8mm Forum: Standard 8mm sound. Help!

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Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on June 11, 2004, 11:07 AM:

I recently acquired a Fujica Standard 8mm sound projector. It appears to be a well maintained machine and I love the fact that the tubes have to warm up for sound playback. The running speed is a question. It is not switchable, and I assumed commercial 8mm sound films were always 24fps. When screening a film, the playback sounds as if the projector is running at 18fps (could possibly be 16). Was there a different standard fps on early 8mm sound models? I've checked the belts, and I believe the projector is running correctly and that this is not a mechanical problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Doug

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on June 11, 2004, 11:37 AM:

Hi Doug,
As far as I know Standard 8mm sound was always 24fps for commercial prints and 18fps for home movies. The only difference to super 8 was that the sound track was advanced 56 frames for standard 8 versus 18 frames for super 8. Possibly your projector was a very early design, aimed primarily at home movies with added sound, and which only ran at 18fps.

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on June 11, 2004, 12:42 PM:

Hello Paul,

Thanks for the reply. As I was staring at the flywheel/drive shaft assembly, it looked as if there was one section that could be shifted to change the amount of tension in the drive (motor) belt. I loosened some screws, moved the unit and eureka! The projector now runs at a beautiful 24fps! What an ingenious design. If only the instruction booklet had come with it. Ahhhh, that would've been too easy.

Doug

Posted by John Whittle (Member # 22) on June 11, 2004, 04:49 PM:

As for projection speed, almost all 8mm sound films were at 24 fps but there was one exception. Columbia in it's early days of home movies released some films at 18 fps. They had a tie in deal with Agfa which had made a projector with a sound base and it ran at 18 fps. I remember one 3 Stooge cut down short that was at 18 fps along with a black and white version of a cut down Mr. Magoo cartoon that I owned back in the early 60s.

But all the Castle, Blackhawk, AAP titles were at 24 fps.

John

Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on June 12, 2004, 12:38 AM:

Hi Doug,

This machine sounds fascinating!
What is the lamp wattage, the lens speed
and the film capacity of this unit?

Best,
Mike

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on June 14, 2004, 10:39 AM:

Michael,

The lamp is 500 watts(CYX). The lens is a 1.4 Fujinon fixed focal length (non-zoom), and it has a 400' capacity.

Doug

[ April 04, 2015, 01:20 PM: Message edited by: Douglas Meltzer ]

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