Super 8 or 16mm Film for your wedding?

With analogue film gaining hyper-popularity in the last... 5 years? Wedding filmmakers are leaning futher into this medium. When I have a consultation call with a client, they often know that they want some sort of film in their videography package, but often it's difficult to understand the differences between super 8 and 16mm film. Let's chat about that!

1. Different looking cameras:

   The 16mm cameras need a compartment that can hold 100 feet of film on two rotating wheels, that push the film past the gate. This means 16mm cameras are much larger and heavier. They also require MUCH more effort to load and unload on the wedding day. Super 8 film comes pre-packaged and ready to shoot in a small cartridge. This makes it much easier to swap rolls mid-wedding day.

   

   ^ Bolex Reflex H16 16mm Camera

   

   ^ Canon 310 XL Super 8 Camera

   
   

2. Different Image Quality:

   Both images have a 'filmic' whimiscal feeling to them, but as you can see, one appears more 'nostalgic' while the other is much clearer.

   

   

3. Different types of Film:

   These are the available types of analogue film. 35, 16, and Super 8. You can see the difference in size between 16mm and 8mm! That is why the resolution appears higher, you simply have more space for light to be captured on each tiny plastic square.

   

4. The real question here is... which medium is right for YOU?

   Home Movie vs Vintage Film: That's the real difference.

   If you want your wedding film to look like a home movie, with all that authenic grain, nostalgic jittery magic, then super 8 is the choice for you. If you're someone who loves film, loves the technicality of it and the small ways it makes beautiful images, you should go with 16mm. It's a bit more cinematic, and obviously more crisp and clear.

   There's no wrong way to go, it's all about opinion! Hopefully this little blog post helped you in thinking about which type of film suits your aesthetic!