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Topic: How long have you been in this hobby ?

David Hardy
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015

posted January 05, 2018 02:55 PM

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With the arrival of 2018 I have been reflecting a bit about the amount of people I have got to know because of this hobby.

Sadly a lot of the "old timers" have now passed away including a lot of the dealers. Taking with them some knowledge and skills they never got a chance to pass on fully.

I have also been thinking about the amount of time that has passed since I first got involved as a young lad of 12 - 13 years old. I am now coming up to my 64th birthday this month.

In all that time I have NEVER once left this hobby in the 51 - 52 years I have been active in it.

In fact I still have my very first print I bought with my pocket money all those years ago: Standard 8mm silent 50' Laurel and Hardy TREE FELLAS which was an extract from THE HOOSEGOW and released on Dixons Photographic PRINZ brand label. Its still in its original box.

I bought it before I had saved enough to buy my first projector a second hand Standard 8mm silent PENTAX P80-1 from Dixons.

That's a long time ago now but I can still recall the thrill I got looking at those 8mm frames via magnifying glass holding the film up to a light bulb.

I can still remember of seeing it projected for the first time on my 3 foot wide wall hanging screen I bought from Elena Mae photographic shop in Aberdeen.

That was another lifetime ago but it still seems like yesterday since I first saw that film via my first slighty yellow light projector which used nothing more that a standard car headlamp for it's light source.

I expect some of you have been in this hobby a lot longer than me.

So how long have you been in the hobby on a continuous / unbroken timeline ?

[Smile]

[Smile]

[Smile]

[Smile]

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" My equipment's more important than your rats. "

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Jose Artiles
Master Film Handler

Posts: 357
From: Spain
Registered: Oct 2005

posted January 05, 2018 04:34 PM

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Im start collecting at the age of 15 and im 47 years old now so im in the film collecting 32 years now with no interruptions and i hope to continue till the end of my life. Film is the best way to see a movie.

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As Steven Spielberg says....
Nothing beats old school projection. Digital is just an imitation.

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David Hardy
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015

posted January 05, 2018 05:08 PM

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Jose that is very good to read that. Well done that is real dedication to the hobby. [Smile]

[Smile]

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" My equipment's more important than your rats. "

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Joe Caruso
Film God

Posts: 4105
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 05, 2018 05:09 PM

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1962 actually, on and off with 16mm before centering on 8, s8, 9.5, even dabbled over to 17.5 and 28mm - Shorty - Handled 70 and 35, yet never desired more of those

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Clyde Miles
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 205
From: Bromsgrove, UK
Registered: Nov 2013

posted January 05, 2018 05:16 PM

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1962, so how old does that make you joe if i can ask?

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 05, 2018 05:21 PM

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In the ways that matter the most, Shorty is perpetually young!

I started in 1979, when I was 16 years old. I took a break when I was in college and then went back in stronger than ever (with Sound!) after I was married for a couple of years.

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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David Hardy
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015

posted January 05, 2018 05:29 PM

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Joe... that's 56 years in the hobby ... WOW !
I wonder if anyone on here can beat that ?

Steve ... You took some time out....Tut Tut Tut ! ! hahaha ! [Wink]

[Wink]

[Wink]

[Wink]

[Smile]

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" My equipment's more important than your rats. "

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Bill Phelps
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1482
From: USA
Registered: Jan 2009

posted January 05, 2018 05:30 PM

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Started at 14 (1982) filming and projecting my own home made films, in the mid 90's saved the churches B&H 385 from the dumpster and started slowly with 16mm, then in 2005 began collecting and projecting packaged Super 8, 8mm and 16mm. Also began collecting projectors too....I have tons of them!

Bill [Smile]

[Smile]

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Bill Brandenstein
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1632
From: California
Registered: Aug 2007

posted January 05, 2018 05:36 PM

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Played with Super 8 silent stuff as a kid and stopped shooting in college. About 15 years later discovered a new-old-stock Canosound projector plus eBay, and (oh, my poor wife) haven't stopped for long since.

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Panayotis A. Carayannis
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 969
From: Athens,Greece
Registered: Jul 2008

posted January 06, 2018 03:36 AM

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It all started around 1960 when I was 9 and pestered my father to buy me a projector and films,which he did! The first film was "Oeil pour Oeil",in two reels,the Film Office edition of "Big Business"( And I sensed special pride when sometime later I saw "The Golden Age of Comedy" and saw that it included a shortened version of the film I had complete!) And I haven't stopped since !!!

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Mark Todd
Film God

Posts: 3846
From: UK
Registered: Aug 2003

posted January 06, 2018 03:56 AM

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Just about to hit the 30 years mark in April collecting wise.

51 years old now. Though I had dabbled with a toy super 8 projector with a torch bulb in it, at 11 sat in a large cardboard box watching them.

Tried to give it up so many times, but now given up, trying to give up !!!

For me these days, its well over 50% about the nice people, and friends, and contacts in the hobby and filmie community.

A Prinz/Walton 200 of Champion Charlie got me going. Lovely print too.

Best Mark.

