I FINALLY got a slide projector!

[silverscape]

I finally got a projector! I bought it on eBay (for $28, including shipping!) and I got it in the mail yesterday. It even

came with the original carrying case and instruction manual. I don't know much about it, other than it's a "Skot"

projector, and I guess the lens was made by the "American Optical Company." It's a really simple projector and you

can only load it with one slide at a time, although the slide changer is pretty simple and you can actually load and

eject slides pretty easily. It's all-metal and seems to be well made.<p>

 

<img src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f86/gatewaycityca/FILE0454bsmall.jpg"><p>

 

I tested it with a few slides last night, and it looks pretty good! I looked at all my slides today, and I have to say it

was an awesome feeling seeing my pictures projected! It was everything I was hoping for. Everything looks so vibrant and you feel like you're actually there again. I have a few more rolls of Kodachrome that I need to get developed, and I can't wait to see how those will look. Then I plan on trying some other slide films.<p>

 

I was just surprised at how hard it was to find a projector. I had been looking EVERYWHERE. Antique shops, thrift

shops, and of course eBay. I couldn't believe how hard it was to find one (well, one that I could afford). I don't

understand why they're so expensive. There were some selling for over $200, and a lot of people were bidding on

them! It seemed like all the projectors I was looking at were selling for at least $75-100, and those were off-brand

ones. The ones that were cheaper were missing things like the lens or tray. (Why are so many projectors missing

the lens?) I never in a million years thought it would be this hard to find a slide projector. But hey, I guess that's

kind of encouraging. Maybe a lot more people are using slide film than I thought. Because projectors really seem to

be in demand. Actually, I went through the same thing when I tried to find an 8mm movie projector. It wasn't so

much that I couldn't find one...the problem was that they were so expensive for some reason. <p>

 

By the way, I hope this is on topic. I shot all my slide film with a classic camera, and the projector is definitely

vintage! :D

[patrick_mont]

<p>Nice Chris! I haven't seen one of these before. I love the case.</p>

[mfophotos]

<p>Chris... I didn't know you were in the market for a projector...I can't even give them away!! Be careful with those older models as they are often not as well ventilated as a Kodak carousel projector. You don't want to cook your slides!<br>

Comparing a projected slide to an LCD projector is like watching a movie on a big screen vs the TV.</p>

[starvy]

<p>i got my kodak projector through a work colleague. wonderful investment. what you see through a projector is hard to compare to digital images on screen or print.</p>

[richard_beisigl]

<p>Chris,<br>

I too would be careful using an old slide projector, and would look into getting a Kodak Carousel.<br>

I have one, and would not trust my slides to any othe projector.</p>

[silverscape]

I was reading the instruction manual, and in addition to the fan, it does have a "heat absorbing lens" too, which is supposed to help protect the slide.

 

I mean, isn't this the kind of projector (1950's?) that would have been used back when Kodachrome was in its prime, anyway?

[JDMvW]

<p>Price the replacement bulbs.</p>

[alex macphee]

<p>I have yet to experience anything quite as good (photographically speaking) as a transparency on a big white screen. It really is the business. I use my projector a lot ; it's also an excellent 'social' way of showing photographs, and the occasions where my family get together are always punctuated by 'ooohs' and 'aaahs'. It's a shared experience. It takes a little more efford than huddling round a computer screen, but not much, and it's far more fun.</p>

<p>The caveat on overheating is worth heeding. My first projector was an Aldis, of very similar design, and even though it had a big fan in the base blowing up over the very hot bulb, I still remember the shock as one slide, lingered over too long, began to melt on screen. I don't have that problem with my Reflecta projector, and the slide lost wasn't particularly valuable. The first time I had to replace the bulb, it cost me more than the projector did, though I got the projector fairly cheaply second-hand. But you'll enjoy transparencies seen as they were meant to be seen. It's the business.</p>

<p> </p>

[patrick j dempsey]

