8mm Forum: 1200' metal reel as take-up?

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Topic: 1200' metal reel as take-up?

Akshay Nanjangud
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 637
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2011

posted March 02, 2012 03:52 PM

Hi guys! I wanted advice on using a 1200' metal reel for take-up. Is this okay? Someone told me that a large take-up reel, as is the case here, may become too heavy for the projector. I am planning on using this on an Elmo ST-1200. Please advice.

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

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

posted March 02, 2012 04:08 PM

I'd think the ST-1200 would have been designed with exactly such a reel in mind.

I'll say this much: I run an ST-800 and a '1200 together with 800 foot takeups. You can feel the ST-800 is actually starting to gasp for breath rewinding over 600 feet, the 1200 sounds like it's not working hard at all.

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

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Jon Addams
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 638
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Apr 2007

posted March 02, 2012 04:31 PM

quote:
I'd think the ST-1200 would have been designed with exactly such a reel in mind.

Yes sir!!! I have to second that. [Wink]

All my 1200' take-up reels are "heavy-duty" metal and I don't have any problems running full reels on my ST-1200's.

Jon

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Akshay Nanjangud
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 637
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2011

posted March 02, 2012 04:42 PM

Thanks Steve and Jon. I'll try it out tonight. [Smile]

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Jim Schrader
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1628
From: Savage, MN, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted March 02, 2012 04:50 PM

It is funny the machines were called ST1200's but came with 800ft reels for take up.

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jim schrader
"Let's see “do I have that title already?"

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Akshay Nanjangud
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 637
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2011

posted March 02, 2012 07:09 PM

Yeah, Jim. When I got the machine and took the reel out, I thought the take-up was 1200'. A couple of weeks and films later I realized that it was only 800'. Perhaps they just went with the take-up of the ST-800 to cut costs?

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Jon Addams
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 638
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Apr 2007

posted March 02, 2012 07:24 PM

Akshay,

It's just another way to make more money out of the product - Elmo sold the ST-1200 reel as an optional item.

Naturally someone who bought a projector with the capacity to play 1200 rolls would want to own a reel to match. Since the reel sold with the ST-1200 was an 800 footer it left an owner no other choice than to buy the optional reel.

This is only one of a long list of accessories sold as options for the ST-1200 line.

Here are just a few: Synchronizer - Daylight viewer - Long-focus Lens - F:1.1 lens - F:1.0 lens - 4-channel mixer - Twin 2-way Speakers - Headphones (Model EH-75)...and the list goes on...

Jon

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Akshay Nanjangud
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 637
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2011

posted March 02, 2012 07:44 PM

Jon, what is a fair price for the 1.1 or 1.0 lens for the ST-1200? In your opinion, is the improvement over the existing 1.3 lens enough to justify a purchase? Which one's better - 1.0 or 1.1?

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Jon Addams
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 638
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Apr 2007

posted March 02, 2012 09:43 PM

Akshay,

There is no comparison between the 1.3 lens and the other two!

The 1.0 is extremely difficult to find, most folks don’t get rid of them. If you can find one it’ll set you back over $300 in the low end.

The 1.1 although not as revered as the 1.0 is, in my opinion, a terrific lens and some experts here don’t see that much difference between the 2. The 1.1 can be found a bit easier than the 1.0 for somewhere in the $100-$200 range.

One thing for sure, once you use either a 1.0 or a 1.1 in your Elmo you will never want to use a 1.3 again.

These lenses have been discussed extensively here – just do a search using “1.0 lens” to get a real education in these fine lenses.

Jon

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Akshay Nanjangud
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 637
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2011

posted March 02, 2012 10:17 PM

Thanks, Jon. I will read up on those lenses soon.

We just finished watching Nosferatu from a 1200' metal reel. The take-up was also a 1200' metal reel which didn't turn at all. For 80 minutes, my wife watched the feature while I spun the take-up. She loved the movie, after four viewings, while I was happy the ST-1200 played a 1200' reel, albeit with some help.

I have watched a few sound features (24 fps) using the 800' reel that came with the ST-1200 and they were all fine. Now, this 1200' metal take-up didn't spin one bit on 18fps. Any suggestions? Is the 18fps the problem?

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

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

posted March 02, 2012 10:37 PM

I'm hoping there is some adjustment in there that allows a balance of the pressure for the rollers for 24 FPS and 18 FPS speeds on the ST-1200. Mine has never worked at 18 FPS (it slips...). I've always meant to dig into it but since it works fine at 24 it's way down on my do list. (-somewhere behind painting the garage door...)

18 fps projection defaults to my ST-800. It has electronic speed regulation and avoids all this nonsense with the big and little rollers!

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

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Akshay Nanjangud
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 637
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2011

posted March 02, 2012 10:54 PM

Steve, the projection was fine. We watched the entire feature with no interruptions; so, the rollers were not slipping on the shutter. Right? Only the take-up spindle wasn't turning. The film started collecting on the floor; once I noticed that, I started spinning the reel by hand.

I didn't know that the ST-800 has electronic speed control. That should be more accurate.

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

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

posted March 02, 2012 11:44 PM

You are correct! It sounds like the clutch on your takeup spindle is slipping.

This is adjustable, but I've never had the pleasure myself.

I've been much happier with the speed accuracy of the ST-800 than the ST-1200. I find the 1200 isn't really 24 FPS until it warms up. The ST-800 is basically always dead-on.

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

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Martin Davey
Film Handler

Posts: 94
From: Southampton UK
Registered: Dec 2011

posted March 03, 2012 04:31 AM

I have always used the metal elmo 1200ft take up reels from day one, even if projecting a 50ft film. One of my 2 st1200s I have had for 17 years and have never had any problems whatsoever. My other recently aquired 1200 again seems perfectly happy with 1200ft reels.

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