16mm Projectors and Hidden Film Gems
The 16mm Projector Memory.
Do you have memories of years gone by, recorded to 16mm film, that you want to watch again? Back in the day 16mm projectors were great and all around use being used to capture everyday life and special occasions to make home movies. With the advent of time, technology has developed quite a bit since the time of the 16mm, and people eventually lost interest in the projector. But there is something about those old 16mm projector movies that you just can’t get with digital movies and that’s why you have kept them around.
It was in the days of the great depression when 16mm projectors made their debut in the world, and they were the main attraction for many moviegoers. Eastman Kodak and Bell & Howell built these projectors to give a boost to entertainment and industry while setting up early companies of film. Silent movies only needed a project that operated at 16 to 18 feet every second, but introducing sound meant projectors had to operate at 24 feet every second.
By the 1970’s lamps nicknamed “Mazda lamps” were used which were tubular lamps in 16mm projectors. 750 watts were needed to power these and they could reach up to 6 inches in some situations. Succeeding these lamps were new, tungsten-halogen lamps which were much more efficient and even became the standard after some time. With Tungsten lamps, you could have just a 250 watt lamp, and it would easily be brighter than a tubular lamp that was 750 watts. In regards to the size of reels, 16mm projectors could have up to 2,000 feet while the grander 6,000 foot reels were kept exclusively for specialists.
It has become easier to find a good second-hand 16mm projector in the past ten years, thanks to internet sites like eBay. Before the internet, finding a cheap 16mm projector was almost impossible and if you really needed it you had to be really lucky. Most people went to second hand stores, flea markets and yard sales hoping to find a used projector; it was also difficult to find parts. It appeared as if this unique way to watch movies was dead and gone, except for die-hard enthusiasts and collectors. EBay now allows for people to buy and sell their 16mm projectors with ease and anyone can be a collector. That meant selling the 16mm projectors that had been sitting in the attic so long, and were in perfect condition. Many people want a projector of their own so that they can watch their old film reels once more, while other individuals simply seek this hot collector’s item to add into their own inventories.
If you’ve been wishing you could watch your old movies again, but no longer have a projector, you can find one with the click of a mouse. A good place to start looking for deals on projectors so you can watch your old reels would be on eBay, and there are also other similar websites that sell used products!
Read my other articles about Top 5 Home Theater System With Wireless Surround Sound Speakers and Flat Screens : LCD or Plasma?
Recommended Home Theater Projectors
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About Mark Hughes