<p>Many projectors are missing the lens I think because many cheap people over the years have thought that the lens must be the most expensive part and have tried to sell it. If you are looking for a good reliable projector that will show more than one slide at a time, Argus made some pretty nice ones over the years, they specifically sold ones with a long rectangular cartridge (as opposed to the more complicated Kodak carousel). One advantage to many of these cheaper projectors is that unlike the complicated models they usually take less expensive bulbs. </p>

[leon_b1]

<p>Try and get a projection screen if you haven't already got one. I have an old Da-Lite screen, and the difference it makes is substantial.</p>

<p>Kodak projectors seem to hold their value very well indeed. I have a Rollei projector of early '80s vintage which is very much like the Leitz Pradovit models and works just fine; very bright but keeps nice and cool. This uses the European-style straight slide trays, which hold 50 slides. You can also get a model with autofocus, which is handy as the slides 'pop' from the heat after a few seconds. A lot of professional-standard projectors are, I suspect, missing the lens partly due to the fact you can get a wide variety of interchangeable lenses for them; it's a bit like buying an SLR body. According to serious projection nuts, a top-of-the-range lens makes a lot of difference.</p>

<p>Remember that Kodachrome's archival qualities are based on dark storage; it actually fades quite rapidly under projection. If you plan on projecting certain slides a lot, get duplicates made (assuming such a service can still be found). Modern E6 films hold up much better when projected.</p>

[charles_stobbs3]

For years I used a Kodak Signet projector, available with a 300 or 500 watt bulb and Airequipt aluminum slide trays. It had a good strong cooling fan on a separate switch so you could cool everyhing down after turning off the lamp, a stack loader for single slides, and 3 adjustable feet. JDM is correct, you need to find replacement bulbs and have one or two on hand. Now I mostly use a hand held slide viewer which has about the same size image without the possibility of slide damage. Enjoy.

[steve_levine]

<p>A Kodak Carousel with it's handy "stack loader" would be a lot more "handy". Single loading in an antique is fun for about five minutes. And definitely get a good screen. The reflectance is much higher than a white wall, and the resulting images are much brighter and more alive. </p>

<p>Getting a new box of slides in the mail, and projecting them is truly the lost pleasure of the digital age.</p>

[bsharpe411]

<p>I'll second what several have said about the possibility of "cooking" the slide on an old projector if it's in there for too long. Also, the old tungsten bulbs can be difficult to find and/or cost more than the projector. Halogen bulbs for the later models are easy to find and reasonably priced.</p>

<p>I recently bought a Kodak Ektagraphic projector off "the bay" for less than $100 including shipping. It also came with a stack loader and a zoom lens and includes a pop-up preview screen for quick editing and auto focus to compensate for when the slide "pops" a bit after heating. I suggest the Ektagraphic model over the regular Carousel because it was designed for daily commercial use. The changer gears are metal instead of plastic. My old Carousel died because the nylon gears got chewed up. If you have tens of thousands of slides (as I do) you want to enjoy the show...not play nursemaid to the projector.</p>

<p>That being said...I still like seeing a vintage projector like yours in operating condition.</p>

[the celt 2]

<p>I just found a Carousel among my late Dads things. Don't know if it works, as he was always tinkering with stuff for different organizations he belonged to. I also have his trusty old TDC projector, and I have some fond memories of the slide shows we had growing up. Nothing beats projected slides on the big screen. I agree with the Dalite brand screen, but the brightest I ever saw was the glass beaded screen that we had way, way back. The bigest draw back was that yougad to be almost right in front of it to get the full effect. I think that when my Daughter comes down for Thanks Giving, I might just set up the screen, and get the TDC out. I've only got about 8000 slides we can watch. </p>

[jdrose]

<p>Awesome. Congrats!</p>

<p>Just wait until you get a projector to show off your 6x7cm chromes. Will blow your socks off!</p>

[gerry b.]

