The Perfect 8MM Silent Projector

[Shane C. Collins]

Question

As I have only taken Super 8 at 18fps and of course screened them at 18fps, why does the 18-5 run at a fixed rate of 18fps for home movies taken at 16fps?. The Bolex M8 does run at the 18fps as well, but you can adjust the speed down or up to get it to look right with the M8, even though the one I have the motor sounds like a coffee grinder.

Could the Bolex Std 8mm cameras run at 18fps to match there projectors?

Graham, I have a Bolex P2 Regular 8 camera. The camera offers variable speeds of 12, 16, 18, 24, 32, 48 and 64 frames per second. This particular camera was released in late 1962. It was part of a series of cameras, the P1, P2, and P3. All three offered a Pan Cinor zoom lens. The one I have is mint in the box and even the auto-exposure still works with the aid of a modern Wein Cell battery. Here's a photo I took of my camera a few years ago, as well as a stock photo when the camera was brand new.

[Paul Adsett]

Wow, how did I ever overlook the M8! The forerunner of the 18-5 and an equally beautiful looking machine. I used to gaze in awe of this superb machine as it sat in the window of a photo shop in an arcade in Cardiff Wales in 1956. Both of these projectors reek of legendary Bolex quality.
I think it would be fair to say that the 18-5 is lighter, less bulky, and quieter running than the M8.
Does the M8 also have the rear sprung gate?

[Shane C. Collins]

Wow, how did I ever overlook the M8! The forerunner of the 18-5 and an equally beautiful looking machine. I used to gaze in awe of this superb machine as it sat in the window of a photo shop in an arcade in Cardiff Wales in 1956. Both of these projectors reek of legendary Bolex quality.
Does the M8 also have the rear sprung gate?

I agree Paul the M8 is a work of art! I've seen them online many times over the years but never picked one up. Now I am wondering why that is. Paul have you been to the Bolex Collector website? The site lists all cameras, and projectors Bolex made up to about 1970. Here's a link to the M8. Actually there was the M8 and M-8R according to the site. I looked at the specs and it doesn't say whether the M8 had a rear sprung gate.
http://www.bolexcollector.com/projectors/m8r.html

[Paul Adsett]

Thanks for that link Shane -a great website, and I love those Bolex reels on the M8 and 18-5 pics. I would have loved to own an M8, but I remember it cost about 68 pounds, a months wages for the average working man back then! So I settled for a Eumig P8- about half the price and yet another iconic standard 8mm machine of that period.
My camera is an older version than yours, the original C8 fitted with a French Som Berthiot manual zoom f2.8 10-30mm lens. Also have the original prime f1.9 12.5mm Lytar lens No auto exposure, but I was brought up on cine using a handheld reflective light meter, so that's no problem for me. If I could find any double 8mm roll color film I would love to run it again.

[Shane C. Collins]

Thanks for that link Shane -a great website, and I love those Bolex reels on the M8 and 18-5 pics. I would have loved to own an M8, but I remember it cost about 68 pounds, a months wages for the average working man back then! So I settled for a Eumig P8- about half the price and yet another iconic standard 8mm machine of that period.
My camera is an older version than yours, the original C8 fitted with a French Som Berthiot manual zoom f2.8 10-30mm lens. Also have the original prime f1.9 12.5mm Lytar lens No auto exposure, but I was brought up on cine using a handheld reflective light meter, so that's no problem for me. If I could find any double 8mm roll color film I would love to run it again.

Paul I looked up your camera very nice, simple, and elegant! Well your in luck color reversal is still made in Regular 8. The stock is cut from modern Ektachrome 100D 7294. More common in the Super 8 version which I use quite regularly. The regular 8 version is expensive. The Film Photography Project sells this film. I have a roll but haven't shot it just yet, in fact it's been in the frig since early last year. The Super 8 version is about $46 and the Regular 8 is, sit down for this one, $69.99 a roll ouch! Well I guess if you only shot one roll a year it wouldn't be so bad LOL. I shoot about 3 or 4 rolls of Super 8. Here's a link to the regular 8 color film.https://filmphotographystore.com/pro...31987034521671
I will say the colors, grain, and sharpness of this modern stock are excellant! projected this film is amazing!

[Graham Ritchie]

Hi Shane

That's one nice camera I have a friend who for years was totally Std 8mm he was right into it in a big way, later years he skipped Super 8 altogether for 16mm. The films he has taken on both on Std 8 and 16mm look great, he used a "bipod" for all his shooting, the screen images on the screen are as steady as a rock .

