Chinon SP-330 8mm sound Movie Projector

[tfunch24]

I own a Chinon SP-330MV, a S8 only projector that looks almost identical to the projector featured and with the same exact sound features (SoS recording, speaker out, etc.). I think both projectors are among the last Super 8 projectors manufactured.

I have not had any trouble with my Chinon projector and I've owned it for about three months. I use it at least once or twice a week and I've only had one film jam on me. Sound is not spectacular but far from bad. As for price, I paid $25 for it in a thrift shop. I'm not sure the $51 winning bid is such a great deal but compared to what some other "virtually new and unused" projectors fetch on eBay, it's not that bad.

Tom

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ December 18, 2002 02:37 PM: Message edited by: tfunch24 ]</font>

[chas_ucla]

think this was a good deal?

Chinon SP-330 8mm

[Colorburst300]

I recently bought a Chinon 2500GL on ebay for 60 bucks and the thing blows. It's not that it is a bad projector in general, it's just cheaply-made compared to the bell & howell ones and others made from metal. It's a plastic, very basic projector with a rheostat for variable speed. I bought it only to do a home miniDV transfer of my mom's old 8mm movies. I take my super 8 elsewhere and have it transferred. But this thing jammed my film everytime I tried using it, and then it would lock up and the light would instantly bake the film. That really pissed me off seeing as how these are films from quite a while back and I'm destroying them. Also, the vari-speed is supposed to reduce the flicker, but I can't tell the difference between the Chinon or my 4.00 bell&howell thrift shop projector.

Actually, with that said, I think as far as a regular (not variable speed) projector goes, the Bell & Howell 456 Autoload is an excellent piece. Film runs smooth, everything loads automatically, and made out of cast aluminum (i think). Very durable. The only thing is that it's only a super-8 projector. The Chinon has dual-8, but never seems to take my reg 8 film properly.

But 51.00 for the sound one doesn't seem too bad, since mine was seriously new and in the original box with wrapping and the power cord still unused and I paid 60 bucks for it. Could be worse.

~M