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16mm Projectors


Nathan Milford

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I am having a heck of a time locating any place other than Magna-Tech and Du-All that sells 16mm projectors.

 

MPE rents them, as do many others... but it is difficult to find anyone who seems to sell them.

 

I am looking with something to evaluate registration tests with, so it would need good registration itself. It seems anything with a Geneva Intermittent movement is way out of our range.

 

Anyone have any leads?

 

Thanks

Nathan

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I am having a heck of a time locating any place other than Magna-Tech and Du-All that sells 16mm projectors.

 

MPE rents them, as do many others... but it is difficult to find anyone who seems to sell them.

 

I am looking with something to evaluate registration tests with, so it would need good registration itself. It seems anything with a Geneva Intermittent movement is way out of our range.

 

Anyone have any leads?

 

Thanks

Nathan

 

 

 

 

You would need an intermittent in order to get the best registration.

 

ICECO sells some portable intermittent projectors but you're probably looking at $2500-5000 and up. Fumeo, Prevost, and Philips-Norelco made portable intermittent machines.

 

Most portable, claw movement projectors (Kodak Pageant, Eiki, Elmo) introduce a slight vertical bounce. The claw timing has the be just right, and even then there is still some movement. Pageants have decent registration, but still show play. The 1950s RCA 400 has very good vertical registration, but if the springs are worn on the lateral pressure guides, then you get horizontal weaving.

 

In pedestals the old, French-made Hortson G has very good registration if set up properly. Both the Pacific Film Archive and Harvard Film Archive have these machines installed in their booths. The picture is glued to the screen. But you'd want to have a few machines for parts, and it's loud like a cement mixer. I see these machines selling all the time for several hundred bucks, but you need to find a good tech for service (which shouldn't be too difficult in NYC), and be willing to deal with the space the machine takes up. It's not huge, but it's also not a portable.

 

I would suggest posting your question to... Film-Tech, eFilmcenter, and 16mmfilmtalk.com. There you will get a whole host of good recommendations, or at least enough mixed responses to make your own educated selection. Also, try AMIA's listserv as many archives have their own exhibition programs and staff who are very knowledgeable about projection.

 

BTW, there's a guy on Film-Tech named Steve Guttag (in Maryland I think) that may be able to sell you something. Most theater supply and service centers have old 16mm projectors laying around from when they yanked a nice 16mm projector from a booth during a modern digital installation.

 

 

-Alain

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Nathan,

 

Another suggestion....

 

Try contacting Rangertone in NJ and see if they have a Hokushin portable intermittant, or even an SC-210 for sale. Hopefully something that has been recently serviced. These are slot loaders that if well-maintained can he good registration.

 

 

-Alain

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  • 4 weeks later...
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I am having a heck of a time locating any place other than Magna-Tech and Du-All that sells 16mm projectors.

 

MPE rents them, as do many others... but it is difficult to find anyone who seems to sell them.

 

I am looking with something to evaluate registration tests with, so it would need good registration itself. It seems anything with a Geneva Intermittent movement is way out of our range.

 

Anyone have any leads?

 

Thanks

Nathan

 

Hello Nathan,

We just started using a Lafayette analytical projector, and it works great.

Real steady.

Ken Hale

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Ken,

 

Is Lafayette a Kodak Analyst projector with a Lafayette nameplate?

-Alain

 

Hello Alain,

I think maybe you are right, they look very similar.

Mine was unused, then serviced, maybe that is why it is steady forwards and backwards.

Another nice feature is that the gate is opened up so that you can see everything.

What is your opinion on the Kodak Analyst, Alain?

Best regards,

Ken Hale

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What is your opinion on the Kodak Analyst, Alain?

Best regards,

Ken Hale

 

 

I can't recall having studied an Analyst closely for steadiness at 24fps projection.

 

I have a friend in Van BC who has two that he uses for dual projector performances, but it's mainly

to slow things down.

 

I would imagine it is as steady as a Kodak Pageant, which can be laterally steady, thanks to well designed guide rails, but vertically it can develop play requiring the claw pitch to be adjusted. Lamp

and optics are the limitation of the Pageant, otherwise the movement is very good, very easy on film.

 

 

-Alain

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