eBay Seller Confused

[Maurice Leakey]

Here is an example of an eBay seller who does not know exactly what he is selling.
He advertises a 9.5mm copy of S/714 (Billy, Child Nurse). He has screen shots of the film and the box.

1) Any true 9.5mm collector would know that an S/ prefix was a notched title
2) The film shows notches
3) The box has it hand written "Notched"

He also has the incorrect date which is 1925.

He says "There is some minor damage at the start". Is this the title notches?
I do hope a 9.5mm collector will also realise the situation and not buy it. Unless, of course, he can project a notched film.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rare-Path...AAAOSwuDteyoUo


Maurice

[Stuart Budd]

It's still for sale Maurice. What exactly does Notched mean? I can see in the last photo the notches, like a count!

[Brian Fretwell]

The notch tells the projector to pause on that frame so for titles it economises on film as you can read the titles as still frames. It was revived on the Agfa Family camera projector system (with an LED leaving readable marks on Super 8 film) to allow still frames to be taken in the middle of moving pictures.

[Ken Finch]

Hi Stuart. The notched title system was introduced by Pathe for the original Pathe home movie projector. A spring sensor stopped the film from running for a number of turns of the crank handle to enable the title to be read and then start moving again. The title frames being printed on just a few frames. Subtitles were treated in the same way. It could only be used on the low wattage lamps used , otherwise the film would blister. Hence higher wattage machines did not have this facility and do not stop at the notches and later prints were provided with running titles. Ken Finch.

[Dominique De Bast]

The purpose was to save the costs of the filmstock by different ways to make it affordable. The notches system was one of this ways ; the choice of the the 9.5 width, which allows three strips from 35 mm film, the central perforation, which gives a larger image on the screen than with a lateral perforations position and the 14 fps speed, on the first machines, were the other clever finds used.

[Stuart Budd]

Thank you all for your replies. Also been reading Janice's exploits with lamp conversion on the old forum. Lots of information. It's great knowing a little more each day

[Terry Sills]

Ken
Not strictly true that notched films can only be used on projectors with low wattage lamps. The Bolex DA is one that used a 250w lamp, but got over the problem of heat by using mirrors (no smoke😉) to direct the light from the lamp to the gate, thus enabling the notched device to be incorporated. A great projector in my opinion.

[Dominique De Bast]

Ken
Not strictly true that notched films can only be used on projectors with low wattage lamps. The Bolex DA is one that used a 250w lamp, but got over the problem of heat by using mirrors (no smoke😉) to direct the light from the lamp to the gate, thus enabling the notched device to be incorporated. A great projector in my opinion.

There is a "notched films version" of the famous black Eumig 9.5 but I don't know which lamp it uses. I have the "running titles" model and it uses a 250/300 watts lamp. My Eumig projector has also a mirror arrengement, so maybe the other model has exactly the same design plus the notched device ? Unfortunately, I have never seen the notched films version of the Eumig.

[Ken Finch]

Hi Terry, I have a Paillard/Bolex DA which I use for notched title films. Yes it does use a mirror to deflect the light to the film gate but a heat absorbing gauze also drops down whilst the film is stationary. A "clutch" knob has to be turned to start the film moving again. I have converted my DA to Halogen lighting. Ken Finch

[Terry Sills]

Ken
Ah! So not just mirrors - a bit of smoke too😳. I also have the DA but have never used it for notched film and still the original lamp. Well done for converting it to halogen though. I also have a 200b Super (9.5/16) and that has a heat gauze that is operated manually, for still frame. I converted that to 115v 300w lamp, which I have loads of, but I can’t remember the last time I used it. The 200b was the projector that first got me hooked on this hobby. I just love the old 9.5 machines.

[Ken Finch]

Hi Terry, I moved up fro a Pathe ACE to a 200b plus. Converted it to dual gauge sound using a 931A Electron Multiplier from circuit published in Amateur cine world. It worked quite well , up to a point!! I removed the sound conversion and traded it in for a Pathe PAX from Larry Pearce. I still have the PAX. I modified the sound head, replacing that dreadful "chute" and now also use a photo transister and feed the output into my home cinema amplifier. However, it still has the original amp and exciter lamp and 115 volt 400watt lamp. I had to replace the pulley witha a steel one a few years ago as the Mazak one had distorted. One has to go to great lenghts these days to keep our old equipment running and sadly there are very few mechanical and vintage electronic repairers around these days, thanks to the throw away society we now live in. My knowldge is based on the fact that I used to teach Metalwork, Woodwork, and Tech Drawing in Secondary school and my Dad was an electrical and electronics engineer. I can build a circuit but do not have the knowledge to repair it| Ken Finch.