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Topic: What Projectors do you Like?

Jeff Stricker
Master Film Handler

Posts: 481
From: Calumet, Mi USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 08-18-2002 02:35 PM

These 1940 Brenkert BX-40's of mine don't leak a drop. That's more than I can say for the Simplex soundheads they're bolted to...

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Mike Fitzgerald
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 224
From: Castle Hayne, NC, USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 08-18-2002 04:00 PM

I have always liked the Bauer U2 projector.

------------------
Fitz

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 08-18-2002 04:46 PM

OK - for your Pro-35 haters.....Here is a picture of a new Pro-35 that is ready for a shipping crate:

I drolled over this machine....

Thanks to Rick and John at Strong International for allowing me to take this picture.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-18-2002 04:48 PM

It is a thing of beauty

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 08-18-2002 04:52 PM

....and craftsmanship to match.

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Pete Naples
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1565
From: Dunfermline, Scotland
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 08-18-2002 05:26 PM

I hadn't had any dealing with the Pro35 until I went to Spain to commission a pair on a 3D theme park attraction. They are specials with a micrometer adjustable lens mount to ensure the two pictures are in perfect registration without distortion. They are ideal for this application as they seem to need little maintenance (just clean it and look after the oil), also the electronics interfaced oh so easily with the rest of the show. Overall I was somewhat impressed.

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 08-18-2002 05:31 PM

Pete, it is my understanding that the Pro-35's are the preferred machines in Theme Parks, probably for the reason you mentioned.

I have heard also that the PRO-35 was selected for these applications through testing. Supposedly, they put various makes of projectors a big paint shaker and shook the shit out of them, and the PRO-35's are the only ones that could stand up to the beating.

For years, I understand they were also the projector of choice for product reel running at the Sho-West lunch and dinner gatherings.

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Bernie Anderson Jr
Master Film Handler

Posts: 435
From: Woodbridge, New Jersey
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 08-18-2002 07:19 PM

Who makes the Pro-35? It's a slick little projector.

Bernie

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-18-2002 07:31 PM

All you Ballantyne lovers can thank Ed Nelson years ago for stealing alot of the Phillips/Norelco ideas, and others of the past. The intermittent/framer mechanism(FP-20), the verticle shaft(FP7), the intermittent itself(Brenkert as per Ed Nelson's request, according to Norm at LaVezzi), The rest of the machcine, courtesy of Rube Goldberg.
I don't recall seeing Ballantynes in the Strong Price list lately....
Mark

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-18-2002 07:40 PM

I've worked with and really like:
Norelco DP-70
Norelco FP-20
Simplex E-7
Simplex Series of X-L's
Century C
Century H
Century SA
Century JJ
Century VistaVision
Brenkert, All Models
Motiograph AA, AAA
Iwerks Linear Loop

MACHINES I'VE WORKED WITH AND HATE
Christie, All models
Super Simplex
Standard Simplex These two do belong in a Museum...on display!
Motiograph K
Ballantyne Pro 35, way too many seals and "O" Rings!
Prevost P93
Cinecitta, All
Westar, All

Machines I would never ever consider using:
Megasystems
Cinecitta
Westar

Machines I plan on using on upcomming jobs Some day soon:
Kinoton
Norelco DP-70
Iwerks Linear Loop

Mark

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 08-18-2002 08:15 PM

Bernie, they are slick, but they sure as hell aren't little. Notice Josh's arm is resting on the entire width of the machine, almost up to his elbow. And, they are very heavy. Strong International/Ballentyne of Omaha builds them.

Mark, I understand they are a special order item these days.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-18-2002 08:40 PM

Actually they are basically a DP75

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Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 08-18-2002 08:41 PM

Ballentyne for a short while was the importer of Phillips machines so they had plenty of time to study in house. The story goes that Disney WED Engineering desired to use Phillips products in an attraction but company policy at the time was to buy USA products first which was solved by Ballentyne's input. Many of the mechanisms which the parks used where Simplex XL's in the 1970's when I was servicing parks. Busch Gardens in Tampa had a show in 1976 with Eprad Sword forward / reverse machines and Century heads which operated, in addition with 9 slide ( German Kodak Ektagraphic ) projectors which was a bear to keep in shape...fun filing aperture plates with no masking edge.
Ed Nelson, according to a lecture at a TEA conference in Palm Beach, Florida talked of the "then new" Ballentyne Pro-35 and the fact that he also worked with the designers of the Simplex XL.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-18-2002 09:00 PM

Ballantyne also built many of the Norelco machines with things like the intermitent gearbox for the FP20 and the main casing for the 75 and the main frame for the 70 and they built the lamphouse beam and colums and did the casting for many of them so Ed had lots of time to study it
Always odd that they never built it as a intigrated soundhead since the Pro35 did work with a lot of other soundheads that didn't like being driven from the projector

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Bernie Anderson Jr
Master Film Handler

Posts: 435
From: Woodbridge, New Jersey
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 08-18-2002 09:30 PM

Now tell me why you Super Simplex haters hate the Super but love the E7? The gear integrity is much better in the Super. You can beat the hell out of them and they'll still run.

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