Which Slide projector (mostly home use)?

hi there!<p>

I want to shoot more slide film. My father now already gave me his old screen, I remember

the familiy sitting around in the late 70s and watching Super-8 films....

<p>

Now, there are several Leica projectors that go pretty cheap on *bay. But I don't know

which one to choose. It should be simple and home use on dads old screen is enough for

me.<br>

Some models of running auctions:<br>

- Leitz Pradovit R 150 w. Colorplan CF 2,5/90mm<br>

- Leitz Pradovit CA 1500 w. COLORPLAN CF 2.5/90<br>

- Pradovit 250 Color w. Colorplan 2.5/90mm<br>

- no Leitz? Kodak? Rollei?<br>

- How much is a really fair price for the projectors above?

<p>

Thanks for your insight and help!<br>

markus

I have a Kodak 4600 and it costed me about $250 about a year ago. Works beautifully. Never used a Leica projector before.

Markus~

 

I've had a Leica Pradovit P150 for a few years now and for home use it's fine. Bought it brand new from B&H and decided on the Leica b/c it was quite a bit cheaper than the comparable Kodak models. It isn't the sturdiest thing in the world but as a dedicated slide shooter I do use it frequently with no problems. Unless you have some special applications I think this is a solid choice. The only hitch is they use the straight trays, not a problem unless you wanna put your trays in someone else's round tray projector. New they're running $249 at B&H...

Good Luck

Markus,

 

all projectors you mentioned above only can be used with the Universal Slide Magazine. And the R 150 does not even have autofocus. If you want to use LKM or CS magazines you have to buy new style slide projectors from Leica. The P150 is a nice entry projector and very cheap. The P255, P300, P600 are great projectors too. The Pradovit Color 2, 2000, 2002 series are built like a tank, have 250 Watt, autofocus and can be used with the Universal and LKM magazine (no CS). The Colorplan CF lens was specially designed for Kodachrome cardboard slides. If you use other slide mounts you are better off with the regular Colorplan lens.

 

Regards Moritz

The straight European trays are certainly a problem when your friends have a carousel but from the storage standpoint they are a much better deal. You can store up to six or eight times as many slides in the same space if you get the maxi length trays. Additionally they are much more convenient to handle as well as index the contents. They cost much less because they don�t have the interface with the rotating mechanism. With the Pradovit all the advancing mechanism is in the projector itself. The most pressing problem I had was keeping a spare bulb on hand. My Pradovit was lost (or stolen) from the mails when I moved form Alaska to Texas several years ago and so far I haven�t replaced it. If I run across a good deal I suppose I will get another one.

Markus,<p>Are you sure that it's Pradovit CA1500 and not CA2500. If it is CA2500, then that's the model that I have. This used to be the top of the line model in the 1980s. It is very compact, as it has the footprint of a standard sheet of paper (8.5 x 11 inches). However, its body is made of cast aluminum alloy, and it is HEAVY - almost 20 lbs (9kg or so). It has a unique slide mechanism that allows the incoming slide to move in at the same time that the outgoing slide is moving. This simultanous movement gives it a very short dark interval between slide changes of about 0.3 seconds.<p>I bought mine because I do make some money giving lectures on medical subjects. I got tired of Kodak projectors that always seem to be in need of service. Thus, I bring my Leitz projector to all my presentations. Mine cost me $450, bought used from Wall Street Camera in New York City. It is in mint condition. Since I do make money with the projector, I upgraded the projector by adding the "Bright Light Kit", which is a special order from Leitz. The cost was $160 from B&H. These are multicoated condensers that replace the uncoated original condensers. The multicoating gives you 20% greater light output from the same bulb.<p>The final upgrade was to sell my original Colorplan FF 90mm f/2.5 lens in favor of the SuperColorplan FF 90mm f/2.5. This one cost me another $200 more. However, since I earn over $1000 per lecture, I have more than repaid the cost of the equipment. It has always worked flawlessly.

If I understand correctly, the recommendations here are for

1. usual colorplan lens

2a. no R150

2b. get a Leica Pradovit P150 if you want a recent, pretty good home use projector.

3. european trays should be ok, as i live in europe?! ;)

 

The CA 1500 is here: http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3806015496

Maybe was the smaller brother of CA 2500?

 

And there are still different ones:

 

- Pradovit 253DU - also recommendable?

- an Pradovit 253 IR version

- a C 2500 w. Elmaron 1:2,8/150 mm (guess lens too long for my room)

 

To summarize my choice:

P150, CA1500/2500, Color 2 or 2000/2002, and Pradovit 253?