<p>Don't want you to feel bad about your purchase, as it may be perfectly fine for your purposes, but it is possible to get good Carousels and Ektagraphics on the bay for under $75 (I did, not long ago). If you decide you really like projecting slides, I would second the idea of getting a Kodak Carousel or Ektagraphic, and get an excellent lens. The lens will make a big difference in the overall sharpness of the image, and Navitar and Schneider both made great projector lenses (esp. 2.8 aperture medium range zoom lenses) that fit Kodak machines. Kodak also made a premium range of lenses, but I can't remember their name.</p>

<p>Also, if you get a used screen locally, check it carefully. Many old screens develop horizontal rolling creases that definitely detract from the look of a projected slide.</p>

[steven_p]

<p>Nice score Chris,</p>

<p>This was a rare find from many years ago:</p>

<p>Berthiot F=35 lens (wide angle) in Ektagraphic mount. Huge picture for confined areas.</p>

<p> </p>

[Rob_the_waste]

<p>This might sound like a stupid question, but where would someone find a projector that does 6x7? I just got a roll of Provia back not too long ago that was shot in 6x9. Other than scanning, what can I do with them?</p>

[bsharpe411]

<p>Rob...here's a possibility. Get an overhead projector...the kind they used in classrooms for years. The glass area is about 12" x 12" and you can cut a mask for your 6x9 transparencies. They are selling dirt cheap on the Bay. It's probably not the best in optical quality, but it's the only practical thing I can think of. Good luck</p>

[jack_welsh]

<p>Great, Chris! The bulbs are not cheap,. But, they do last a long time. Have 2 Argus projectors and dad said that I can inherit his 3 Kodak Carousels.</p>

[ben_ballard]

<p>Rob, I think Bob's suggestion is the right idea, for home/hobby use. I've occasionally seen medium format Rollei projectors on ebay for way more than I would care to spend (more than you're likely to pay for a medium format camera). They were made, and I imagine they would be spectacular, but price it out. Also, it may only be for 6x6, so I would look into that before purchasing.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>One of two bad experiences on eBay, was when I bought a Kodak Carousel and when it came found out that it was an old school projector that was totally worn out. Eventually, after many months, the vendor reimbursed me. So I'm still using my old Kodak 500 from 1959, but the bulbs are getting more and more costly.</p>

<p>As for screens, there was a nice comparison of different screens in one of the 1960s photomagizines, and the hands-down winner for sharpness and breadth of viewing angle was a plain, matte white surface. The lenticular screens had very narrow angles of viewability, and reduced sharpness by a huge degree. The glass bead ones were not much better, but both the lenticular and glass-bead ones were brighter with low wattage bulbs, which is, of course, why they were used back in the days of 300-watt projectors.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Here's a 1954 <em>Popular Photography</em> ad for your projector</p><div></div>

[silverscape]

Ok, thanks for the advice guys. I'll save up for a better projector. But I think this one will work fine for now. I'll watch it carefully to be sure the slides don't get too hot...but really, it's not like I'm going to be projecting each one for that long anyway. When I was using it yesterday, it really doesn't seem like it gets that hot. The slides didn't even feel warm. The lamp housing in back gets hot of course, but the aperture or whatever it's called where the slides are actually inserted, doesn't seem to get that hot. And I'm probably going to be the only one looking at them most of the time. So each slide will only be in for maybe a minute or so. Once in a while I might show some slides to friends, but even then I don't think I would have them in for that long. Actually, most of my friends aren't really that much into photography and if I gave them a slide show, it would probably just be for the novelty of it because they've probably never even seen slides before!

 

JDM, thanks for finding that advertisement! That's awesome! I saved it on my computer. I love seeing vintage ads like that. I've been able to find some original ads for my 8mm movie cameras too. I even have a couple of original ads (not scans!) for Kodak Brownie cameras, from the 1900's!

[Andy Collins]

<p>Very cool Chris. I found a nice carousel projector at Goodwill a while ago for $15 in excellent condition but it doesn't look quite as cool as your projector does. Have fun with it!</p>