TMC Pocket Projector In 1985 Herb Keppler discovered a really かわいい (Kawaii LINK Kawaii - Wikipedia) little "pocketable" projector: I rediscovered that article just the other day. I had searched before on eBay, but the prices were more than I would pay on what is now almost a "hog's hip pocket" projector. When I searched the other day, There was one in box of a slightly more basic model than Keppler's for BIN of only $8--even with postage, it was still less than a fancy pizza, which, as you old timers know, is my measure for much of the old crap I end up buying.... I am a camera collector but I haven't bought a camera for a month [applause from fellow Camera Collectors Anonymous members] However, I did buy this little projector. This is not so monumental as a (new) Foton, but I figure that a couple of you, at least, might be interested in this oddity. So.... First the strip tease, unveiling of the gem, Old in Box [OIB}: / and the little gem, ready for use: My "Pocket Projector" is working, but I am waiting before using it until I have received the 100w, out-of-production projector bulb for it. Of course, the bulb was more expensive than the projector. Mine has the two individual slide slider, and a smaller device for ready-made film strips: in the strip holder the film strip itself: / You can see that my outfit was used by somebody at LaSalle Extension in the interior decoration unit. The film itself was obviously not Kodachrome. de gustibus non disputandum est
That's It, giggle [Janis's "That's it] If anyone wants the manual (not much to it, really) I can send you a jpg or pdf copy.
That is almost exactly like my first projector - IIRC, from Boots the Chemist, and labelled a waste of money by my then wife until she saw the slides projected onto the creamy/beige wall (a screen was a waste of money, too). In later years it earned its keep projecting home-made oil slides for the mobile disco with which I was involved.
Great find, JDM. I recall seeing a film strip like the one in your picture, but at the time I had no clue as to what projector it would fit. Thanks for sharing.
Interesting, it looks nearly the same as the FED Etude projector: USSRPhoto.com - Russian / Soviet Cameras Wiki Catalog - Etude
The description of the 60mm lens, reminds me that I have a 2.5in lens for my Kodak Carousel projector (that I have barely used since about when I bought that lens). The usual lens is 4in, which requires a big room to get big images, but with a shorter lens, big images in a smaller room. I remember Kodak selling a 2in lens, but only for use with 110 slides (in 2in mounts). There was also a miniature Carousel projector for smaller 110 slides, but you could have them mounted in either mount size. I now have a DVD player that will play DVDs (or CDs) full of JPG files on the TV screen (only 37in, but big enough), and so very rarely get out the actual slide projector. I could scan slides and display them that way.
Neat! I have a remarkably similar device labeled "Minolta 16" which I bought decades ago to project some Minox slides. The beastie took standard 2x2 mounts but was set up for the 16mm frame size. It has a 40mm f/2.5 P-Rokkor lens and a 75W bulb. Think I'm still on the original bulb -- hasn't seen much use!
Somehow or other it seems I've ended up with both one of those TMC projectors, and with a Minolta 16. The Minolta came with a little stack loader too, and a hard carrying case. It's so close that the parts are almost interchangeable, but not quite. They're actually pretty serviceable little projectors, though not much use these days. Not too too long ago, I used one for showing slides to relatives and the like. I have a little table top screen to go with them, though I'd be hard but to tell you where it is at the moment. They do run pretty hot, though. I would hesitate to do long shows with one. Keep the accompanying lecture short!
