8mm Forum: A gem of a projector

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Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on June 10, 2006, 04:30 PM:

Who said 9.5mm is dead? Take a look at this beautiful looking Pathescope GEM, with bidding currently at $600.00 with 5 days to go! [Eek!]

That puts it in the GS1200 league!
http://cgi.ebay.com/PATHESC OPE-GEM-9-5MM-VINTAGE-200-240V-projector_W0QQitemZ7626976171QQihZ017QQcategoryZ4791QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

What a beauty! I have always thought the GEM was a stunning looking machine, particularly when decked out with its 900ft reels. Looks like one for Trev! [Smile]

Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on June 10, 2006, 04:45 PM:

I agree but at first glance i thought it was an electric sander [Big Grin]

Kev.

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on June 10, 2006, 06:42 PM:

Well Kev, if it is a sander it's a very high priced one! [Big Grin]

It will be interesting to see what this will go for, with 5 days left on the auction. It looks like a pristine machine, maybe the best example of a GEM still in existance! Some people want it real bad for the bidding to be this high at this point in the auction.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on June 10, 2006, 09:00 PM:

I'm profoundly ignorant of 9.5mm, but always willing to learn.

How old is this machine?

It is certainly a thing of beauty!

[ June 10, 2006, 10:06 PM: Message edited by: Steve Klare ]

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on June 10, 2006, 10:49 PM:

A bread box with a heat lamp built in! Genius!! [Big Grin]

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on June 10, 2006, 10:50 PM:

Hi Steve,
The GEM was first produced by Pathescope (Great Britain) in 1948. It was a major design inovation by Pathe with, as you can see, a beautiful and unique 'art deco' design. It was probably the first projector anywhere to use efficient low voltage 12 volt 100 watt lighting. It can take 900ft reels for about 30 minutes of uninterrupted viewing.
Pathescope later produced a sound version of this projector called the 'Son', which was also a distincly beautiful looking machine, but unfortunately was a troubled design in the area of sound quality.

9.5mm sound film has a narrow optical track running down one edge of the film. 9.5mm picture quality is about as good as 16mm, because of the large picture area acheived by the use of center sprocket holes.

Posted by Trevor Adams (Member # 42) on June 11, 2006, 12:38 AM:

The Gem has a pretty appauling lens,about f16 Id say [Smile]

Also,the motor is mounted on rubber dampers which have well and truely perished by now-leaving a "freefloating" motor! I'm not to keen on feeding valuable 9.5mm film to my Pathescope beasts...With the Son(a Gem on an amplifier to a philistine like me),you can work up a sweat keeping the exciter lamp lens focused on the sound track-one of those perpetual adjustment scenarios-I find. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on June 16, 2006, 03:51 PM:

Well it went for $600.00! Not bad for a 50 year old silent projector. Looks like Pathescope and 9.5mm equipment and films are increasing their value quite rapidly.

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