Kodak carousel projector.

[RaymondC]

<p>Hi, my club is selling one away, how are the Kodaks like?</p>

<p>Would I be disappointed?</p>

<p>Cheers.</p>

[patrick_mont]

<p>Kodak's slide projectors are pretty much the best. If you plan to give it pretty heavy use, you may want to look into one of the Ektagraphic models but I have a couple of the carousels and they are really nice too. What is the asking price?</p>

[Robin Smith]

<blockquote>

<p>Kodak's slide projectors are pretty much the best</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Not in my book. A good Leica-designed Leica (as opposed to rebadged) with 250 watt bulb has superior image quality than any carousel including the German-made ones. They can be good projectors but they are certainly not the "best".</p>

<p>If it is a plastic-bodied Kodak then I would not pay much for it. If it is a metal-bodied one then these are pretty good (but not up to a good Leica).</p>

[daniel_jones7]

<p>I guess what the above poster was getting at was you normally do get what you pay for, but since your camera club is selling a Kodak I will make my comments about that brand. I guess the price and what you would use it for would be the best determination. I have a Kodak slide projector with carousels and even after 20+ years of use, I still love it, even if I have to occasionally blow dust off the slide. I haven't used it much though since I got into digital though, I covet a digital projector that I can hook up to my laptop and do slide shows. They are still a little pricey.</p>

<p>The one thing I would check, just like with any other optics is the glass to ensure it is mark, blemish free.</p>

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>I never had a Leica projector - Kodak was good enough for me, along with a stack of carousels loaded with slides that I may look at again some day. I do have a Leica camera, which also gathers dust, along with every other film camera in my collection except Hasselblads. Who knows? Maybe the Smithsonian will call some day ;-)</p>

[RaymondC]

<p>Cheers guy. </p><p><br></p><p>I didn't buy it. Well the price was a donation with a guideline that a online auction in our country, outside the USA, is $25USD. No remote and was a sold as is condition. I didn't get it .... <br></p>

[Robert_Lai]

<p>The Kodak mechanism is reliable, and easy to repair. The later Ektagraphics had better cooling and evenness of illumination. The main flaw of most Kodak projectors is the usually lousy plastic zoom lens that is commonly fitted on them. You can purchase a good third party lens like the Golden Navitar or Schneiders that will greatly improve the image from a Kodak projector.</p>

<p>I do own a Kodak Ektagraphic, but I also own a Leitz Pradovit 2500C. I would say that the Leitz projector is a significant notch above the Kodak quality. The Kodak is workmanlike and sturdy, but the Leitz is like driving a Mercedes as opposed to a Buick. Coupled with the Super Colorplan 90mm f/2.5, and bright light kit, the Leitz will really show you what's on that slide - warts and all. The slide stays cooler in the Leitz projector too, and the background whites look whiter.</p>

[john_shriver]

<p>There's an adapter tube from Leica to use their lenses with 42.5mm barrels in a Kodak Carousel. I had the adapter for a year, finally got a matching Colorplan lens for cheap ($46). Eager to try it.<br>

As noted, the mechanisms on the Kodaks are sturdy. Reasonable lighting system, although it may not be as good as the Leitz designed ones. I've read about a lot of problems keeping the Pradovit projectors working, however.</p>

 

[Robert_Lai]

<p>So far, I've been able to keep my Pradovit running. The mechanism is straightforward, and sturdily built and finely finished in the best German fashion. The main hitch seems to be to make sure that the slide change arm is properly adjusted so that the slides don't jam, and to keep the motor bearings lubricated (mine became very sluggish after 2 years of non-use during a house move). Replacement parts are still available from Leitz.</p>