8mm Forum: Which is best?

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Topic: Which is best?

Robert Crewdson
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1031
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2013

posted September 02, 2013 03:46 PM

Can anyone tell me which of these two they think is the best 9.5mm projector.
A Bolex G3, which has 3 gauges, and supposed to have a good light output, or
A Specto 9.5mm.

Some Spectos have been converted to quartz, does this alter the outside appearance in any way, or would you only notice when you come to change the bulb.

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Dino Everette
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1535
From: Long Beach, CA USA
Registered: Dec 2008

posted September 03, 2013 12:10 AM

The G3 is a terrible projector and will destroy your films...It may have worked fine back in the day when the films were new, flexible and most importantly NOT shrunken, but now the Bolex will tear the perfs unmercifully and destroy your films.....The Specto is hand down the only way to go....!!! [Smile]

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"You're too Far Out Miss Lawrence"

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Clinton Hunt
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 845
From: Waharoa,North Island,New Zealand
Registered: May 2010

posted September 03, 2013 06:23 AM

I am lucky to own a Specto........great projector.....never have any problems [Smile]

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Cheers from me in New Zealand :-)

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Robert Crewdson
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1031
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2013

posted September 03, 2013 09:18 AM

Thanks guys. Can you tell me what is the difference between a Specto A, Specto B.

[ September 03, 2013, 01:49 PM: Message edited by: Robert Crewdson ]

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

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

posted September 03, 2013 02:46 PM

Known Spectos all my life but never heard of A or B models. The first models had 100watt lamps, and latterly had 500watt lamps.

My 9.5mm Specto 500 has been converted to take the 650watt mains A1/247 lamps.

http://www.bltdirect.com/a1-247-240-volt-650-watt-projector-lamp

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Maurice

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Robert Crewdson
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1031
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2013

posted September 03, 2013 02:59 PM

Well Maurice, I looked at Grahame Newnham's site and it doesn't mention A or B. Hailsham Camera Centre advertise a Specto A 9.5mm projector, and if you go on Youtube, you will find some museum or archive in Australia that has a Specto B. I can't find information on either.

I see one of the forum members has a model B.
http://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=9;t=000095

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

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

posted September 04, 2013 02:48 AM

Gerald McKee's splendid book "The Home Cinema" has some very interesting information on Specto projectors, but he makes no reference to an A or a B. Nor does Martyn Stevens excellent web-site "Cinerdistan".

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Maurice

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Dino Everette
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1535
From: Long Beach, CA USA
Registered: Dec 2008

posted September 04, 2013 12:00 PM

I think the A and B is simply an implied term to reference the different lamp sizes, or it could be to distinguish the Analyzer models from the standard, basically you are going to want to look for one with the 500w lamp, and there are some modifications you can make to it that will make it run even better than it already does...Here is a pic of mine
#1 - is a rubber roller to prevent shrunken film from double backing onto the top sprocket during feed.
#2 - because the rubber roller is pushing the film towards the lamphouse I use a sort of slide roller (taken from a spare Specto sprocket clamp) to guide the film into the gate area and prevent it from scraping against the edge of the lamphouse
#3 - is an extra bottom roller to prevent the film from losing its bottom loop. Whenever a torn sprocket goes through it will want to lose the loop and you'll have to stop the show to rethread, with this you can simply dis-engage and re-engage the gate pressure and never have to stop. Given the fact that so many old 9.5 films can be shrunken this is the best [Smile]

#4 - I have an external transformer I use on my Specto and Bolex DA so I can run a 24v 250 halogen lamp inside them....

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"You're too Far Out Miss Lawrence"

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Robert Crewdson
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1031
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2013

posted September 04, 2013 01:19 PM

Thank you for your reply and photo. I contacted Grahame Newnham and he was just as baffled. The Specto (advertised as A) that I was looking at has been converted to quartz.

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Dominique De Bast
Film God

Posts: 4486
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jun 2013

posted September 04, 2013 01:35 PM

There is no doubt that Grahame is THE 9,5 specialist. He will surely find out what is behind these A and B references.

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Dominique

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Dino Everette
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1535
From: Long Beach, CA USA
Registered: Dec 2008

posted September 08, 2013 11:15 PM

I promised Clinton I would post a close up shot of where I put the bottom roller on the Specto, so here it is...