These are the results of some tests carried out in 2014 and 2016 for the FIAF Technical Commission to compare the resolution of conventional photochemical film copying against digital copying.
The tests were carried out by Prestech Laboratories, UK, in 2014, and by the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC), France, in 2016. Our thanks to João de Oliveira and to Daniel Borenstein.
The tests were limited to two film types, and to a small range of printers, scanners and film recorders. Caution must be exercised in interpreting these tests more widely.

Original

Method

Equipment/Stock

Date

Film 1

Continuous contact printer

Bell & Howell Model C
Kodak fine grain duplicating positive (2366)

2014

Film 1 and Film 2

Continuous contact printer

BHP
Kodak fine grain duplicating positive (2366)

2016

Film 1

4K scan

Northlight

2014

Film 1 and Film 2

4K scan

Lasergraphics Director

2016

Film 1

2K scan

Lasergraphics Director

2016

Film 1

Film record from 4K scan

Arrilaser

2014

Film 1 and Film 2

Film record from 4K scan

Aaton

2016

Results from 2016 were in accord with those of the 2014 tests.
Images below are, as appropriate, micrographs (photographs through a microscope) taken of the films or the scan data rendered as enlarged greyscale square pixels. Micrographs of the data recorded to film using the Aaton recorder were not available : these are illustrated by 4K scans of the recorded film.

Original neg full resolution

Note that you can click on each image to enlarge it.