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Probably a frequently asked question but if so I can't find an answer using the search function. I have just bought a fully operational 16mm Bell and Howell 643 plus Filmosound projector. But for domestic use the projected image is tiny, I know it is designed for much bigger rooms/halls. I am investigating a replacement or add on short throw lens but don't know what I am looking for. I don't want to become a lens expert, I just want to know what to look for. I paid £60 for the projector, so I don't want to spend a fortune on the lens. Any advice would be most welcome.
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38mm will give you a decent size picture with a minimum throw of 17 feet -
James - There is a 32mm to 65mm zoom lens available for Bell and Howell's as I have got one. However, even for my moderate size room I still find the 32mm setting (the lower the number, the wider the picture in a shorter distance to the screen) inadequate to fill a 6ft screen at around 15 feet. Frustratingly, or fortunately - depending one ones view point - super 8 handles it far far better. BUT it is one hell of an improvement on the 50mm lens, or so, that you are using and come as bog standard with B&H.
(incidentally, at 65mm I get a decent picture reflected back from the moon !)
By the way..... welcome to the fraternity! I hope this is the start of many years film watching / collecting the way films should be watched. On celluloid !Comment
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You also could get a 25mm (1inch) lens. That should give you quite a large image (double the size, compared to the standard 50mm lens). And they are usually not too expensive.
Here a table with screen sizes for different lenses and projection distances...
http://www.paulivester.com/films/projector/throw.pdfComment
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You can expect to pay a lot for a wide angle lens, in particular for 16mm projectors. You are thinking of 3x, to 4x the cost of the £60 machine you have purchased. 38mm, and especially 25mm lens are rare (and desirable), so that is what you are paying for. You might eventually find a bargain of course if you keep looking, or perhaps one attached to another projector for sale, where the lens is worth more than the projector its attached to.Comment
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Hi!
You could also get yourself an attachment like this: https://www.wittnercinetec.com/epage...ectID=21784379
(Please ignore Wittner‘s price - when it was still sold by hama, it was available new for something like 30€. Hence you can find it or similar items on eBay for cheap, e.g. https://www.ebay.de/itm/305741316569 )
Yes, having a decent lens is much more convenient and will result in a better quality. But when you are on a budget, don’t have any films in cinemascope and can’t find a cheap wide angle lens, then this an alternative.Comment
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Not sure if that lens barrel size would be large enough to accommodate this. But if yes then you might find this idea interesting.
https://8mmforum.film-tech.com/vbb/f...eiki-projectorComment
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