It was 2012 and I started collecting 16mm sports films with the intent to transferring them to digital and using the footage for other projects.

As time passed and the collection grew, the footage on these films was not being used as I originally intended. Okay - what was I going to do with this collection that was actually starting to get quite impressive?

One day while I was thinking about what I could do with my collection - it dawned on me that if I could scan and enlarge the images on these films, I would have hundreds and hundreds of usable still images. 

The process of trying to copy then enlarge 16mm film images was not a novice idea.  In the 1940's Federal Manufacturing and Engineering Corporation sold the Model 16A Enlarging Camera for this purpose.  I bought one of these units and tried to use it as it was designed and intended - you had to place the film in a gate which held it steady then taking a picture of it using regular 35mm film.

The results of using this old technology was not very good at all. The next step was to try scanning the film cell images on a current high end professional scanner then enlarging the scan and printing out the results.

The attached photo was done at a local photographic equipment and services store.

The size of the original film cell was 7/16 (0.4375 inches) x 4/16 (0.25 inches) and it was enlarged to a 5 x 7.  At this point I knew the process could work.

I purchased an Epson professional scanner and printer and began the trial and error process of figuring the steps and setting necessary to replicate what the photo store did. 

Next... The early works of Classic Sports Pictures