R16 – aka 16mm, Regular 16, Standard 16

S16 – aka Super16, Super 16mm, Super 16, Super16mm

U16 – aka Ultra16, Ultra 16mm, Ultra 16, Ultra16mm

With R16, all you get is a 1:1.37 ratio. It's a decent format when shooting for NTSC television, but not very good for blowing up to 35mm or for HDTV.

With S16, you get a 1:1.66 ratio. It's used primarily for shooting HDTV or, with some cropping, blowing up to 35mm.

With U16, you get a 1:1.85 ratio. It can be blown up to 35mm without cropping. It can be converted to S16/HDTV with slight cropping on the sides. And, because the areas in gray still capture picture, remain R16/NTSC without any cropping.

Total R16 1:1.37 Area:

R16 covers an area:
7.5mm x 10.4mm = 78mm

When converted to 1:1.33 ratio for NTSC, the area used is 96% of the total format:
7.5mm x 10mm = 75mm

When cropped to 1:1.85 ratio for blowups to 35mm, the area used is 72% of the total format:
My math says: 5.4mm x 10mm = 54mm
*But I've found other to say: 
5.21mm x 9.60mm = 50mm2 
= 64% of total format)

When cropped to 16:9 ratio for transfers to HDTV, the area used is 88% of the total format:
My math says: 6.6mm x 10mm = 66mm
*But I've found other to say: 
5.25mm x 9.35mm = 49.1mm2 
= 63% of total format)

Total S16 1:1.66 Area:

S16 covers an area:
7.5mm x 12.4mm = 93mm

When converted to 1:1.33 ratio for NTSC, the area used is 80% of the total format:
7.5mm x 10mm = 75mm

When converted to 1:1.85 ratio for blowups to 35mm, the area used is 83% of the total format:
6.46mm x 11.95mm = 77.2mm2

When converted to 16:9 ratio for transfers to HDTV, the area used is 86.3% of the total format:
6.72mm x 11.95mm = 80.3mm2

Total U16 1:1.85 Area:

U16 covers two areas
Excluding gray R16 areas:
6.23mm x 11.8mm = 73.5mm

Including gray R16 areas:
(7.5mm x 10.4mm) + (1.4mm x (7.5mm – 1.27mm))
= 83.7mm

When converted to 1:1.33 ratio for NTSC, the area used is the R16 gray area, the added 1.4mm width of the U16 area is cut off. The area used is 96% of the total R16 format:
7.5mm x 10mm = 75mm

When converted to 1:1.85 ratio for blowups to 35mm, the area used is 100% of the total format:
6.23mm x 11.8mm = 73.5mm

When converted to 16:9 ratio for transfers to HDTV, the area used is 97% of the total format:
71.64mm

Advantages:

• Many cameras are R16

• Many lenses are R16

• Most R16 cameras and lenses are inexpensive

• Inexpensive compared to 35mm

• Can have sound on sound track

• Can use both single-perf and double-perf film

• Film has keycode

Advantages:

• Can be blown up to 35mm without too much grain

• Can go straight to HDTV without cropping

• Inexpensive compared to 35mm

• Covers both S16 and R16

• Film has keycode

Advantages:

• It's like using two formats in one – both R16 and U16 can be taken from the same negative

• Most R16 & S16 cameras can be converted to U16 by shaving off .7mm of both sides of the gate. All lenses should work.

• Most R16 cameras and lenses are inexpensive and will work with U16

• Inexpensive compared to 35mm

• Can use both single-perf and double-perf film

• When blown up to 35mm there is no cropping due to the 1:1.85 ratio

• Will process anywhere R16 and S16 will process

• film keeps keycode

• After being cropped and blown up to 35mm, S16 has only a 3% larger area– so there is virtually no difference in picture quality

Disadvantages:

• Blowups require a large amount of cropping

• Blowups become very grainy

• Blowups to 35mm are expensive

Disadvantages:

• S16 cameras are expensive

• S16 lenses are expensive

• Converting R16 cameras and lenses is expensive

• Many R16 cameras can not be converted to S16

• Can not have sound, since there is no room for the sound track

• Blowups to 35mm are expensive

• Blowups to 35mm require some cropping

• Can only use Single-perf film

• Sending it to the wrong lab may scratch film

Disadvantages:

• Lose sound track

• Blowups to 35mm are expensive

• Many telecine's and other lab gates aren't made for blowing up U16

• Sending it to the wrong lab may scratch film