8mm Forum: very first projector

This is topic very first projector in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=003726

Posted by Del Phillipson (Member # 513) on May 25, 2008, 01:40 PM:

I saw the heading for the Toy Projector and it made me think of my very first projector, it was made by Casdon toys and was silent standard 8mm. My dad worked at Casdon and would bring bits back from work and then put it all together, it sounded like a tank and would interfere with the TV downstairs (hehe) I used to ignore the shouts of "turn that flamin thing off". This was around the early 70's and I would sit watching the Keystone Cops and Charlie Chaplin and I also remember having a Sylvester and Tweety cartoon that was colour. The screen was ahuge plastic one (around 12 inches by 8 inches) and I had this projector till I was 16 and I started work, it got me hooked on film as I would sit there for hour after hour watching the same films time and time again. Del.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on May 25, 2008, 05:19 PM:

My very first projector was actually my dads, but it might as well have been mine ...

A Eumig p8!

Beautiful little number, on which I watched my first films ...

A two reel silent film from 1922 called "Cinderellas Cinders", as well as two little Hollywood Enterprises Mickey mouse films.

It was the earlier version that didn't have the mechanism for the reel to reel tape to be synchronized to it.

It's why I have stubbornly kept a little ole Eumig p8 that doesn't work. Just a beautiful projector to behold!

Posted by Clive Carmock (Member # 347) on May 25, 2008, 06:59 PM:

My uncle gave me his old Hamimex Std 8 silent with his collection of home movies. Lent that to a friend years ago and haven't seen it since.

After that the first sound machine was a Eumig MK S802D dual guage machine. I sitll have it and it still works though the amplifier has packed up, but can still run my old Std 8 silents on that.

I progressed to a Eumig S936 - superb machine, still works like a dream.

Most recently I have a pair of GS1200's - first is a standard halogen version (first release) and then a Xenon version.

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on May 26, 2008, 06:09 AM:

The very first one was a Kodak Brownie 8 (can't remember which model, it was a small suitcase, the lid was used as a screen, single primer lens, 200ft capacity and "dead" feeder arm). This was borrowed (along with the double-8 camera) from a friend of my Mum.
I used it for several years, projecting 50ft reels of The Flintstones (among others).
Then, at age 13, I broke my piggybank, waited for my Bday and Xmas and bought a Silma S233 dual format sound projector...

Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on May 26, 2008, 06:34 AM:

AGFA Movector

Dual 8
Silent
200ft reel capacity.

Still have it, though it no longer is useable due to spindle damage.

-Mike

Posted by Del Phillipson (Member # 513) on May 26, 2008, 01:20 PM:

My second projector was a Cinerex, has anybody else owned one of these ?, it broke my heart and scratched all my films (and they weren't cheap in those days, what am I saying you all already know this) It was from a catalogue so was promptly sent back, to be replaced by a Eumig S910 (wow what a machine), it was my pride and joy for years, Del.

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on May 27, 2008, 05:55 AM:

First projector (around 1972)-

G A F dual-8 silent. (Christmas gift)

First movie- "DRACULA", Castle Films, 50 foot.

First SOUND projector (1976)

EUMIG Mark S 802 (paper route, odd jobs, determination)

First SOUND movie- "Moan & Groan" (Blackhawk, Our Gang)

James.

Posted by Del Phillipson (Member # 513) on May 27, 2008, 06:05 AM:

James, I had a paper round, mine was a very big one (does that sound right ?) thats always my excuse when I'm looking a bit rough [Wink]

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on May 27, 2008, 10:50 AM:

I showed such fascination with film and projectors that when I was 8, my parents cashed in a savings bond, added in some gift money and parental blessing, and bought me an inexpensive Bell & Howell movie outfit. The Super 8 projector is model 357B. That's as far as it went because it was just too $$$, and I somehow never plugged into any groups or friends that had better gear even though my hobby was far from secret.

Sadly, I never knew just how wonderful the image quality could be from K40 until about 7 years ago when I saw just how much that cheap old B&H lens was killing the clarity (it had already done a good job of killing the prints with scratches, no matter what I did). Seeing my old, beat-up films on a good projector is revelatory, even with the limited quality of the old camera -- it had a better lens than the projector, to be sure!

So I am actually enjoying Super 8 now more than ever, even though I have relatively tiny amounts of time to devote to it.

Posted by Gary Crawford (Member # 67) on May 27, 2008, 11:52 AM:

First projector Brumberger hand cranked standard 8mm, 50 foot capacity..with battery powered bulb. 1958 ( age 9)
First films, gotten at the same time, Abbott and Costello "headline" editions of Meet Frankenstein and Have Badge will Chase.

Posted by Terry Lagler (Member # 1110) on May 27, 2008, 01:19 PM:

My first projector was the one my parents had for the home movies, Bell & Howell 357 - still works.

I used to borrow 8mm films from my local library, In fact I think I must have borrowed every film that they had. Also remember ordering film from the Blackhawk catalog near the end of their days.

Now my 5 year old loves to watch the same films I enjoyed as a kid.

Maybe one day I'll get a nice Elmo to screen my films.
Right now I use:
Bell & Howell 33ST
Bell & Howell 456
Bell & Howell 356
GAF 3100s

Cheers
Terry

Posted by Del Phillipson (Member # 513) on May 28, 2008, 10:15 AM:

Terry that brings back a few memories, I remember sitting looking (and drooling) over Derann's rental catalogue years ago wishing I could afford to rent them all.

