8mm Forum: The Eiki SNT3 Conversion

This is topic The Eiki SNT3 Conversion in forum 9.5mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Ken Finch (Member # 2768) on January 03, 2016, 07:10 AM:

Have just received the latest issue of 9.5 magazine and would first like to welcome Maurice to Group 9.5. I thought it may be of interest to all forum members regarding the origins of his Eiki conversion. I don't know if you have received any other response from members of Group 9.5. Maurice, but as far as I remember in conversations with Roger Spence, this Eiki conversion originated from the French 9.5mm club. There late president Andre Ligonie appears to have organised for the conversion of a number of 16mm projector conversions after the demise of Pathe -Ercsom- Cineric. The Eiki being one of them. I know of no others to have been imported to the U.K. as the price was way beyond the means of most us. Many of us could not afford to change to other gauges when Pathescope went bust and would have had to give up cine were it not for people like Larry Pearce, Paul van Someron etc. It is thanks to Group 9.5 and the Vintage Film Circle that 9.5mm has been able to continue for so long, and it ain't dead yet. Ken Finch.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on January 03, 2016, 08:16 AM:

Thank you, Ken, for the information.

I have spoken to Malcolm Cutmore (editor) and said that the photo of my SNT3 does not really indicate that it is 9.5mm. So I have now taken some more pics, including various close-ups and hope that they will be included in the next issue.

Are you going to send a letter to the editor saying what you have posted above, or shall I incorporate it into a letter which I will send with my new pics.

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on January 03, 2016, 09:33 AM:

André Ligonie converted several kind of projectors (including super 8 ones) and cameras to 9,5 but you can see the name Ligonie 9,5 on them. Another company, as already discussed on this forum converted (until more recently than Ligonie) 16 mm projectors that people brought (so it could be new or used). The man who worked for this company and made the conversions is still repairing projectors (but doesn't do conversions anymore) in Paris (L'Atelier de Célestin). The price for the conversion only (so without the original 16 mm projector) costed 1 000 euros.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on January 03, 2016, 10:00 AM:

Thanks, Dominique.
The story is now piercing together.

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on January 03, 2016, 10:14 AM:

The French club also tried to put new converted projectors (If I'm not mistaking, there were Meopta)at the same time Buckingham was selling the Eiki machines but there had been very few demands (the Buckingham was cheaper and the other French company was still converting projectors for 1 000 euros) so probably no more than 5 projectors were made (but I haven't the actual figure).

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on January 03, 2016, 10:24 AM:

The Buckinghams were cheaper as the 16mm Elfs were bought for reasonable prices at ex-government sales.
Most of the selling price was to cover the conversions.

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on January 03, 2016, 02:16 PM:

Another great contribution from Britain to the hobby [Smile]

Posted by Ken Finch (Member # 2768) on January 14, 2016, 12:10 PM:

Maurice, I have not responded to the Group 9.5 magazine about your Eikibut have no objection to you mentioning it. I have no idea if Roger told anyone else where it came from. Incidentally, the late John Cunningham did quite a lot of converting, including converting convering the same models as the Buckingham ones. He even converted one to show an updated version of "Kinemacolour" (the old Urban additive colour process using rotating filters) on 9.5mm which was very impressive. Ken Finch.

Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on January 14, 2016, 02:46 PM:

Ken I have John's Kinemacolor equipment and films.... [Smile]

Posted by Terry Sills (Member # 3309) on January 15, 2016, 02:44 AM:

I remember Dom posting a picture of a Eiki sot load being used at a French convention. How I would love one of those. I have a Buckingham which I love dearly but the manual loading is very fiddly around the sound drum and a slot load would be so easy especially when a film breaks or film damage needs addressing. Never ever seen one for sale.

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on January 16, 2016, 03:23 PM:

I'm an Eiki 16mm rather than a 9.5 user, but presumably the only reason for converting a comparatively expensive and rare model such as the SNT3 would be because the owner wanted to record soundtracks on mag stripe 9.5? If that's feasible, would the sync only be right on a 16mm conversion, or could the film be screened on a 9.5 sound projector as well?

[ January 17, 2016, 01:31 PM: Message edited by: Adrian Winchester ]

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on January 16, 2016, 06:06 PM:

Adrian, there are two magnetic sound systems in 9.5 : one with the soundtrack on the right side and, logically, the other one on the left side. I I understood well, the strip side changed when dual or converted projectors appeared : 9.5 adopted the same as the 16 mm had. To be complete, there are some projectors (converted from super 8 projectors) that allow you to use both sides but I don't know if many ninefivers have their films stripped on both sides.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on January 21, 2016, 05:20 AM:

I also had a slim line 9-5 Eiki a few years back now which was optical sound. I was filming at Buckinghams shop and spotted it on the floor partly converted so purchased it uncompleted eventually completing the conversion here. I did use it quite a bit but always seem to return to a upgraded Vox or the new Son which I've just finished rebuilding with DC motor etc.

Used to spend quite a bit of time with Roger and that Eiki Ken up here and we did at one point use my Eiki along with his side by side for a show which was fun.
Happy times.

Had a quick trawl through the photo archive and here are the boys in action.

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on February 07, 2016, 06:04 PM:

Maurice, you may be interested to know that I talked with a ninefiver who had a projector converted from MS. I was surprised when he told me that the conversion costed him 1500 euros instead of the 1000 euros I had in mind. He told me that it was the price for the last conversions, after that Célestin (who told me the 1000 euros price) had already left the company to start his own repair business.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on February 08, 2016, 02:58 PM:

Thank you, Dominique.
Did the price include any extra amount such as a sales tax?

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on February 09, 2016, 09:01 AM:

Maurice, I had no specific informations about that so I can only guess it was a "all inclusive" conversion (remember, you had to bring your own projector) price as nobody never mentionned extra costs.

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