Cine film identifier

What cine film format is this?

Two quick visual checks — the width of the film and where the sprocket holes sit — are enough to tell Standard 8, Super 8, 9.5mm and 16mm apart. Answer the two questions below and we'll name your format.

Step 1cine film

How wide is the film itself?

Hold a length up to the light. Compare it to a coin or a credit card. The most useful measurement is the strip of film itself, not the reel.

Pick the closest match

What you'll need before you start

A light source

A window, a desk lamp, or a phone torch — anything that lets you see the film clearly when held up.

Something for scale

A credit card or a 5p coin makes width-comparisons much easier than guessing by eye.

Clean dry hands

Cine film is fragile; handle by the edges only and don't touch the picture surface where you can avoid it.

The four cine-film formats at a glance

Format	Width	Era	How to tell
Standard 8 (Regular 8 / 8mm)	8mm	1932 – mid-1970s	Large sprocket holes near the edge, one per frame, no sound stripe.
Super 8	8mm	1965 – late 1990s	Smaller sprocket holes positioned slightly inward. Often a rust-red sound stripe along one edge.
9.5mm Pathé	9.5mm	1922 – 1960s	Sprocket holes run down the centre of the film, between frames — unique to this format.
16mm	16mm	1923 – present (mostly pro / educational by the 1970s)	Sturdier, wider stock — twice the width of 8mm. Sprocket holes on one or both edges.

Ready to digitise your cine film?

We handle all four formats — Standard 8, Super 8, 9.5mm and 16mm — on broadcast-grade scanners with AI restoration included.

Get a cine-film quote