Capturing 8mm Cine Film?
 

My Dad has a couple of reels of 8mm Cine Film that I'd like to transfer to a digital format for him. I happened to come across a Raynox Video Transfer RV-1500 in a local charity shop. Am I right in thinking that all I essentially need to do is get a projector, project in to the lense, the image reflects on to the screen and then I record the screen with a digital camera? Is there anything else I need consider? Do I need complete darkness? Is there an easier way, better results?

Scanning the film will produce better results than recording a projection. As for easier, well, for "a couple of reels" I would send them to a professional transfer service.

I'd prefer to do it myself, I enjoy the challenge. What would a 'professional' do differently, what processes do they use, is it possible to replicate from home? Are you able to scan something that small on regular scanners, even with a high DPI?

You couldn't use just any old scanner, since the film needs to be backlit in order to be scanned properly. And to buy one of those scanners that are designed for still film would take a lot longer (and they aren't really designed for motion picture film) than sending them to a professional scanning service.