Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: xenon super8

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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 09-14-2009, 11:16 AM:

Years ago in an American Cinematographer mag there was an article about UCLA converting some super8 projectors over to using the Mac300 lamps

Has anyone ever tried converting a fumeo or eastman super 8 to xenon
I know Fumeo did sell a mac version and Elmo made a xenon one

Also is fumeo still in business and do they have a web site?

Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 09-14-2009, 01:39 PM:

Hope you get some results.

Fumeo (UK)
The Old Warehouse
2 Ashford Road
Brighton
East Sussex BN1 6LJ

Telephone: (01273) 508622
Fax: (01273) 564693

e-mail: fumeo[at]btinternet.com

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-15-2009, 02:37 AM:

I have converted an Elmo ST-600, ST-1200 and a Eumig S926GL to the Marc 300 lamp. I also converted a Beaulieu 708EL Pro to an external lamphouse.

The secret is LOTS of forced air cooling and heat filters. In one of them I had to sandwich a thin piece of cardboard between the shutter blades and the plastic pulley that the blade was screwed onto to keep the heat from transmitting to the pulley and melting it.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 09-16-2009, 05:44 PM:

The marc-300 can put out a lot of light for its size and power rating, but it's a horribly expensive thing to run due to the very short life. I think the last price I saw was about 180 pounds for a life of about 40 hours. They also have a habit of going odd colours towards the end of their life.

I've heard that it's possible to replace the marc 350, the one with the axial arc tube, with the Sylvania HTI lamp, which has a much longer life, but it's not a simple, or cheap conversion; a new power supply is required for a start. However, the HTI is too large, specifically too long if I remember correctly, to replace the marc 300 lamp with the tansverse arc tube, either the full-size version, as used in the B&H 666a 16mm machines, or the smaller 'Gemini' which is what I think has been used in some 8mm conversions.

Brad, is it the Gemini, or the full-size marc-300 which you have used. I think the arc tube is the same in both, it's just a smaller reflector, though I've never actually used the Gemini version.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-17-2009, 05:17 AM:

Bear in mind this was done 20 years ago, but if memory serves it was the Gemini version of the lamp.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 09-18-2009, 02:11 AM:

Has anybody tried fitting an 8mm, or 16mm projector with one of the modern metal halide or UHP mercury lamps used in small video projectors?

Posted by Josef Grassmann (Member # 5149) on 09-18-2009, 04:11 AM:

To convert a 8mm projector to Marc-300 or HTI has some interessing aspects. But those bulbs are designed for theatre illumination, endoscopic (tech and med.) use and for 16mm projectors.
Of coure, some manufactures did employ them in 8mm projectors as well.
The disadvantage of using them in 8mm projectors is the real focus problem due to the very small window/ apature. To achieve full light on screen it is necessary to readjust each bulb in x-y-z axle.
In order to achieve perfect adjustment one person -converted 708EL - visited OSRAM and showed them with his 708 big spead in focus on their HTI bulbs. OSRAM told him that they can´t control focus to min. tolerances under production circumstances.
They made a special aggrement and he bought the hole bulb in parts from them without the white ceramis cement. The cement and it´s handling is a secret of OSRAM, he was told.
Back to home he assembled his one HTI bulbs and he could get a suitable ceramic cement for "glueing" glass part (lamp) into the mirrow. Each lamp had to be carefully adjusted/fixed before cement gets hard.
He pays the same price for the individual parts (270 €) as for the complete unit.
He achieves excelent results on over 8 m or 25 feet wide screens. The HTI should last approx. 250 hrs (data sheet).
After 45 to 50 hrs the light density is dropping fast, so that he can use a new bulb for wide screen application max. 50 hrs, only. Of course, for 3m wide screens bulb is still useable.
It is quite expensive to spend all that work and costs into such a projection bulb, only.