📽️✨8mm Film Cleaning Test: 99% Isopropyl Alcohol, before/after (⚠️ DISCLAIMERS 👀)

Описание: This is a side-by-side comparison of film "scanned" using my digital raw frame-by-frame project, before and after an experimental application of 99% isopropyl alcohol to help remove dust, dirt and whatnot.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Do not try this on precious film like family memories, archival footage etc., as it may not be safe. If you intend to try this, do your own research beforehand and understand the possible risks.

In my case, I'm using "sacrificial" film I found from eBay that has some footage of Vancouver, BC - my hometown. It's not terribly interesting, but it's a window into the past - and there are a few neat scenes. A lot of stuff is under and over-exposed, but I tried to pull details out of scenes where I could.

Before "scanning", I turned the film reels by hand and fed the film through a hand-length of soft cotton cloth material, dampened with 99% "IPA." I wore gloves and applied a careful amount of pressure, occasionally shifting grip points at times as I went through the film.

What you see here is the results of two passes; there is a definite improvement. I could probably improve this with more pressure, but I wanted to be careful not to scratch or otherwise degrade the film.

There are some colour and exposure differences between the before/after due to camera settings, and the way I adjust scenes in post-processing.

This approach seems to be controversial and is not recommended by professional film folks. "IPA" may dry out film, as it doesn't have any lubricating properties by itself. "FilmGuard" seems to be the product professionals recommend, but it's $35 USD for 8 fluid ounces.

I have seen mention of using a drop of mineral oil with the IPA, for lubrication purposes. I've also seen "Goo-Gone" as a possible cleaner, but counter-points say it's petroleum-based and may affect the film. For now, I'm sticking to IPA as it seems to work effectively and the film didn't show any immediate degradation.

I've also seen a few mentions of ultrasonic cleaning for film, where dust can effectively be vibrated loose via cavitation. I have an ultrasonic cleaner, but I'd be hesitant to run this (it's very loud - think "squealing pig", but with more buzzing) while also trying to move film through it. 🙉 😅

Corrections and advice are welcome; as with most things and on the internet, there are numerous and strong opinions held and discussed at moderate length, with varying levels of detail. 😉