8mm Forum: what is a good 16mm sound projector?

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Posted by Rob Meckelborg (Member # 1620) on June 11, 2009, 07:50 PM:

I am new to the film world (and this forum) and would like to buy an inexpensive 16mm sound projector for watching movies. Can anyone recommend some good reliable and cheap to run units?

Thanks.

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on June 12, 2009, 03:09 AM:

Hello Rob, welcome to the forum.

Cheap to run doesn't necessarily pair with inexpensive to purchase. You could indeed find a good bargain that will perform for a limited time and later realize that the machine needs a lot of tuning, fixing, new parts and (your worst nightmare) start destroying your precious films.

It also depends on what you consider inexpensive...

You could probably start by a Bell and Howell. They are not my personnal favorite but they are quite easy to find on your shores at a good price. Their weakness is a fragile drive gear that will break and is a bitch to replace. The up side is that you can probably buy another projector before worrying of changing said gear.

Then, there's the Eiki line. Very robust. I've had a pair of these and found they were OK. Some people love them, others hate them as some units can be quite rough on films.

My favorite machines are of the Elmo brand. The CL (as in "channel loading") line is easy to use, very kind to film. You just need to check that the rubber rollers are not gooey when you inspect the projector prior to purchase.

If you see something that suits your needs, just ask about it here, I'm sure someone will help.

Posted by Richard C Patchett (Member # 974) on June 12, 2009, 10:29 AM:

Greetings Rob
Whens the stampede in Calgary
Hope this helps

Manual:
You physically take the film in your hands and thread (lace for you folks in the UK)
the film through the entire film path. You open every sprocket guard, open the film
gate, set the tension of the film around the sound drum, and loop film around the
rollers as the film exits the projector. All projectors from the very beginning of the
development of projectors up until around 1962 were manually threaded. This is
good because the projector and film path were less cluttered plus you had to know
something about film so you wouldn't destroy either the film or projector. Film can
be stopped at any point in the reel and unthreaded easily if you don't wish to see the
entire movie.
Auto load:
You flip a lever and feed film into an entryway. The film threads itself through the
entire film path. When the film exits the projector you give the film a slight "tug" to
trigger the release linkage and take the machine out of the automatic thread mode.
The numerous linkages and guidance hardware are complicated. That's why auto
load machines are the most expensive to purchase brand new. Film can be stopped
at any point in the reel and manually unthreaded with a little difficulty. By the way,
AUTOLOAD is a registered trademark for Bell & Howell's line of automatic threading
projectors. Bell and Howell invented automatic threading projectors in late 1962 with
the introduction of the famous model 552 and its baby brother the model 545. Film
leader (the first 3 feet for sure) must be in good condition and free of sticky tape,
folds, kinks, torn holes, etc.
Slot load:
You flip a master "loading lever" and the entire film path opens up. Then you just
sort of 'lay' the film in the slot. Then flip the master lever into the run position and
show your movie. Film can be stopped at any point and unthreaded easily. Some
machines allow you to actually rewind the film while still in the film path. There is
usually some safety interlock switches preventing rewinding if any of the sprockets
and claw is still engaged with the film or damage would result! These machines are
also complicated internally, difficult to clean, and can be problematic. Slot load and
channel load are the same terms. By the way, Graflex invented the slot load system
in 1966.

Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on June 12, 2009, 01:20 PM:

My personal preference is for Manual threading.
I like to be able to see the entire film path.

Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on June 12, 2009, 06:12 PM:

I say Elmo 16-CL, they are inexpensive and common. They are easy to thread, understand, and clean, and the parts that can go bad are readily available (like the rubber rollers). They sound really good when run through a small sound system. They have accessory parts that fit nicely and can open you up to scope/larger picture, etc (I recently bought an elmoscope lens on ebay for $50), easy to clean and maintain, as well as find manuals, etc...I'm n elmo man all the way [Big Grin]

Posted by Flavio Stabile (Member # 357) on June 13, 2009, 10:54 AM:

Hello Rob!

well, indeed to the ELMO 16 Cl machine I strongly prefer the BAUER P8 (and probably P7...)

On EBAY.DE you can find a lot of them and sometime also in mint condition!

I would like to mention also Italian FUMEO but here the situation is much complicated because there are a lot of models and they are not so easy to find in good condition!

Flavio

Posted by Rob Meckelborg (Member # 1620) on June 15, 2009, 01:43 AM:

Thanks to everyone that replied. The Elmo's generally seem to be in high regard. Now I have an idea what to look for.

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