Solution
- Freeze it
One solution that is beneficial
in deterring the vinegar syndrome is to move the films to a place where
temperature and humidity will vary as little as possible. Seal your
film with a molecular sieve in a heavy-duty freezer bag after getting
as much air out of the bag as possible and place them in a frost-free
freezer. The best solution here would be to transfer them to digital
media first just in case.
Another problem to be on
the look out for before you store your films is that many older films
may show fading or warming, which results in a tint from light pink
to a dark red on the film. This is caused by spontaneous chemical changes
in the image dyes of color as well as B/W films and gets worse over
time.
To check for this, take
a look at your film by holding it up to the light to see if it looks
like it has taken on a pink or red tint. This is an indication that
you should have it transferred to another form of media quickly. Once
transferred, it is safe to freeze it as described above.
Once the color has faded,
there is no way to retrieve it in the film itself, although much of
the Pink & Red tint from the digitized version of your film can
be removed as well as the faded colors enhanced in an editing studio
before transferring to DVD.
Do it Yourself Transfer
 If
you are considering transferring your own 8mm films to video or DVD,
there are some important things you should know. While you can do it
on your own with acceptable results, I have received many jobs that
were first attempted by customers that didn’t come out they way that
they should have. But if you are determined to try it, I’d like to explain
the process so that you can get the best results possible.
The 2 main ingredients to
be successful in transferring your own home movies are (1) having the
right equipment/supplies, (2) following the right process.
Process Begins with Cleaning
Cleaning and lubrication
of your home movie film is absolutely the first step and vital to the
life of your films. Your film has to be lubricated (cleaned) to help
it slide through the projector and minimize friction, which increases
its life span and minimizes any scratching. 
· Use the cleaner/lubricant
on all your films.
· Also use the film cleaner/lubricant through out your projector's
film path, and also on all rollers and film guides.
The only way to really clean
your film effectively is to get a set of old film rewinds. These are
readily available on Ebay as well as the links to supplies found at
the end of this booklet.
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