Focusing done properly

[Steve Lee]

My Beaulieu has never wandered out of focus, even when projecting a full length feature.
I think the combination of the micrometer type adjustment on the lens, and the reverse pressure plate design on the gate, just make the Beaulieu one of the most stable super 8 projectors ever built. The entire machine is a wonderful piece of engineering, and is so easy to service and maintain unlike the GS1200. It's a true case of less is more.

[Matthieu van der Sluis]

My Beaulieu has never wandered out of focus, even when projecting a full length feature.
I think the combination of the micrometer type adjustment on the lens, and the reverse pressure plate design on the gate, just make the Beaulieu one of the most stable super 8 projectors ever built. The entire machine is a wonderful piece of engineering, and is so easy to service and maintain unlike the GS1200. It's a true case of less is more.

Here I can only find service for Elmo.
that scared me of from Beaulieu.

[Paul Adsett]

My Beaulieu has never wandered out of focus, even when projecting a full length feature.
I think the combination of the micrometer type adjustment on the lens, and the reverse pressure plate design on the gate, just make the Beaulieu one of the most stable super 8 projectors ever built. The entire machine is a wonderful piece of engineering, and is so easy to service and maintain unlike the GS1200. It's a true case of less is more.

I have zero experience with the Beaulieu, but I have admired it from afar for a long time. Just one look at it tells you that no expense was spared in getting everything just right, and that obviously includes the rear sprung gate design and the micrometer focusing arrangement, both of which Beaulieu engineer's must have thought were essential to maintain pin point focusing of the tiny super 8 frame, particularly when using fast f1.0 projection lenses.

[Shane C. Collins]

Of all my projectors, the Bolex 18-5's and the Eumig Mark S 709 have the best and most accurate focusing. Both using the twist-to-focus style lenses. There is occasional drift with the 709, but that I contribute to the film when it does happen. The Bolex 18-5's I own stay put with the added benefit of the rear sprung pressure plate. Both systems though are pretty good. I will say the Elmo GP Deluxe machine I bought, and retrofitted with a Bolex 'hifi" 15mm lens was good with keeping focus. It didn't do this so much with the stock 1.3 zoom. However, once the prime lens was added, I have to say things stayed put. Not sure why a prime lens would make any difference, and maybe it was just by chance really! I'll have to see how this plays out next time I use the Elmo.

[Rob Young]

It's certainly true that any focus drift caused by the film in the gate can be more of a problem with an f1.0 or f1.1 lens and less so with, say, an f1.3 lens.

Paul, I do prefer the Beaulieu to anything else, but my 1979 version does have a debatable reel take-up design, which has caused me problems in the past. That said, it was fixable by an amateur like myself. I guess they did improve this design on later versions as few seem to have similar issues.

It does feel as though Beaulieu looked at problems with other super 8 machines and set about designing one by their own rules which addressed and solved such issues.

Slightly off topic and I know I do bang on about it, but no wow or flutter here!

[Thomas Knappstein]

Hello at all!

The Problem to stay in Focus with the Elmo GS1200 has four Points to check out.
1. The pressure of the two Springs on the pressing Plate must have 60g on each Spring. (red Arrows)
2.The Pressure on the Side Guide Spring must have 40g on each Point. (blue Arrows)
3.The Blade Spring into the Optic Holder must be propper press on the Back of the Optic. (green Arrow)
4.The welding Washer under the Focus Knob must be propper too. No slipping turn on the Knob. (pink Arrow)

All these Springs are going low over the time and have to be stretched to the original Points which are to read in the Service Manual.
Then the Machine will stay perfect in Focus even with the Elmo Zoom 1:1,0.

[David Kilderry]

The Beaulieu focusing is the best I've experienced in Super 8 projectors. Unlike the Elmo's, Eumigs and others, there is no "hunting". This is when you set the focus to the best position then it creeps back to looking soft due to inertia and projector vibration. Sankyo were especially notorious for this, Elmo and Eumig are better, but the Beaulieu focusing was a precision system. Many 16mm projectors also suffer from this problem. Most 35mm projectors have much better focussing systems.

[Paul Adsett]

Thomas, that is very useful information. Do you have a recommendation for a gram force guage to measure the spring forces?
I have found that it is necessary to increase the force applied by the blade spring on the back of the lens in order to reduce backlash on the snail cam knob. To do this, I remove the lens and then reach into the lens holder with my finger and pull outward on the free end of the blade spring to bend it out a little further, and thus provide more outward force on the lens.

[Thomas Knappstein]

Hello at all!

The Problem to stay in Focus with the Elmo GS1200 has four Points to check out.
1. The pressure of the two Springs on the pressing Plate must have 60g on each Spring. (red Arrows)
2.The Pressure on the Side Guide Spring must have 40g on each Point. (blue Arrows)
3.The Blade Spring into the Optic Holder must be propper press on the Back of the Optic. (green Arrow)
4.The welding Washer under the Focus Knob must be propper too. No slipping turn on the Knob. (pink Arrow)

All theese Springs are going low over the time and have to be stretched to the original Points which are to read in the Service Manual.
Then the Machine will stay perfect in Focus even with the Elmo Zoom 1:1,0.

[Thomas Knappstein]

Hi Paul!
No, I don`t have a recommendation for a gramm force. I have a very old one from the 60`s that I´m using for this.
What you doing with your Finger pulling the backlash forwarding is the right Thing, I do it the same Way.
But If your Focus Knob need very low torque too turn you have to Point 4 of my Pictures.
All this Points together give a better focus Performance on the GS1200.
But after 5 Years the Springs will getting low again and you have to do that again.

[David M. Leugers]

I have from time to time thought about adapting the rack and pinion focus system of the B+H JAN 16mm projector to an Elmo. This system once you focus the lens you turn a locking knob to lock the focus, so no drifting. Too many projects versus time... One thing I do is keep the projector as far back to allow the longest lens that will fill the screen so the increased depth of field of the longer focal length gives you some degree of keeping things in focus during the reel. Wide lens and short distance to the screen is a real problem focus wise.

[Thomas Knappstein]

Another Point to find the right Focus is a Focus Remute with Stepper Motor.
So it is possible to focusing near to the Screen. And so it is very easy to find the Grain of the Film Emulsion.