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David Hardy
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015

posted January 06, 2018 04:11 AM

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This is great to read how it all started for you all.
Cheers guys for taking the time to reply.

Panayotis A. ... You are the longest so far. Like Joe that's a long time to be in the hobby from such a young age as 9. [Smile]

[Smile]

[Smile]

[Smile]

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" My equipment's more important than your rats. "

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Brian Fretwell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1785
From: London, UK
Registered: Jun 2014

posted January 06, 2018 04:24 AM

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If you exclude a toy projector that had a loop of stills to tell a story (16mm I believe) then I started in when I started work in 1970 with a battery/mains projector (that really scratched films as the gate was not recessed) and a 50ft silent extract from "Easy Street" and a Halina super8 camera. Sound didn't start until 1974 when I had finished my GPO telecoms apprenticeship.

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Robert Crewdson
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1031
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2013

posted January 06, 2018 04:26 AM

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I can't match you David, but I bought my first film in 1967, Trooping the Colour by Peak films, I only had a hand cranked projector to see it by. Then I bought a 50ft foot film of The Chimps Tea Party at London Zoo, made by Arrow Films. I eventually sold that to get some money to buy a book. I didn't get into the hobby fully until 1973 when I bought a cine camera, and apart from giving away a few silents when I replaced them with sound versions two years later, I still have all my films. I was never persuaded to change to VHS and watch movies on the little box in the corner.

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted January 06, 2018 04:38 AM

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Started Christmas 1946 with a 9.5mm hand-turned Hunter (Bingoscope).

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Maurice

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Mark Todd
Film God

Posts: 3846
From: UK
Registered: Aug 2003

posted January 06, 2018 04:42 AM

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Blimey Maurice its going to take something to be over that one !!!

And you are still so actively enjoying it too.

Best Mark.

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted January 06, 2018 04:54 AM

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Thank you, Mark
My number of 9.5mm films (silent & sound) was greatly enlarged a few years ago when I bought from Roger Spence who had had a series of strokes and sold me his complete collection, including a converted Eiki SNT3.
Sadly he died only a short time after.

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Maurice

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David Hardy
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015

posted January 06, 2018 05:05 AM

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WOW Maurice that will take some beating !

I remember the name of Roger Spence but I can't recall from where. Was it Movie Maker or Making Better Movies magazines ?

Robert I am glad you never gave in to that VHS tape as your main movie collecting format.

Keep your start of hobby memories coming folks this is great reading for me and of course others. [Smile]

[Smile]

[Smile]

[Smile]

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" My equipment's more important than your rats. "

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted January 06, 2018 05:18 AM

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Roger Spence was a former President of Group 9.5 for many years. He collected and shot films on 9.5mm including sound. This is why he had the Eiki conversion (done in France before Tony Reypert started his Buckinghams) which could also record on magnetic 9.5mm.

I had my 83rd birthday last week. [Smile]

[Smile]

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Maurice

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Tom Photiou
Film God

Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003

posted January 06, 2018 05:25 AM

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I joined the hobby the day i got my first job at the age of 16 in 1979 and no breaks, my Brother started in 1972 and also no breaks, he is now 61,In fact like many people, we didn't just collect package movies etc we also enjoyed having a laugh with the cine camera, while most of it was pure fun and laughs we did make one good war time effort which won us a blue seal award in the top 10 of the IAC and a gold star certificate form Kodak, so all in all for me 39 very good years, even making a couple of American set civil war efforts, the films we made here were around 30 years ago.
[Big Grin]

[Big Grin]

[Wink]

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Mark Todd
Film God

Posts: 3846
From: UK
Registered: Aug 2003

posted January 06, 2018 05:26 AM

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Thats a lot of amazing cine years, and cine films and projectors etc too Maurice.

I wonder who our youngest collector is on here ?

Best Mark.

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David Hardy
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015

posted January 06, 2018 06:19 AM

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Maurice wishing you a belated Happy Birthday and many more of them.

You truly are a traditional old timer in this hobby.

As for Roger Spence I should have remembered him as I am still a Group 9.5mm member.

[Smile]

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[Smile]

[Smile]

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" My equipment's more important than your rats. "

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Bill Phelps
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1482
From: USA
Registered: Jan 2009

posted January 06, 2018 07:39 AM

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Tom, your war film is great! [Smile]

[Smile]

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Neil Massey
Junior
Posts: 27
From: Peacehaven, UK
Registered: Oct 2015

posted January 06, 2018 09:36 AM

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I started in 1980, (aged 20) with super 8 sound - making films and collecting. However, within a year I got a second hand Debrie and started hiring for a small private film club I ran (family and friends). Each month, a member would choose a film. Quickly added a scope screen and lens. This ran through the '80s until I moved out then it went by the wayside. I kept my Elf NT2 which I got in the mid '80s, and it lay unused for 20 years.
Summer 2015 saw me return to the fold, now able to own what I could previously only hire.
May I also added a belated happy birthday Maurice.

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted January 06, 2018 09:40 AM

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Neil
Thank you for your birthday wishes.
I have two grey Debries. Truly professional projectors, but at my age they seem to be putting on weight. [Smile]

[Smile]

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Maurice

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