What about projection?

[AlexGfromUK]

There is always lots on this board about finding a good telecine machine and about transferring films to video tape. What about projection though, surely it should theoretically give much less quality loss to project your film, if you can do it at a quality level that agrees with the very high resolution of motion picture film??!

If you can explain why people favour telecine tranfers so much, or even better, name a projector that can kick butt in quality terms that would be great, also, how big is the optimal image size for the average super 8 projector.

Anyone got a projector that they love? please feel free to argue over your brand allegiances!

Thanks in advance

Alex

[Konton]

Telecine is only a big topic of discussion because of editing, duplication, and distribution. It's has nothing to do with the quality of DV vs. projected image. Watching my Super 8mm film at night projected using my Beaulieu 708 EL against the side of my neighbors house is much better than on a little TV. I can project a ten foot image and it's still very clear! Much better than watching my film on a 32 inch TV set.

When I want to edit a film, it's easier to do digitally first, rather than by cutting and splicing my film. And until a good synchronizer is available, synching the audio on computer is much easier than attempting to on a projector. Once your film is complete and you want to send it to festivals or friends in another state, are you going to make Super 8mm copies, or copies on VHS or DV? VHS is the most viable way to duplicate and distribute your film as most people have a VCR. But I'd still rather have the original on film to project.

As for your technical questions about resolution or optimal images size, I think that would depend on the projector. Man I'd love to have one of those xeon projectors. I hear the Elmo GS-1200 Xeon gives an amazing picture. But for now I'll stick to my Beaulieu 708 EL which is on par with the standard Elmo GS-1200, plus you can get replacement parts for it since it is still in production.

[robert moseley]

Projecting the original film gives you an aethetic feel which I don't believe you can achieve with any electronic medium. If you watch a high quality print of a movie projected on a cinema screen and then compare the same movie broadcast on television, you will see the difference. The former has a texture which resembles a photographic print on high quality paper, with great detail and no shiny surface movement. I have just received back from processing some Kodachrome 40 and I still remain amazed at the quality and detail of this reversal film.
The problem with projection of Super 8 has been the need to keep the original film ( -copies being of inadequate quality -) in pristine condition. This can only be done by (a)using great care to avoid scratching of film and (b) minimalising the need to edit the film (by, for example, editing in camera as far as possible). Splicing film inevitably causes disturbance on projection, although I have with my Wurker splicer developed a way to reduce both the visibility and audibility of these splices.

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[AlexGfromUK]

since I already started a topic on projecttion, can anyone help me with a more specific question, I have found a secondhand site (not an auction site) for people to sell all types of items and some projectors have turned up.

These two caught my eye
eumig 501
bolex sm80 sound

does anyone know about the quality of results these machines are capable of??

Thanks in advance

Alex

[#Pedro]

I agree totaly about what has been said. The only way to enjoy the medium "film" is to keep it as film, to project it, and not to transfer it to any electronic system of short live. For my opinion, it is not even possible to tranfer it for editing. What you are editing afterwards, is not a film, it?s a video and there isn?t any chance at all, that the edited or synced stuff will ever become film again. It?s a way of no return. One exception maybe the casablanca editing system, which allows you to edit and sync a working copy on hard disc video and afterwards cut your original film according to a master cut list on a special Beaulieu master cut frame counter table, avoiding experiments in cutting. For those who like...
As Konton said, the very best favourite projectors are Beaulieu (still in prod) and Elmo GS. The Beaulieu provides more constant sharp images due to it?s pressure plate at the lamp side of the gate, the Elmo has a steadyer construction and may cause less problems when used very often. Note that lamps under 150 W not sufficient bright for an exactly exposured film. With Xenon projectors (ELMO) you?ll get an image which is 2 times brighter at the same wattage, with HP-projectors (high power lamp) the image is 4 times brighter and sufficient for a 12 m screen (4 feet?). Beaulieu has HP models. Any other metal-built projector can be converted to HP, at Wittner?s there is a conversion kit available, costs DM 1500 incl. lamp. An add projector fan maybe required.
Therefore Bolex and Eumig models don?t meet nowadays brightness requirements. As Noris, I don?t know any models of these brands with lamps brighter than 100W.
Lenses: A faster lens may give a brighter result, too. Absolutly fantastic in resolution and contrast is the 1:1,0 zoom of Elmo!!! Note, that some projectors don?t allow the use of a very fast lens (Bauer), as the film gate is not so exact, that the projection keeps totally sharp at an very open lens stop.
Comparing Bauer studioclass and Braun Visacustic, the Bauer runs much quieter and has more sound options (microcomputer) to easy wild sync as the Braun. The Braun has a exact film gate and is syncable without any modification (external syncronizer can be connected).But it?s a very noisy machine.
Pedro