Paul the M8 does indeed have a rear sprung gate, I have spent a little bit of time on another M8 this afternoon. I am not sure, but will investigate the mains noise suppressor was falling apart, I think that's what it is, anyway I removed it and turned the two wire wound variable speed windings so that contact is in a slightly different spot. If I remember right the M8 came out as green color projector, later ones went to silver without the strobascope to start with.

After mucking around with this one today, "it was in a bit of a mess" in the end it ran fine including the lamp, even the motor on this one was not that noisy


I rotated them just bit

[Barry Fritz]

I really liked the M8 also. I had three, one with the speed strobe, one without it and one that was a flat green! I believe it must have been a version made for the military. It also had a carrying case different from the other two.

[Thomas Dafnides]

The Bolex 18-5 would of been as close to a perfect projector as could be, if Bolex had forfeited the 5 fps feature (picture darkens when projected at this rate) and put in a variable speed motor so the projector could project 98% of all 8mm films which were filmed at 16fps ...at the correct speed rendition.

[Dave Bickford]

I have an 18-5 and an 18-5L. Since I only have Super 8mm film I’ve only used the 18-5L. Solid machine. Even with old, sticky grease on the gears it still runs great! These things are built like tanks! Needs a new bulb though. Halogen conversion.

[Maurice Leakey]

Whilst the above projectors are all desirable we must not forget the Eumig P8.
A nice little projector at a reasonable price and the synchronised tape recorder models such as the Phonomatic Novo were very useful for their time.
I have one of these latter models in my collection.

Have a look at this projector:-

Before Digital Eumig P8 Projector Vlog 16 - YouTube
Eumig P8 Phonomatic – Spare Part Finder – Van Eck Video Services (van-eck.net)

[Dave Bickford]

Actually, I do have a regular 8mm 18-5 too. Forgot about that when I posted about my 18-5L yesterday. The 18-5 machine was a “free” bonus because I got into a bidding war for the Super 8 machine on eBay waaaaay back in 1998. I spent almost $250USD on the 18-5L back then (worth it!). The seller thought it was too much (it kind of was) so he gifted me the standard 8mm version too.

I don’t have Standard 8mm movies so I’m willing to sell it. Worked OK in the 90’s and the “spaceman” bulb worked. If there is some interest I’ll fire it up again, take a look inside for further evaluation and post pics on the “for sale” section of this site.

[Jeffrey Finegold]

I'm so into sound that even though I get offered silent machines all the time, I basically never accept them. (-a "room" thing as much as anything!)

-that much being said: I'd like one of those Bolex 18-5s just for the beauty of it: it's pretty much a piece of sculpture!

It's kind of like nobody wants to drive a mid 1950s Corvette or T-bird day to day (doubly so after it snows...), but I wouldn't half-mind sitting out on the lawn in a folding chair, looking at one sitting in my driveway!

Not to boast but I Have both the 18-5 and the T-bird!

[Steve Klare]

That is a spectacular car, Jeff!

Triply so considering where it is! (How did it get there?!)
.

Some of us can only dream!

[Simon Wyss]

Research and comparison of Regular-8 projectors is a side-job I pursue. 465 models are on my list as of today. I seem to have found the one with the highest light-dark ratio but the last word is not yet spoken on that. Almost every month I discover an unknown make and a lot of data on the well-known projectors is still lacking.

Now the M 8 has probably the best film guidance of all, together with the 18-5. To change the V-belt or the square belts in them, though, is too complicated for the consumer. Then the ventilation, what sounds like a fighter-jet engine howling with the M 8 comes as too mild a breeze with the 18-5. Of course, you have a big tubular lamp here but just a Marylin Monroe CXL there. The 18-5 isn’t a giant of light.

I’d like to point to the Bauer T 10, a whispering apparatus. Yes, it runs at 16 fps only. Its big thing is that it affords lip-synch sound film presentation. The Tonkoppler accessory works in conjunction with a reel-to-reel tape recorder and the tape speeds 7½ ips is possible as well as 3¾ ips. So you have HiFi sound and the most economical frame rate.

Those who are not afraid of American products appreciate the Bell & Howell Filmo 8. This is one of the great silent machines. In Europe a transformer is used to feed 110 V to it. To reveal a secret before I have published an in-depth article on the 122s I must state that the Filmo 8s have a long future before them even though the oldest of them turn 90 this summer. Reparability is key and Bell & Howell is fully up to the subject.

One most solid 8-mm. projector is the Meopta Optilux 8. No chains, no belts, a huge motor, and a central oiling system, really good. Only the film guiding parts are a tad on the tender side.

How did it go again, Arnold? I’ll be back.

[Thomas Dafnides]

What bulb did the Meopta Optilux 8 use?