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Author
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Topic: Does anyone remember Scientific and Technical??
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Mark L Barton
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 621
From: Bristol, South Glos, England
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted October 29, 2019 11:10 AM
Back in the 1970s a company called Scientific and Technical (based in Southampton) used to advertise in the Sunday papers (news of the world etc) They sold, binoculars, world band radios and super 8 projectors and cameras. I bought my first 'super 8 complete kit' from them comprising a Royal Projector (Italian made Gioca with a projection bulb same as used in car tail lights, and the motor only ran one way) a Zeta 1 cine camera (that exposed an over exposed frame after every shot, as the shutter never stopped over the lens aperture) a plastic 2ft roll up screen, that you hung off a nail etc, And...two films to show, usually 50ft Laurel and Hardy or a cartoon, in black and white. For a few pounds more you could 'upgrade' to a 50 watt lamp projector and 'FULL COLOUR' films. The topmost set was a Baby Gioca Royall sound projector etc etc. I bought from them several times. Anyone have any knowledge of this company or especially images of their ads??? Cheers
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Melvin England
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 707
From: Hull, East Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Feb 2016
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posted October 30, 2019 05:06 AM
That is a name from the past that sends shivers down my spine. I appreciate you bought several items from them way back when, but am assuming you have since progressed to "proper" projectors instead of these toys, when I say that a four letter word that best describes their product is.... JUNK.
I didn't have any direct dealings with them as I had luckily purchased a Prinz Magnon LV silent projector before I knew of this firm.
However, a friend of mine did start his super 8 life courtesy of S&T. That 10 watt bulb was similar to what one would place in an editing machine... and it was supposed to project an image onto a screen! Well it did.....just....in a completely dark room you could just about make out what was going on. The projectors were made of cheap plastic and I seem to remember another add on lens to be put in front of the existing lens to improve the picture for some reason. Forget any mention of anamorphic, that just wasn't it.
I chuckle nowadays when I see these toys for sale on Ebay (Royale and Cinerex are the makes I remember) for anything over £1. As for the cine cameras.....I thought my friend had a faulty camera because of that flash frame you mentioned. It must have been inherent. The sad thing is.... my friend thought his equipment was great!
That all changed with the release of the 1x 400' Phantasm. That was a film he really wanted, and it was sound. Therefore an upgrade was necessary. That was to a Chinon with a mighty 50w bulb, and a small Bell & Howell silent cine camera.
Pardon the pun, but he suddenly did see the light!
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"My name is for my friends!"
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