Slide projectors

[L.Levie]

Hi all,

 

I'm a Master's student for conservation and restoration of modern and contemporary art in the University of Amsterdam. I'm writing a thesis about the conservation of slide projectors used in installations. While Kodak have stopped producing slide projectors back in 2004, artists and photography enthusiasts still use them. But the knowledge of how to maintain and repair them is slowly disappearing.

 

For this reason, I'm trying to map out the most common failures that people encounter while using slide projectors. So, if you have any experience of working with these machines, please answer the pole and/or the following questions:

 

1. In what circumstances have you used a slide projector? (home use, lecture, exhibition etc.)

2. What model of slide projector have you used?

3. What are the most common malfunctions you have encountered?

4. What are the weak spots of the projector in your opinion?

 

Thanks for participating!

Lihi Levie

Edited May 9, 2019 by L.Levie

[sandall]

Kodak Carousel (regularly used for lectures for many years; now replaced by PowerPoint)) - slides will almost invariably jam in the mechanism unless they are allowed to warm up for at least 10 mins before operating the projector. Particularly a problem on cold days if the slides have just been brought in from outside.

[Dave m]

Older cardboard mounts tended to be self adhesive and as the glue dried the slides tended to open inside the carousel or projector and jam up the system. Plus the teeth would chip off the carousels and they'd stop

[KevinE]

1. for viewing my childhood/teen photographs. Dad shot on transparency film as we were growing up and I continued until the start of digital.

2. At school, Kodak Carousel. At home, Zeiss Ikon and Rollei

3. Jamming of the auto change mechanism caused by warped slides and focus wander caused by the slide heating up and bowing.

4. The bulb must cool before you move the projector or the bulb's life will be shortened. You need a decent screen. They're not easily viewed in bright sunlight.

[Whiskers]

1) Lecture, Exhibition, Theatre2) Pradovit (Leitz), Kodak Carousel.3) Cracked Condenser Lenses, Fan Bearing or Fan Belt sometimes on the same machines, lampholder burnout, magazine damage, faded slides.

4) Not enough power

 

[kerry davies]

1. Raves, parties, club environments. Theatre. Education. Lecturing.

2. Rank Aldis of all vintages especially adapted Tutor 2, Kodak and other carousels, Opti Kinetics Solars and K series.

3. Bulb life.

4. Well-meaning idiots moving them causing the problems faced in 3.

[richardash1981]

1. Home (a little), Talks (a lot, because of a huge wildlife slide collection), Drama (as a low cost Gobo projector, no slide changes)

2. Refelcta AF150, Kodak Carousel SAV2000

3. Sticking pivot in the Carousel mechanism means the slides do not come back out! Someone takes all the lenses out the side and once and doesn't know where to put them back ...

4. Carousel is fairly noisy (fan noise). Refelcta AF150 has a short captive remote cable, and a longer cable remote cannot focus the projector.No keystone adjustment, and screens intended for digital projection are often at odd angles because the digital can be keystoned.

[mackerr]

No keystone adjustment, and screens intended for digital projection are often at odd angles because the digital can be keystoned.

 

When slides were a thing in corporate presentations we used X-Y PC lenses to correct for off center projectors. This was critical for aligning 9 on 1 or greater projector arrays. They are available in a variety of focal lengths.

 

Mac

[alistermorton]

Indeed - even our amateur theatre used to prepare slides intended for off axis projection with built in keystoning correction. Edited May 11, 2019 by alistermorton

[alangeering]

1. Most recently used to paint the walls of a church for Christmas services. Used a company to transfer digital images to slides.

2. Liesegang Fantimat 250 AF and Braun Paximat Multimag 250 S-AF.

3. None

4. Not knowing how long a 35mm transparency would last in a 250w projector. It lasted the 7 hours I needed.

 

Total cost was £2.50 each for the slides and £11.99 for the two projectors off ebay.

[Andrew C]

Not used one for some years now. Used to deal with Carousels a lot, including two BKE 400W conversions (man, those were HEAVY). Used in classrooms, presentations and a couple of stage productions (6 was the most we had, with dissolves etc)

Still have a Simda on a shelf here waiting to be fixed; I hope...

 

ETA - Still use some Rank projectors in physics lessons for spectra and double slit demonstrations. Modified over time with larger lamps and fans.

 

Edited May 13, 2019 by Andrew C

[pathlets]

Does anyone know of a Kodak Carousel users group or enthusiasts club or similar?

[richardash1981]

Does anyone know of a Kodak Carousel users group or enthusiasts club or similar?

 

The nearest I know of is the Tate gallery - if you search for tate slide projector you get lots of hits, from conservation to instructions for routine maintenance!

[musht]

Does anyone know of a Kodak Carousel users group or enthusiasts club or similar?

 

Physcedelic light show preservation and Optikinetics solar 250 appreciation groups on Facebook

[Bazz339]

I used to maintain Kodak 2050s on site for multi projector installations. I still have some projectors… probably a maintenance manual (white on black on photographic paper if I still have it) and goodly box of parts which I would be interested in selling as a job lot if anyone is interested PM me and I will make a list.