9.5mm editor / viewer wanted or advice on converting 8mm to view 9.5

[James Arbuthnaught]

9.5mm editors seem to be impossible to locate at a price we can afford. ( I was quoted over £700 for one the other day) And can't find any on eBay etc.

I have a spare Haynorette Mark II 8mm viewer which I am hoping to convert to 9.5mm. I have installed a center sprocket wheel , cannibalised from a non functioning 9.5 projector. I can make a 9.5 mm aperture gate and film path.

If I hold a single frame in the gate, I can focus the image on the screen. My question surrounds the prism.

Would the small prism work in principal? I do know that the 16mm Haynorette viewer we also have, and use regularly, has a much larger prism. ( I know some people say converting a 16mm viewer to 9.5 is viable, but we don't have a spare 16mm viewer. I also know that the Haynorette Mark II came in all 3 film gauges so in theory I should be able to diy my 8mm, hopefully.)

Might it be possible to replace the prism rotation function by having a fixed prism and by flickering the light electronically?

Any thoughts welcome? Also any offers on a 9.5 viewer would be even more welcome.

Projecting the film is not a option as we are processing home movies on 9.5mm format as opposed to "pre-recorded" 9.5 movies. i.e. the films are unique and precious. We need to preview the films to select candidates for scanning and storing in our archive.

[David Strelitz]

Dumb question...but make allowances I'm from Essex innit...why would you want to transfer 8mm to 9.5?

There are a few 9.5 gurus on the forum but given the relative rarity of 9.5, compared to 8mm formats, that explains the premium.

[James Arbuthnaught]

Hi David, we don't want to transfer 8mm to 9.5mm. We want to view the 9.5mm films we have. After viewing we will decide whether to digitise them using the scanner. I have an 8mm viewer, that I want to modify to view 9.5mm film.

[James Arbuthnaught]

David, I just re-read the title of my post and see why you thought I wanted to convert 8mm to 9.5mm. The title is a bit ambiguous. I think I may repost it

[Dominique De Bast]

9.5mm editors seem to be impossible to locate at a price we can afford.

Bad timing. You missed one that was for sale at the price of €50 on eBay France a few weeks, ago.

[Ken Finch]

James, I have used a 9.5mm Haynor viewer for editing my films for many years. It has a hexagonal prism as has the 16mm version. I do not think it is convertible from 8mm or super 8 because of the internal gear ratios. An alternative to view the film would be to use a hand turned projector like the Pathe Ace, fitted with a low wattage lamp. The one in most of the editors would be sufficient, I.e. 6v 10 watt. This is what I used to use as a young lad before I could afford to buy the Haynor. After all you do not require a very big picture to view the contents. Would be interested to know how you intend to scan the film for digitising?

[David Strelitz]

David, I just re-read the title of my post and see why you thought I wanted to convert 8mm to 9.5mm. The title is a bit ambiguous. I think I may repost it

Sanity restored😁😁😁
Looks like Ken can help. He is very knowledgeable.
Good Luck.

[James Arbuthnaught]

James, I have used a 9.5mm Haynor viewer for editing my films for many years. It has a hexagonal prism as has the 16mm version. I do not think it is convertible from 8mm or super 8 because of the internal gear ratios. An alternative to view the film would be to use a hand turned projector like the Pathe Ace, fitted with a low wattage lamp. The one in most of the editors would be sufficient, I.e. 6v 10 watt. This is what I used to use as a young lad before I could afford to buy the Haynor. After all you do not require a very big picture to view the contents. Would be interested to know how you intend to scan the film for digitising?

Hi Ken, thanks for the reply. Yes I am familiar with the larger prism on the 16mm viewer as we have one and actively use it for the 16mm films we process. (We also have a 16mm Steenbeck, but the Haynor allows for two lots of films to be processed at the same time, which we needed for the current big project.)

Thank you for confirming there might be a gear ratio issue, I suspected that, and that's why I was thinking of making the lamp flash electronically, thus avoiding the need for the prism to rotate. I have engineer friends who may help me with the engineering! I wonder if rubber rollers produced to the right size might emulate the gearing, or possibly 3d printed?

I don't think a hand wound projector will wash with the powers that be. Even though it is more controllable and gentle than a motor driven projector, the risk the the unique films is too much, especially with the centre sprocket holes.

I don't know the model of the scanner we have because a colleague does the scanning and grading, but it is a professional 4k scanner which cost 10s of thousands and was bought as part of a big project a few years ago. It scans 16, 8, S8 & 9.5, and doesn't use the sprockets. Bit ironic that nowadays we can't spend a much smaller amount on a 9.5 viewer!

My plan at present is to keep playing and at the same time keep searching auction sites for the real McCoy.

[James Arbuthnaught]

Bad timing. You missed one that was for sale at the price of €50 on eBay France a few weeks, ago.

Hi Dominique, How frustrating! I do look on French ebay sometimes, but I don't know the correct words to search for. Do you speak French, might you be able to tell me what keywords to search for a viewer / editor?

[Dominique De Bast]

"Visionneuse 9,5" (unlike in English, there is a coma between the 9 and the 5, not a point). There is only one for sale at the moment, but a little bit pricey, and not the best model. You never know what you might find.

[James Arbuthnaught]

"Visionneuse 9,5" (unlike in English, there is a coma between the 9 and the 5, not a point). There is only one for sale at the moment, but a little bit pricey, and not the best model. You never know what you might find.

Thank you so much. I shall set up an automatic search.

[Dominique De Bast]

Fingers crossed!

[Rodney Bourke]

There is a 9.5mm Viewer Listed, in Australia.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/286072875...oAAOSwpeVm78xe

[James Arbuthnaught]

There is a 9.5mm Viewer Listed, in Australia.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/286072875...oAAOSwpeVm78xe

Thanks. It's an unusual one. It's hard to see if it only allows you to view one frame at a time or animates the film. The Australian postage makes it a bit of a gamble.

[Ken Finch]

James, it is quite easy to view one frame at a time with a hand cranked projector, particularly if you use a low wattage bulb like the ones used in a viewer or indeed a led. After all you are not interested in projecting a large image. I do not understand why you think the centre sprocket poses any more risk than any other gauge. If it is damaged it will mis align in the gate of a projector for one frame. Alternatively, check the film on a rewinder first and put a tape splice on the damaged frame. This can be done whilst cleaning the film prior to viewing. Hope I am not tracing grandma to suck eggs! 😉
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