A service of Legacy Digital Productions
Work out what your film should cost before you ship it.
Film is billed by the foot actually transferred, not by the reel. Once you understand that, most quotes stop being confusing and you can tell a fair one from a bad one. Here is the arithmetic, including ours.
Our rates are published so you can compare them, not because they are the lowest. As of August 2026.
A comparison worth knowing about
The producers of Spielberg compared labs too. They chose this one.
Our parent lab, Legacy Digital Productions, converted Steven Spielberg’s childhood films for that documentary, and the family’s personal video tapes for Netflix’s Lucy and Desi. We mention it not because your reels are a film production but because the people who had every option chose the same equipment and the same hands.
Documentary
“Spielberg”
His childhood films, converted at the highest possible quality.
Netflix
“Lucy and Desi”
The family’s personal video tapes, converted for the film.
$0.29 – $0.32
per foot actually transferred, published, as of August 2026. A $50 minimum applies.
4.9 / 5 ★★★★★
Across more than 200 Google reviews of the lab, unedited. Read them on Google →
Eight questions
that any good lab answers without hesitating. Ask them of anyone, including us.
The conversion
Reels to feet, in one step.
Almost every confusing quote in this industry comes from one thing: film is billed by footage and people count reels. A 3 inch reel holds roughly 50 feet, a 5 inch reel around 200, a 7 inch reel about 400. Count by diameter, multiply, add up. That total is the number every honest quote is really based on.
Most people underestimate by two times or more, because four large reels look like a small pile and are most of the bill.
3 inch
≈ $14.50–16
About 50 feet.
5 inch
≈ $58–64
About 200 feet.
7 inch
≈ $116–128
About 400 feet.
How to choose
Judge any lab, including us.
Ask
Does the scanning happen in your building, or is it sent out?
Ask
Is each frame captured as a separate image?
Ask
Do originals come back in the same shipment?
Ask
Per reel or per foot, and what is the rate today?
When the cheap option is fine
Sometimes you should not hire us.
Three reels of unknown content that you simply want to see? A mail-in box service will do that, and it will cost less than we will. Where it stops being fine is when the material matters, the film is fragile, or you want a scan you will not need to redo. We would rather tell you that than take an order you regret.
If you do choose us
202 W Lincoln Ave, Suite A
Orange, CA 92865
Walk in Mon to Fri, 9:00am to 4:30pm. Call ahead so someone is free to log your items in properly.
Reviews
Unedited, from Google.
Google reviews of Legacy Digital Productions, the lab behind this service. These two talk about price and honesty.
★★★★★
“They were upfront and honest. Gave me a decent timeframe when the job would be done and the prices were reasonable.”
Patrick K · Google review, August 2026
★★★★★
“After working with a number of other outfits and getting untimely and poor quality results on transfer of my 16mm films I contacted Scott Foster at Legacy Digital Productions.… They have been punctual and their work was of the highest quality.”
Arie G · Google review, July 2026
Want a straight answer?
Send a photo of one reel and a rough count. We will give you a realistic range. If the honest answer is that you should wait, or do it yourself, we will say so.