Hey everyone . . .
It has been a while since I asked a "newbie" question, but here goes . While I spend hours or even days checking out cameras and lights, etc before I go and spend my hard earned cash on them, when it comes to the humble projector I have never really given it much thought when making a purchase.
The last one I had was a Hanimex 9800 . . . or something along those lines :? . Every time I let it run, it was like feeding a shark. I would let the reels spin and the celluloid run into the beast, hoping that it wasn't hungry for that poor K40. Of course occassionaly it would be fine and run pretty smoothly, but other times the film would get jammed, or just come out the other end with tears and creases :roll:
Well . . . I will be more careful when buying a projector in future. Any ideas on descent makes/models?
thanks guys!
Steven.
Tips on buying a good projector, anyone?
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Mitch Perkins
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Re: Tips on buying a good projector, anyone?
For traditional projecting, look for 200W or better lamp.Super8kid wrote: when it comes to the humble projector I have never really given it much thought when making a purchase.
Any ideas on descent makes/models?
thanks guys!
Steven.
For DIY telecine, look for a sound projector to ensure constant speed.
Elmo, Beaulieu, Eumig, I think they're all pretty good.
Mitch
Considering the price of raw film, I think it makes no sense to economize too much with the projector. There are people who are not willing to spend more than the price of 2 or 3 carts on the projector!
There are several aspect to consider when purchasing a projector:
Brightness: very important, as we are in direct competition with tv sets and video beamers. Nobody will accept a dimm flickery picture nowadays.
The minimum lamp wattage for a bright picture of about 2 meters is 15V/150W. 100W projectors are definitively too dimm. Elmo machines with 200 W are not brighter, but offer a more equal light distribution. 250 W makes no sense.
Sharpness/Fokus: Many projectors, depending on the state of the film pressure mechanism (gate) don´t provide a picture with constant sharpness. Potentially best sharpness provide projectors which have the pressure plate at the side of the lamp and the fixed film path at the side of the lens. The lens must be of high quality, the bader the film path of the projector is, the closer the lens must be (f.e. 1:1,3) to guarantee field sharpness. Quality projectors can handle wide open lenses 1:1,0.
Drive system: If you ever think of synchronizing the projector to computer systems, video systems, or to your S8 camera for sound sync, it MUST have a regulated DC motor with pitch potentiometer (internal or external). AC motors cannot be alterated in speed and your projector will always keep a stand allone machine, without the possibility of interfacing to anything.
Sound system: quality projectors normally have at least the magnetic sound option. Better is stereo sound, at 24 fps S8 stereo sound can have an astonishing good acustic quality! and sound films are very easy to handle and project direclty with sound and without sync troubles. few projectors offer optical sound. this is interesting to play back airline prints or educational films of the 1970ies and 1980ies.
Transport system: there are some low cost projectors of the latest generation that have only one ore none sprocket drive; the claw does the whole job. this machines stress the film sprockets much more, because the claw has to pull the film directly from the big roll, applying a certain force to the lower side of the sprocket edge. The picture stableness is not so good either.
Preferable is the classic system with one sprocket drive to pull the film slowly from the upper roll and a second one to feed it into the take up roll. this way, the claw hasn´t to perform any transport work and no force at all. It only has to pull a few centimeters of film that just has been pulled by the upper sprocket drive.
There are more silent and louder transport systems.
Here are some well known brands, all with DC motor and quality drive:
Braun Visacustic 1000 or 2000
film pressure lamp sided!
can be synced without any adaptation! stereo sound.
Bauer T502, T510, T525, T610
works only good with semi new pressure plate (plastic),
1:1,1 lens not recommended (sharpness), better 1:1,2 or 1:1,3
spare parts widely available, very good an silent drive system
510/610 with stereo sound
extremly silent transportation system, ideal for living room use.
Elmo GS1200MO
all metal quality machine, 1:1,0 lens highly recommended,
very easy to sync (inbuilt synchonizer), 200 W lamp, 360 meter reels.
4 motors with logic control, superior magnetic stereo sound, optical sound
There are several aspect to consider when purchasing a projector:
Brightness: very important, as we are in direct competition with tv sets and video beamers. Nobody will accept a dimm flickery picture nowadays.
The minimum lamp wattage for a bright picture of about 2 meters is 15V/150W. 100W projectors are definitively too dimm. Elmo machines with 200 W are not brighter, but offer a more equal light distribution. 250 W makes no sense.
Sharpness/Fokus: Many projectors, depending on the state of the film pressure mechanism (gate) don´t provide a picture with constant sharpness. Potentially best sharpness provide projectors which have the pressure plate at the side of the lamp and the fixed film path at the side of the lens. The lens must be of high quality, the bader the film path of the projector is, the closer the lens must be (f.e. 1:1,3) to guarantee field sharpness. Quality projectors can handle wide open lenses 1:1,0.
Drive system: If you ever think of synchronizing the projector to computer systems, video systems, or to your S8 camera for sound sync, it MUST have a regulated DC motor with pitch potentiometer (internal or external). AC motors cannot be alterated in speed and your projector will always keep a stand allone machine, without the possibility of interfacing to anything.
Sound system: quality projectors normally have at least the magnetic sound option. Better is stereo sound, at 24 fps S8 stereo sound can have an astonishing good acustic quality! and sound films are very easy to handle and project direclty with sound and without sync troubles. few projectors offer optical sound. this is interesting to play back airline prints or educational films of the 1970ies and 1980ies.
Transport system: there are some low cost projectors of the latest generation that have only one ore none sprocket drive; the claw does the whole job. this machines stress the film sprockets much more, because the claw has to pull the film directly from the big roll, applying a certain force to the lower side of the sprocket edge. The picture stableness is not so good either.
Preferable is the classic system with one sprocket drive to pull the film slowly from the upper roll and a second one to feed it into the take up roll. this way, the claw hasn´t to perform any transport work and no force at all. It only has to pull a few centimeters of film that just has been pulled by the upper sprocket drive.
There are more silent and louder transport systems.
Here are some well known brands, all with DC motor and quality drive:
Braun Visacustic 1000 or 2000
film pressure lamp sided!
can be synced without any adaptation! stereo sound.
Bauer T502, T510, T525, T610
works only good with semi new pressure plate (plastic),
1:1,1 lens not recommended (sharpness), better 1:1,2 or 1:1,3
spare parts widely available, very good an silent drive system
510/610 with stereo sound
extremly silent transportation system, ideal for living room use.
Elmo GS1200MO
all metal quality machine, 1:1,0 lens highly recommended,
very easy to sync (inbuilt synchonizer), 200 W lamp, 360 meter reels.
4 motors with logic control, superior magnetic stereo sound, optical sound