“I did three 400-foot rolls of Super 8, then a few regular 8 reels going back to the early 1950s,” Dennis wrote. “Some of that film is as old as 1977! The quality’s pretty good considering the age — it feels great to finally digitize before it’s too late.”
For Dennis, the Wolverine Film Converter has made a once-intimidating process refreshingly doable:
“I’m impressed with the machine. It runs by itself without constant fiddling. After all the use, it’s definitely paying for itself.”
He also shared how he and his wife have enjoyed revisiting their family moments — including a video of their first Christmas together in 1977. “We bought the movie camera soon after we met so she could film my future stepson on his third Christmas,” he said. “Now, those memories are safe — and easy to share.”
Dennis’s enthusiasm — and his careful, step-by-step process — inspired this week’s checklist to help you start digitizing your own film reels.
Weekly Checklist: Digitize Your Old Films Like Dennis
✅1. Gather your reels
Gather all 8mm and Super 8 reels. Label by date or subject for easy organizing.
✅2. Set up your transfer station
Find a stable surface with good lighting and power outlets for your Wolverine Film Converter. Dennis even snapped a photo of his setup to show how simple it can be.
✅3. Choose high resolution
Dennis recommends setting the converter to high resolution to get the clearest results — even if it takes a bit longer per reel.
✅4. Be patient with the process
Each 400-foot reel takes around four hours to digitize. The machine “chugs along frame by frame,” says Dennis, so let it run and check occasionally.
✅5. Use quality SD cards
A 400-foot reel uses 2 GB. The converter supports 32 GB SD cards. Have extras ready.
✅6. Backup and share
Once your films are digitized, back them up in OneDrive, Google Drive, or another cloud service. Dennis creates view-only links so friends and family can watch safely.
✅7. Learn basic editing
Dennis plans to use Corel editing software to make short montages — a great idea if you want to create highlights or family tribute videos.
✅8. Enjoy the memories
Rewatching old moments with loved ones is the best reward. As Dennis shared, “My wife and I have enjoyed viewing the videos. It’s been worth every minute.”
With a bit of time and care, you can give your vintage films new life — and preserve them for generations to come.
Have you started digitizing your reels? We’d love to hear your story, too!