Regarding UltraPan8 projectors.

[Nicholas Kovats]

*Correction regarding my original posting which seems to have disappeared from this forum, i.e.

An incorrect assumption was made on my part and Martyn Stevens will not be modifying additional Specto projectors only the current two which are more or less accounted for. However, he has created an excellent write up on his DIY website for the UP8 craftsmen and tinkers amongst us, i.e. http://www.cinerdistan.co.uk/up81.htm

Regards,

Nicholas Kovats
Toronto
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We have made contact with a UK based projector engineer enthusiast by the name of Martyn Stevens who is able to provide UltraPan8 conversions of the robust 1950 - 70(s) UK Specto projectors. Specifically a dual gauge model called Specto 500 8/16.

Martyn's extensive and dense projector web site is located here, i.e www.cinerdistan.co and his specific Specto page can be found here, i.e. http://www.cinerdistan.co.uk/Specto.htm. They are normally available on eBay.com or eBay.uk for a pittance. At times in very good condition . The actual mod is quite modestly priced. The shipping from the UK may be the greatest cost factor. But as I have mentioned previously these modifications are a labour of love with minimal
associated profit.

It turns out Martyn had a spare box of Specto PAN8 and PAN16 projector gates. There are the formats originally developed by the UK based WideScreen Association. If I remember correctly PAN8 had an aspect ratio of 2.2:1 whilst PAN16 AR = 2.87:1. He has put together two machines with one having been shipped to Jean-Louis Seguin for examination on behalf of a recent confirmed Canadian buyer. They require a 220v to 120v step down transformer for the non-European
markets.

The same buyer also scored a very well priced and even rarer LW-international-Photo-Optical-Data-Analyzer-224A-MK-V-5 projector specifically built for full width 16mm and 8mm pulldown projection. These projectors have a slightly smaller aspect ratio relative to UP8, i.e.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/L-W-LW-internat ... _568wt_724

This completed auction is almost identical to my own UP8 projector (UK Dept of Defense) currently being modified for the UP8 projector aperture by Jean-Louis. In fact the historical military utilization of UP8 has been borne out by my recent unearthing of two 1950-60(s) jet fighter gun cameras with UP8 gates. However, my non-military UP8 applications continue unabated.

If you are interested in a converted Specto 500 8/16 UP8 projector just drop me a line at nkovats@gmail.com.

Regards,

Nicholas Kovats
Toronto