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on May 29, 2008, 07:13 AM:

Terry-

I recently acquired a used Bell & Howell 33ST. Its a very nice, film-friendly, easy to use machine.

Del-

I did a paper route on Capital Hill in Washington D.C. for many years. And yes, I also used it as an excuse when I looked raggedy (which sometimes was true). [Wink]

James.

Posted by Del Phillipson (Member # 513) on May 29, 2008, 01:37 PM:

James, nice one mate. [Smile]

Posted by Trevor Adams (Member # 42) on May 29, 2008, 03:40 PM:

A Bing Bros 35mm handcranker.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on May 29, 2008, 05:28 PM:

Trevor, I may sound like an idiot, but was that hand cranker a sound unit? I really don't know 35MM projectors, (but wish I could afford one.)

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on May 29, 2008, 06:03 PM:

There could only be one word to describe a hand cranked sound projector:

"Wow!"

(...think about it!)

Posted by Del Phillipson (Member # 513) on May 30, 2008, 04:18 AM:

Steve, it took a second [Big Grin]

Posted by Michael Beyer (Member # 1143) on May 30, 2008, 04:28 AM:

My first projector was an Porst Synchrolux with 400 ft. capacity.
Later I got an Revue Lux Sound 310 (built by Eumig and nearly same as the 9 series).

Regards,
Mike

Posted by Patrick Walsh (Member # 637) on May 30, 2008, 04:50 AM:

fiest machine/s are as follows

8mm HANIMEX deal gauge silent machine
16mm Bell & Howell 631 machine
35mm Ernemann II

Pat

Posted by David Pannell (Member # 300) on May 30, 2008, 11:03 AM:

Going back a few years now, and it's a bit hazy, but it was a Bell & Howell Standard 8 silent machine.

Somehow the number 256 stays in my mind, but it was certainly that style. It was manual load, though I know some variations of this style were semi-auto. It was finished in black crackle, - not any shade of brown or bronze, - so perhaps some knowledgeable B&H member could confirm the actual model. I seem to remember it used a 150watt mains lamp, but I couldn't tell you which one exactly.

It was really well before I became seriously interested in films and cine generally, so that's why I didn't take too much interest. I was still at junior school at the time. I can't even remember where it is or what happened to it.

I do seem to remember that it worked OK when showing some of my Dad's films, though he had a Eumig P8 at the time; which I eventually aspired to.

An interesting thread!

Posted by Del Phillipson (Member # 513) on May 31, 2008, 01:15 PM:

Just to add to my original post, my favourite 2 films are King Kong (1933) and The Wizard Of Oz, well when I had this plastic Casdon standard 8 projector (I didn't know it was standard 8 at the time) I bought a 200" silent version of King Kong from Portland films in London (they used to advertise in the Sunday papers) and not realising it was super 8 tried it on my Casdon, needless to say it didn't work so in desperation I slowly pulled the film through the gate with the bulb on (it was no bigger that a torch bulb) just so I could get a picture (these little things matter when your a kid) it was then I found all about super 8 and the rest as they say is history.

Posted by David Pannell (Member # 300) on June 04, 2008, 05:51 AM:

Just following up on this thread, are there any Bell & Howell enthusiasts who could identify my first projector, mentioned in my last post on this topic?

It's got me thinking, and merely for interest's sake, I would like to know exactly which model it would have been.

Thanx.

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 549) on June 04, 2008, 06:15 AM:

David, the black crackle finish Bell and Howell was probably a 256. I have one, it is a standard model and transformed later into the more highly featured 266A.

The 256 was a semi-auto thread, it threaded around the gate and sprockets but you had to pull the film under the lamphouse and onto the take-up spool. It is possible they made a manual thread version, as B and H made many variations around the world.

The 266A was my first non-toy projector and it had a beautiful filmovara zoom lens and a grey finish. It also had speed control, still and slow motion and rocker button switch for lamp and motor along with the slide forward-stop-reverse switch. I still have it in its original box.

The 256 and 266 are cheap to buy on ebay if you wish to relive the old days.

David

Posted by David Pannell (Member # 300) on June 04, 2008, 07:43 AM:

Hi David,

I think you must be right, as that number stuck in my head for some reason. I don't remember it being a semi-automatic thread, - but it may well have been. Was I right about the type of lamp? It's all a bit hazy now!

Many thanks.

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on June 06, 2008, 04:48 PM:

My first projector - really my Dad's - was a Porst, I think the model name was FP 10. It was a simple silent super-8 projector with a 12V/100W lamp and (surprisingly) an 800ft reel capacity, although the take-up reel that came with it was only 600ft and we never even came close to filling it up anyway (it was just home movies and a few short cartoons on 200ft reels, if that).
One day, after yet another 50ft "cinema evening", my Mom tripped over the power cord and the projector had a brief but intense affair with the hardwood floor. Thus, a few months later, I got the Bauer T-450 for my birthday (my parents had recognized my affection toward filming by that time). [Big Grin]

quote:
There could only be one word to describe a hand cranked sound projector:
"Wow!"
(...think about it!)

LOL! I wonder what they did to combat that problem - tie a flywheel to their hands? [Wink]

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2