8MM2DIGITAL HELP PAGE
How Old Is Your Film
This will hopefully provide a few tips on how to find out the age of the film in your family collection. Remember these dates are when the film was manufactured, not the year it was placed into the camera and used.
Kodak Edge Codes
Date Codes
These charts reproduce the date edge codes from Kodak and Dupont motion pic- ture film. To date your film, find the film’s edge code and select the matching code on the chart. Kodak repeated symbols every 20 years, so you will need additional data to pinpoint the date. Fuji film uses a four-digit code; the first two numbers represent the year of manufacture.
Acetate Film
Most 16mm and virtually all 8mm film used by amateur and independent filmmakers isacetate (or more properly cellulose acetate propionate or cellulose triacetate). Acetate is commonly called 'safety' film (as is polyester) because it does not have the combustible qualities that nitrate film has, and therefore was considered to be safe for use in homes. All 16mm and 8mm film produced in the United States (as well as all 35mm film produced in the U.S. after 1951) is safety film.