ELMO GS-1200, the Ultimate Topic

[Graham Ritchie]

Came across this very interesting and well made video on the GS1200 by forum member Patrick Steemers, its well worth a watch folks.

[Graham Ritchie]

Pro8mm did a nice job of scanning this Elmo GS1200 film

[Thomas Knappstein]

Hi Paul!
I don´t know what you mean. The Yellow tube is the anamorpic Lens for stretching the Picture in horizontal.

[Graham Ritchie]

Fantastic mods Thomas your print of Empire looks great to.

[Paul Adsett]

Amazing set up Thomas, and I love that remote powered focus,but what is the purpose of the yellow tube on the front of the scope lens?

[Osi Osgood]

It's funny, though I have the 1200ft capacity, I still only go as high as 600ft reels.

[Thomas Knappstein]

Here one of my machines ready for playing Empire strikes back.
Screensize is 10ft Cinemascope.

[Steve Klare]

I really admire the GS1200 a lot in the same way I admire a Ferrari. It's a high-performance machine intended for a race track or a big screen.

The GS has huge capabilities and even though you pay the price for all that complexity, if you really need those abilities, there is no substitute.

At home, on a 5' by 8' screen, I can get away with lighter-duty machines just fine. On the big screen at CineSea, up against 16 and 35mm Xenon machines, mine would be kind of pathetic. Doug's HDI (former Xenon) holds its own among the big dogs. It's not rare for 8mm images to be among the nicest on screen.

-just the same: nobody who owns a Ferrari drives it to the store. They get some fairly upscale SUV for a quarter of the money that's much less likely to need a tow! (-something that won't cost the equivalent of a year at college to repair if it gets dinged by a shopping cart.)

[Paul Adsett]

I put one of mine on a diet by removing the two internal speakers. Saved about 4-5lbs, and you can feel the difference.

[Osi Osgood]

Ahhh, yes, the photo! They are heavy!

[Mike Newell]

Yes, super wonderful all bells and whistles projector. Shame in all the years I have been collecting I have never met ONE collector who had a ONE reliable machine that could operate beyond a few hours without having a seizure or breakdown. It is funny you all have multiple Elmos is that because you can never get any of them to work? Also, every sound fault known to mankind was amplified to infinity via the old GS1200.

They were as temperamental as a vintage car before they were vintage😂😂😂😂.

Maybe if Elmo had survived long enough they would have ironed out all the kinks and problems. The Elmo GS1300 would have been a better projector.

Nice “film making projector” but definitely not a workhorse “ film collector projector” like the Sankyos or Bell & Howell projectors.

Another item to consider is most of you gentlemen are beyond a certain age and of a delicate disposition. Having transported Elmos 1200s across car parks for elderly collectors who couldn’t manage it anymore I don’t envy your backs or hernias.

I make the exception for Osi who likely pumps with his multiple Elmos on a daily basis. That sounds so dirty 😳

Let the hate and venom begin as you have a hissy fit. You know it is all true!

You could always get a decent projector like say 16mm . All the weight but reliable.

[Steve Klare]

Thanks, Thomas!
-that makes more sense to me!

[Thomas Knappstein]

Hi Steve!
The Elmo GS 1200 was produced over ten Years from 1977 to 1987. You can find three different Versions with modifications over the Years.
I have five Machines and all modified like Graham did. I also have changed the Main Motor and the original ESC Lamp. And they have all long Arms.

[Steve Klare]

Hi Osi,

-from the Film-tech warehouse:

http://www.film-tech.com/warehouse/m...ELMOGS1200.pdf

What were the production years for the GS? Often I'm seeing years like 1980-1981. It's hard for me to imagine so many machines being produced in such a short time and Elmo just stopping after two years.

[Osi Osgood]

Does anyone have a manual for the GS1200 in the form of a file that they could please send to me? When I bought my GS, it didn't come with the manual. Could you please PM with a download link? Many thanks ahead of time.