Best eumig dual 8 unit with sound

[Jim Schrader]

With so many eumigs out there that play both formats 8mm/super8 which one is the best that plays 8mm sound?

[Joseph Banfield]

I suppose it would probably be the 810D since it uses the HQ sound amplifier that delivers much better bass. I believe the 810D is also the last dual 8 sound machine Eumig produced.

[Osi Osgood]

Was that the one that also played optical sound?

[Joseph Banfield]

Was that the one that also played optical sound?

No, that was the Mark S OM which is not a dual 8 projector but dedicated to Super 8 only.

[Kim Trampus]

Is this one any good? https://shopgoodwill.com/item/181820671

[Osi Osgood]

Joseph, I may be wrong, but I did own That "M & O" Eumig, and it did have a replacement film gate for standard 8mm. I always thought that it was pretty cool that all you had to do is pop out the super 8 film gate and pop or sma in the standard 8mm film gate. I don't remember ever owning, beyond the later Eumig 926 stereo and beyond another kind of Eumig beyond the ancient Eumig P8 and that "M&O".

[Shane C. Collins]

Is this one any good? https://shopgoodwill.com/item/181820671

That particular projector uses the 50 watt "spaceman" bulb that is getting harder to find, and not very bright. May I suggest the Eumig Mark S 709. This machine is a dual 8 sound projector that uses the far better FCR 100 watt bulb. This was probably Eumig's best dual 8 machine from the late 60' and early 70's. I have this model, and it is by far my favorite of any projector I've owned in recent times. Very gentle on film, and very precise twist to focus lenses. It looks very similar to the 712D in the Goodwill listing you provided here. Keep in mind all of these Eumig machines are 40 plus years old, and will need to be serviced. The machine below (see photo) is the one I purchased last year in mint condition. I had to install new motor mounts, and recondition the rubber discs drive. She now runs like a brand new machine.

[Joseph Banfield]

Joseph, I may be wrong, but I did own That "M & O" Eumig, and it did have a replacement film gate for standard 8mm. I always thought that it was pretty cool that all you had to do is pop out the super 8 film gate and pop or sma in the standard 8mm film gate. I don't remember ever owning, beyond the later Eumig 926 stereo and beyond another kind of Eumig beyond the ancient Eumig P8 and that "M&O".

True, the O&M has removable gates (both front and rear) but it can not run standard 8 film because it is dedicated to Super 8 only. The give away is that it has a Super 8 spindle on the supply reel that is non-removeable, not to mention a two-pin claw (all Eumig duaul 8 sound machines have only a one-pin claw). Also there is no switch or soundhead to read standard 8 sound, in fact O&M can only read the main stripe of Super 8 film with the addition of the elements needed to read optical sound.

I've never understood why Eumig used removeable front and rear gates on machines dedicated to one format. The original Mark S (either 8 or later Super 8) and the Mark S 701 used fixed rear gates, which is nice because there is zero chance of breaking off a claw pin! But starting with the Mark S 709 all Eumig sound machines afterwards whether they were dual 8 machines or dedicated to one format used two removeable gate pieces. Why Eumig never reverted back to their original good idea on dedicated projectors of using non-removeable rear gates is a mystery to me. It's only real advantage is for easier cleaning of the rear gate I suppose but a rather terrible idea for a consumer product! But at the same time you will never find a Eumig Mark S (either standard or Super 8 versions) or a 701 with a broken off claw pin!

[Brian Fretwell]

I suspect it would have needed a change to the main production line and engineering and that didn't happen until they had a complete re-design for the 900 series. Cheaper to leave things as they were.

[Jim Schrader]

Thanks for the input I had a eumig units years ago nice unit sold it and now regret it

[David Hardy]

If my memory is correct i think the last Eumig Dual 8mm film projector was the 824 Sonomatic with HQS sound and a f 1.2 / 12.5 - 25mm Zoom Lens and 100watt lamp .
I still have one but it would have been good if Eumig had stuck with the film path and threading design of the S709 machine .

[Joseph Banfield]

Yep, David is correct the 824 is the last dual 8 sound projector by Eumig...can't believe I forgot the most obvious one which was pretty much the top of the line in the 800 series!

[Paul Adsett]

Eumig were an amazing company. The British Moviemaker Magazine columnist Ivan Watson refererred to Eumig's engineers as ' The Wizards of Vienna'. But they were not perfect and often made baffling design decisions, such as the need to retract the claw pin before removing the rear gate on the 800 series. A fatal Achilles heal in an otherwise superbly designed projector.
The later 900 series are even better in performance with incredible sound quality on the stereo models. But they made a bad design decision on the 900 thru 929 series with that single sprocket coaxial reel design, and unfortunately all the models incorporate some very wimpy plastic components which can break off.

[Shane C. Collins]

Eumig were an amazing company. The British Moviemaker Magazine columnist Ivan Watson refererred to Eumig's engineers as ' The Wizards of Vienna'. But they were not perfect and often made baffling design decisions, such as the need to retract the claw pin before removing the rear gate on the 800 series. A fatal Achilles heal in an otherwise superbly designed projector.
The later 900 series are even better in performance with incredible sound quality on the stereo models. But they made a bad design decision on the 900 thru 929 series with that single sprocket coaxial reel design, and unfortunately all the models incorporate some very wimpy plastic components which can break off.

Paul I'm curious about this single sprocket coaxial reel design you mentioned. Excuse my ignorance, but was this something they designed on the take-up side of these later machines?

[Paul Adsett]

Hi Shane, on the 900 thru 929 models the front sprocket was omitted and replaced by a little roller positioned at the end of a thin cantilevered leaf spring. The purpose was to isolate the load of the film feed spool from the claw, so that the claw only had to pull a short length of film on each cycle, deflecting the tiny spring roller in the process. Not only that, but because of the coaxial reel arrangement the film has to be persuaded to displace itself laterally by about an inch between the feed spool and the take-up spool. This lateral shift is all done before the film enters the gate by means of a complex geometry of tiny rollers.
In practice this works reasonably well at the beginning of film reels, when film steadiness is excellent, but towards the end of the reel, when the film is close to the inner hub of the reel, the system dynamics fail and the film goes into a severe snatching and jerking mode and film steadiness in the gate deteriorates to the point where frames are jumped and sprocket holes can be deformed.
The whole system is really ridiculously complex - and for what purpose? Just to make a unique looking projector?
Actually the coaxial system would have worked flawlessly if they had only left the front sprocket in place, but even then what does a coaxial system offer except make it a real pain to engage the film on the inner take up reel! And rewinding is another pain because you have to flip up a roller and pass the film over it in a 360 degree turn!
All this was changed on the 930 thru 940 machines when Eumig saw the light and went back to the simple and conventional straight thru film path and 2 sprockets and these machines were the best performing sound machines that Eumig ever made. I emphasize performing, as the build quality of these machines was marred by some flimsy plastic parts.
In general though - avoid single sprocket machines like the plague!