8mm Forum: Does anyone remember the Fuji machines Derann unearthed?

»	8mm Forum » 8mm Forum » Does anyone remember the Fuji machines Derann unearthed?

UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!

Author

Topic: Does anyone remember the Fuji machines Derann unearthed?

Stuart Reid
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 720
From: Worthing, West Sussex, UK
Registered: Feb 2009

posted March 03, 2016 07:55 AM

I was thinking about the "new old-stock" super 8 projectors that Derann found about 25 years ago, quite the lovely little machine. I recall they were Fuji branded and were mag/opt machines with all sorts of bells and whistles including auto stop. I actually bought one but it was faulty and they'd ran out of stock when I returned it. Does it ring a bell with anyone else?

| IP: Logged

Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted March 03, 2016 08:08 AM

It was called a Fujicascope SD Auto, Stuart. Lovely little machine that was let down only by it's small reel capacity and relatively modest lamp.

Only ever seen one example for sale since returning to the hobby and it had bags of interest and bidders on it!

http://www.van-eck.net/itable.php?lang=en&size=0&cat=film&merk=61&type=Fujicascope %20SD-Auto

[ March 03, 2016, 02:31 PM: Message edited by: Andrew Woodcock ]

--------------------
"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

| IP: Logged

Stuart Reid
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 720
From: Worthing, West Sussex, UK
Registered: Feb 2009

posted March 03, 2016 08:15 AM

That's the one! Lovely little thing wasn't she? Unfortunately mine exhibited issues with the auto-stop kicking in at various points during the movie. I think I swapped her for an ST-1200 (D? HD?) which I kept 'til I saved enough for a Beaulieu 708. Boy, I don't have many regrets in life but selling that 708 is one of them.

| IP: Logged

Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted March 03, 2016 08:23 AM

I'd never part with mine Stuart. I was running it only this morning and could not believe just how quiet and just how well it handles film recently!

It's like a vintage wine almost, it just gets better and better with age! Incredible machine, it really is. [Smile]

--------------------
"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

| IP: Logged

Stuart Reid
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 720
From: Worthing, West Sussex, UK
Registered: Feb 2009

posted March 03, 2016 09:52 AM

Andrew, have you ever had experience of the Xenon 708? I've never even seen one in the flesh.

| IP: Logged

Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted March 03, 2016 12:05 PM

No, me neither Stuart, but I know one or two who have them. Well not Xenon of course, but the HTI models.

I'd love one one day, but I'm not sure I'd need it in the home.
It'd be great though for public screenings.

Listening to one owner, the beauty of the HTI is they are not drastically noisier due to the use of an additional computer style fan to take care of the additional cooling required.

The Xenon models are reportedly very noisy indeed and you would need to be in a sizeable hall I'd have thought, to have any chance of drowning out the racket with a decent sized pa system.

--------------------
"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

| IP: Logged

Lee Mannering
Film God

Posts: 3216
From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006

posted March 07, 2016 03:23 AM

Hi Stuart. Remember the SD Auto's well as I had a couple sat side by side. I gave them the nick name 'the hand bags' as they were so small and compact. They did have a serious design flaw in that some electronic components were underrated for the job and failed on my machines in later years. We never found a supplier for them and in effect that was that. Recently a friend was just about to sell his and its just died a death as well. A good little projector but with flaws. The front cover used to hinge left to expose the lamp, gate areas and eventually one started to scratch film as the gate plates wore even bending at the hinge probably due to lack of cooling in a very compact machine I'm guessing.

It was quite an automated electronic switch bound machine to the point where it would switch itself off after rewinding a film. I tended to use both of mine for showing Gone with the wind as they sat side by side neatly and easy to switch over quickly. Shame about the failure of them though.

The Fuji SD Auto was also latterly available branded Noris (Norisound 512) , both came with soft covers in the box as well, never perused them any further.

Happy days!

| IP: Logged

Mark Todd
Film God

Posts: 3846
From: UK
Registered: Aug 2003

posted March 07, 2016 03:48 AM

Hi Stu Lee is right and you can often pick up a Norris 510 single track or 512 twin track up on german Ebay fairly cheap.

They don`t have optical like the SD Auto did ( I bought one 2nd hand for £150 way back then).

Great reli8able machines and very kind to films, though the inlet before the soundhead can wear on very well used ones, and a little plastic fork does too before the 1st sprocket. Great machines to run though.

On the SD auto the optical sound is a little low so I nipped and bought a little old amp for £10 which made a great difference.

I think they were about the last super 8 machines made, bar the odd Beaulieu, and odd very late Elmo more or less.

Have you got any machines yet Stu ?

Best Mark.

| IP: Logged

Stuart Reid
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 720
From: Worthing, West Sussex, UK
Registered: Feb 2009

posted March 07, 2016 07:28 AM

Hey Mark, great to hear from you. I'm currently rocking a Norisound 322P which is very much my starter projector. I won't be satisfied until there's a EL708 or GS1200 sitting in my house! I bid on a 1200 in France but was beaten at the last second (ain't it always so!). Not got much to shout about print-wise either, just a small handful of 'toons and a couple of Blackhawk L&H on their way from the US. I'm also going to get myself another Xenon 16mm and return to collecting that gauge too. Damn this addiction!

| IP: Logged

Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted March 07, 2016 02:32 PM

There is a GS 1200 on e bay UK right now, serviced by the legendary Bill Parsons for £495 or best offer. Quoted as fully working.

Just check the guides first pal with some scrap film if you do ever opt for one.

--------------------
"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

| IP: Logged

Stuart Reid
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 720
From: Worthing, West Sussex, UK
Registered: Feb 2009

posted March 07, 2016 05:12 PM

Yes I saw that one, but should I be concerned about the 'ticking' noise it's making...?

| IP: Logged

Mark Todd
Film God

Posts: 3846
From: UK
Registered: Aug 2003

posted March 07, 2016 05:39 PM

Would that be a ticking noise in the top shue, that can be quite common and annoying as well. I think you can sort it with thin shims, but might be worth being wary.

Nip to have a look see what its like.

Ian at Perrys might have a nice ST1200 HD that he has had the rubber on the shutter sorted etc.

8mm is fun but I can see you creeping back to 16mm mainly Stuart.

Good luck etc.

Best Mark.

Well it looks nice and the version 3, wonder what they would take offer wise. I wonder if this is Larry Pearce`s old machine, same location and he used a 1.3 in his. ( Wonderful chap, and his wife was very nice too. )

| IP: Logged

Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted March 07, 2016 11:49 PM

For a MK3 this is a good price Stuart so long as everything is working ok.
I wouldn't be too perturbed by a small mechanical issue to maybe one of the gears etc if all is working ok.
Edwin Van Eck manufacturers many mechanical nylon parts for these nowadays.

As Mark suggests, you are close enough to take a look at first also if you wish!

--------------------
"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

| IP: Logged

All times are Central

Printer-friendly view of this topic

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2