 

Am i on the right road now? ;) I never looked into projectors before.... Thank for your

answers, again helpful!

updated CHOICE:<p>

Color 250<br>

CA2500 oder 2502, maybe 1500<br>

 

P series P2000, P2002<br>

 

P150, P255, P300<br><p>

Still looking for info about Pradovit 253 and also RA150 (seems to have autofocus).

thats confusing.....there is also an RA 152...

Markus, my humble recommendation.

 

P2002 (newer)

P2500 (older)

 

They will last you a lifetime with some care taken regarding autofocusing.

Of the CA2500 series, the CA2502 is the most recent, and can take the 80 slide LKM tray. My older CA2500 doesn't have this feature, and I am limited to 50 slide trays. The supposed benefit of the LKM tray is that the slides are not so easily spilled out if you tip the tray. On my regular trays, tipping over the tray is a disaster. Kodak made a significant improvement in the Carousel system by allowing you to lock your slides in the tray with a locking ring on the top hub.<p>If you are into dissolves and multiprojection setups, then some of the CA2500 series were upgraded with a triac to allow this. This also allows the use of an infrared remote, which is very useful when presenting. Mine doesn't have these features, as I use only one projector on the KISS (Keep it simple and stupid) principle. Leitz is very good about keeping spare parts for these projectors. It cost me a few cents to get a replacement cooling fan belt. When I found I needed a much longer remote control cable for my presentations, they made one for me in Germany and sent it to me! Otherwise, this was a long discontinued item for the projector.<p>Now that Kodak is getting out of the slide projector business, and given Leitz's great parts policy, I would seriously consider the top of the line Leica projectors from the 80s and 90s.

Mani<p>Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the P2002, P2500 later versions of the CA2500? Physically they all look pretty much identical. The difference is in the high speed slide change of the C(A)250x models. The P200x had the more usual slide change, in which one slide gets out, the tray moves forward, and the next slide goes in.<p>The CA1500 must be the 150 W version of these projectors? I probably would avoid them as the brilliance you get from the 250W bulbs is VERY satisfying, and can fill up a large screen beautifully.

i would go with kodak.

Robert, my point was that give a choice, one would pick the newer machines, simply because they are less aged and presumably likely to need service only later.

I bought a great pair of Kodak 850H caruosel projectors for less then $60.00 each. Cleaned them up and with their 102-152mm zoom lenses and perfectly working AF they are a joy to use. I just picted up a Kodak matching Dissolve unit off ebay for $15.00 including shipping (God I love Digital LOL) I'm about to build a little cabinet with the two projectors sitting one above the other (the lower on on a slide out tray) with the disolve unit below. The wife enjoys the slides so much I'll just make it a part of the furinture in the living room. I'm also working on a 50 X 50 screen that will pull down from the top of our TV entertainment center and turn the whole thing into a screen holder.

 

Nect I need a decent 6X6 projector.

Mani,<p>I wasn't implying any criticism of you. I was just trying to confirm if that was the case. When I was slide projector shopping a couple of years ago, I couldn't find the P2002. I really wanted that model, but they were no longer in production. The people that owned one didn't want to sell theirs, it seems. When the CA2500 turned up instead, I went for it. These projectors are so solidly built that I wouldn't worry too much about their year of manufacture as long as they don't show signs of abuse.

It seems they still don't sell them. Can't find one of those (P2000, 2002). But there are 2

Pradovit Color 250 out there on german ebay.

Thank you.

One more question: Should I avoid the Hektor lens completely, or is it OK for a fair price?

The Pradovit Colors are from the 70s. I think I've read somewhere that their AF was not very reliable or useful. The AF on my CA2500 works wonderfully and reliably.<p>The Hektor is a freebie with the P150. I've never tried it. However, the Colorplan and SuperColorplan are the lenses that are generally considered to be in the best Leitz tradition in terms of resolution, contrast, and freedom from distortion.

Thank you Robert. I'll go for the colorplan lens. If the Color 250 sells for a good price, I

will go for it. I still consider and look for the other options, too.

 

Still, any Info on the models Pradovit 253 / RA150 / Pradovit RC would be appreciated.

Markus,

 

Go either for the Pradovit Color 2 (which is not the Pradovit 250 Color), the CA 2502, P2000 or the P2002. They all have 250Watt, Autofocus, Triac and can be used with Universal and LKM magazines.

 

But you should also consider the P150,P250,P300,P600, they can be fed with Universal, LKM and CS magazines. The CS magazines are very nice,

because one compact unit can take up to 100 slides.

 

I use the P600 IR with a Super-Colorplan lens and I am very pleased. This model has some more nice features like an integrated laser pointer, triac, spare lamp, additional round tray capability, timer, etc.

 

Regards Moritz