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SHOOTOUT! - ELMO GS1200 Vs EUMIG S938
Both the Elmo GS1200 and the Eumig S938 Stereo were the flagship projectors from their respective companies. They are both high quality, high performance projectors, built during the early 1980’s. They both pop up for sale, although the Eumig is a rarer machine, particularly in North America. If you are on the look out for a great projector both of these machines deserve to be at the top of the list.
In comparing the two projectors it is worth repeating that no super 8mm projector is perfect, although some are a lot closer to perfection than others. The point is any projector you pick up is going to have something about it that could be improved. In the case of the GS1200 and the 938, both are superb machines which will out - perform most other super 8mm projectors, but both have imperfections which will be discussed.
First a comparison of some of the main design features:
Elmo GS1200
LAMP 24V 200 W
SOUND: Magnetic Stereo plus Optical mono
SYCH-PULSE CAPABILITY – ideal for re-recording film prints from DVD
SPOOL CAPACITY 1200FT
EUMIG S938 STEREO
LAMP 15V 150W
SOUND Magnetic Stereo
SPOOL CAPACITY 800ft
Both machines have very comprehensive recording/playback features, particulary the Eumig S938 which has an outboard audio mixing panel. However, the Eumig does not have synch-pulse capability.
Construction
Both machines are relatively heavy, with the Elmo breaking the scales at 34 lbs and the Eumig 938 at 24lbs. The GS1200 has extremely high build quality. Nearly everything is metal castings or pressings, with plastic being limited primarily to the film guide channels. Even when plastic is employed, the injection molded components are very robust with excellent surface finish.
On the other hand, the Eumig S938 utilizes plastics to a greater extent. The back cover for example is 100% molded plastic. Nothing wrong with that, in fact you can argue that plastic is the best choice for the back cover as it really saves a lot of weight compared with the solid metal back cover of the GS which weighs a ton ( but much of that weight is due to the two speakers on the Elmo).
Where the 938 falls down is the way the plastic components of the film guides and the main rotary switch control were designed. It’s as if these parts were originally designed as metal parts, and then someone decided to make them out of plastic without any change in design. Many of these parts are of very thin cross section, have relatively poor finish compared with the beautifully smooth plastic parts on the GS, and the plastic cam follower on the main rotary control is grossly overstressed. I know, I have had the cam follower arm snap off on both my 938 and 926 ( same design).
So the GS1200 wins, hands down, on construction quality.
CONTROLS
The Eumig 938 uses a single rotary knob to control threading, forward, reverse, and rewind functions. This system requires a fairly complex rotary cam and linkage design to activate tiny microswitches mounted on the interior chassis wall. This system is an elegant design concept , and the Eumig threads all kinds of film flawlessly with no fuss – until the the time when the overstressed plastic arm of the cam-follower snaps, as mentioned above, and the machine becomes impossible to thread.
The GS1200 takes a totally different approach. All control is by a piano key arrangement which activates multiple switches, relays, and solenoids to do all the work of positioning film guides, sound head pressure pads, motors, and electronic control. Again, a very elegant design and the piano key function is a joy to use. Unfortunately, time has shown that the complexity of this electromechanical system is the major problem in terms of the GS’s reliability. Periodic replacement of the auto-threading microswitches and the two control relays has been found to be necessary.
SOUND HEADS
The sound heads of the GS1200 is made from a special alloy known as Sendust. It is a very hard material which exhibits a very low rate of wear. Almost 40 years or more after being made, nearly all Elmo GS1200 sound heads seem to be just fine thank you.
Eumig heads, on the other hand, seem to be quite soft and have relatively short life. On the Eumig 800’s sound head life was rated at only 150 hours! I do not know what the life of the 900 series heads are, but it is worth limiting run time on any Eumig projector, as sound heads are now unavailable.
PERFORMANCE
I have done side-by-side performance comparisons of both machines, projecting the same size picture on the same screen, and checking audio quality through headphones plugged directly into the projectors headphone socket.
In terms of screen illumination the Eumig S938 with the OEM f.3 lens is no match for the double blade GS1200 with an f1.0 zoom lens, that is until you do a couple of things. First, replace the f1,3 lens on the Eumig with an f1,0 lens. Also make sure the Eumig lamp is getting the full design value of 15 volts. On my machine the lamp was only getting a paltry 14.2 volts! I adjusted the main transformer tap from 117v to 110 v, which brought the lamp voltage up to 15.1 volts. When I did this the brightness was much closer to the GS1200 although the GS still had the edge. One thing I noticed though was that the Eumig seemed to put out a whiter light, possibly due to different lens coatings.
In terms of sound quality, I have always thought that the Eumig 938 (and 926) have better quality than the GS. The 938 somehow has fuller base, more depth and clarity, and zero WOW, putting out a very impressive stereo sound which is just amazing from the tiny super 8 stripe. I have found the GS to sometimes exhibit WOW with older film prints, or with prints that have been recently lubricated. The Eumig is totally unbothered by any of these issues.
Film steadiness is superb on both machines. As far as running noise, I would rate the GS as being quieter and very smooth running with minimal shuttle noise, the man noise being generated by the main cooling fan.
So there you have it. There is no clear winner here. Both machines are capable of superb performance, but each has its own strengths, with the GS generally being brighter, and the Eumig having better sound. Both machines have their own peculiar reliability and maintainability issues and I would certainly say that the complex control design of the GS makes it inherently more maintenance intensive than the 938. The GS has often been compared with a finely tuned but fussy sports car. A good comparison.
Bottom line, either one of these fine machines, when in full working order, will give your films the very best possible screening. In the long run, despite its fussy reputation, the GS is almost certainly the most durable machine of the two particularly so for its extremely long life sound head and the availability of spare parts.
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