Various 16

 

16MM SOUND

 

This page covers machines about which I have only very basic info. If I know more, there is an individual page for the make/manufacturer. Click on the links below for specific machines. 

Ampro, Bauer, BTH, Carpenter, Debrie, Danson, GBL516, Precisvox,Victor, Phillips, B&H

Bolex

                

First you get a leaflet, then the real thing.

I don't know much about these. Whenever I have been tempted, it is the way the back spool is partly integrated into the body of the machine that has put me off. It seems such a waste of space. But it looks good and has a good reputation, tho' I have heard in recent times (this decade) that there may be a weakness in some of the plastic gears.


Eiki (Elf)

               

This one is early and I've never seen one - maybe they didn't come tor the UK. Below are two later models, both originally 16mm but converted to 9.5mm, thanks to Tony Reypert of Buckingham films These are both recognisably part of a series of models derived from an original design that  Elf used for many years. I am not sure whether the Slim Line was a final fling or just an addtion to the range. Early Xenon versions used the old-style separate power packs but the later versions, such as the Elf-Lite shown here, were one-case switched mode types but still very much part of the basic style.

                         

 

EARLY SOUND-ON-FILM

Here are what I believe are some of the very first sound-on-film narrow gauge machines, dating from around1933-35.

                              

As you can see, things are already getting a bit complicated with the post-war L516 in the market while the early BTH (the colour pic is I think the same machine as in the ads) continues. So I spose  De Vry can go in here too.

 

DeVry

Until DeVry has it's own page, here are some other, definitely later, pix. And one I saw at the PPT.

 

                     

 

Buisse Botazzi

 Found some on French eBay, some at Argenteuil. Make is stated as Buisse-Botazzi. I know little of this maker, but have gained the impression from discussions at the fair in Argenteuil that they are very much the Rolls Roce of narrow-gauge machines (and accordingly expensive and rare). There was even a 9.5 model, even rarer. Note the huge reels in pic 2 - must have had to nail the back down.

          

 

RCA Clone

                          

In the late 1960's or early 1970's, Dixons started advertising what was obviously a somewhat updated copy (made in India, as it happened) of the well-known RCA Hollywood. The main changes were the switch to a transistor amp and a tungsten halogen lamp. The pricipal attraction of the machine was a very low price by then standards. Even so, I could not at that time afford one. As it happened, I managed to acquire one a around 2018 and found its performance excellent.

 

Movie Mite

There is a page on the Danson, but there seem to have been one or two other machines of a somewhat similar design; here is the Movie Mite. One assumes the arms slotted into the body as per Danson.

               

 

Micron

Another similar to Danson.

               

 Cinéric

 

          

 

 

Pathé Pax

               

The Pax-like machine above is in fact the penultimate flowering of the long Pax line of post-war Pathé projectors. The very final model, of which I have a 9.5 version, used piano-key type controls instead of the switches seen in pic 2. It has some interesting features going by my 9.5 one; a variable speed control, forward and reverse on either  110v 0r 220v and, in the magnetic version, the nearest Pathé ever came to something like the B&H double-arm sound smoothing.

 

Oemichen

          

 

ETM? (I know only that my pic titles say etm - I don't know the meaning.)

          

 

 

16mm Vox

               

I would be surprised if anyone had ever seen one of these Hatton clones of a Vox, only uglier. It was, I suspect, one of a number of proposals after the war that never came to anything or, if they did, had a very short life. Pathé France did properly convert the Vox, however, and here is the evidence. The first of them looks very odd because it was taken deep in the stacks of the Cinémathèque Français and I have had to cut out the non-Vox areas of the image. 

Graflex

Got this Graflex. Here are a couple if inside shots; gotta re-do the outside pic. It's got piano-key type controls and a threading lever

      

to help set the loop I think. Problem with this is the motor seems busted - it turns, but with no power and it seems a major winding has gone. Problematic to find a new motor. It's from Bodine Electrical of Chicago, 230v, 1/30 HP, 1425 rpm, 1.5MFD capacitor. To their credit, Bodine responded promptly to my email but, as I had expected, they made it specially for the Graflex long ago and have nothing like it now. It seems to me we need a source of small, capacitor-run induction motors. Anyone got any ideas? I spose one could try cannibalising a B&H for a rather different type of motor......I have a vague idea there were other projectors like the Graflex, with a different badge. I know there were a number of different badged versions of the Bauer P7 type.

 

Miscellaneous

                         

 

                    

The first is a Carpenter, a left-hander that didn't last long.I have one in very good shape but it needs time spending to bring it fully back into operation.  Paul Schimmel tells me it was closely based on the American Natco. Somewhat more long-lived was the Marshall, a B&H mech with a proprietary sound head. The Ericsson is one that belongs in my book of shame. As you can see, it originally had only short "arms" but grew bigger ones later. I was beguiled by the fascinating shape and not put off by the lack of an amp or the super arms. I should never have bought it. I know nothing of this Fumeo - it might never have reached this country. The Hortson is another that hardly if ever can be seen here, but there have been some converted to 9.5. 

Elmo F16

       

 

Courtesy Pat Moules, here is a proper projector of the good old-fashioned type. The 250 HL name is presumably a reference to the unusual mirror used for the lamp. Not sure if this was a lamp with an A1 or ANSI designation or something Elmo did themselves.

 Kodak Pageant

 

 This is a not very good image of a not very good projector. I have one, but it ent working. I tried taking it apart - it's sort of built into a wooden case and once removed is difficult to deal with. This is because it's a weird shape and has no flat side on which it will stand and it keeps falling over. It is a very similar basic design to the Kodak Sound 8, which I also have and which I also took apart. I didn't like the design then and I don't now. I don't know which came first. No doubt it can produce good results when fixed up, but I found nothing within my competence to fix. 

Oh alright. Here are some proper pix. Followed by a couple of a Kodascope sound, which I assume is similar to the one reportedly sold to Noah.