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Author Topic: The best 35mm projector Gunnar Asgeirsson Film Handler Posts: 64 From: Iceland Registered: Jul 2006 posted 08-16-2006 04:53 PM                        I was wondering.. Is any type of projector´s better than other. If i would like to upgrade the cinema i work in and bou a new projectors what sute i buy? Now i have Cinemeccanica Vic5, very nice projectors. Belive it or not, here in Iceland we have nowere Christie prjoectors. All cinema in reykjavik city have Cinemeccanica exept 4 hall´s in one cinema. Is Christie any better than Cinemeccanica, i love Cinemeccanica and sometimes i would like to go to Milano Italy and visit the company.  |  IP: Logged Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-16-2006 05:10 PM                    I like Christies. I think their easy to work on. I don't think you'll get many people here agreeing that they are great projectors, but personally, I like them.  |  IP: Logged Ken McFall Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 615 From: Haringey, London. Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-16-2006 05:29 PM                     'Best' projector really depends on where you are coming from. Are you looking at cost per hour to run. Are you looking at ease of maintenance. Or are you looking at the end result, picture on screen. etc etc. There are many angles that you can approach such a question. I would agree with you that currently the vic 5 is possibly the best all round soultion. It has very simple user maintenance and servicing. You can easily change every part of the projector with very little expertise. The Cinemeccanica approach is very belt and braces with little or no advanced electronics in the projector control system. Compare it with Kinoton systems, which are very advanced electronically on the newer system. The consumable parts are generally very expensive and do not have the same operating life as Cinemeccanica parts which are all metal. Then you have the Century projectors, which are hibreds of earlier projectors, nothing really new in the projector world. I would be more inclined to Cinemeccanica in all their guises. Basic electro mechanical in design and robust. Possibly not the 'very best' in all aspects of performance but very forgiving and robust. But hey, others will argue equally in favour of their particular projector..... and who's really to say at the end of the day who is right.... or wrong!  |  IP: Logged Paer Hoegberg Film Handler Posts: 81 From: Borlänge, Sweden Registered: Apr 2005 posted 08-16-2006 05:30 PM                     My first choice: Kinoton.  |  IP: Logged Ken McFall Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 615 From: Haringey, London. Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-16-2006 05:41 PM                     Ok I'll vote... 1st Cinemeccanica Vic 4, 5, 8 & 9 Joint 2nd BTH with rotary stabalised sound head Joint 2nd Kalee 18, 19 & 20 with projectomatic model 'O' and Drum versions Joint 2nd FP20 but NOT the electronic dependant releatives. 3rd Westar (Century) The Westar/Century loses out for the fact you could not easily change the intermittent sporket on earlier versions and they tended to be vey noisy in my experience.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 08-16-2006 10:17 PM                     Oh, the Kinoton FP30D or PK60D (column versus just a head) are simply the cheapest and best machines to own and maintain. They have the best presentation too. The main wearable in them are the skates/runner strips...whcih means that every year or two you essentially get a new gate for well under $100. Without a doubt, you will spend more on keeping an Cinemeccanica going. One Cinemeccanica shutter box failure and you could have bought decades worth of Kinoton wearables. BTW...Kinoton does make metal runner strips and they also have a hard skate...but I prefer the delrin. I have PK60Ds in service that have spent virtually nothing on them in 10,000 hours except one new skate (Film Guard makes them last very long).  |  IP: Logged Nick Scott Expert Film Handler Posts: 133 From: nsw austrailia Registered: Nov 2004 posted 08-16-2006 10:30 PM                        Im with Steve here FP 30D or FP 50D are my favorites. I havent used a PK 60D. The FPs are so easy to run and maintain,and its a pleasure working on them.  |  IP: Logged Ken McFall Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 615 From: Haringey, London. Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-17-2006 02:36 AM                     I've had some bad experiences with FP20's and did find them expensive to run. Vic's on the other hand have, without exception, been reliable and cheap to run. The shutter gearbox problem with the vic 5 has pretty much been sorted in recent years especially if you have slow start motors that don't start at gut wrenching speeds. It's all down to how people use, or abuse, a projector. I found Cinemeccanica to be more forgiving than Kinoton. None the less both are excellent projectors depending on your individual needs and preferences.  |  IP: Logged Marin Zorica Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 671 From: Biograd na Moru, Croatia Registered: May 2003 posted 08-17-2006 08:50 AM                     I also love Kinoton machines, but indeed their electronic is expensive and more complex than other machines! But if You're Vic 5 running good and if they are in good conmdition (or need repair to be) why you would change it? Cinemeccanica's are very good machines, I love them also expecialy Vic 8r I worked lot, because is so quiet..... I don't like Christies due some expensive parts and often You must wait a long for them, I dont say this for US or other country, but in Country where You haven't Christie distributor You may wait a while to get part....  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-17-2006 09:22 AM                        I have operated the following machines: Simplex (Super, X-L, PR-1014, PR-2000) Century (C, SA/MSA, JJ) Cinemeccanica (V5) Kinoton (FP-30D, PK-60D) ...maybe some others that I can't think of right now... If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said that Centurys were my favorite. After spending some time with a pair of PK-60s, though, I would say that the current generation of Kinotons would get my vote now. The picture is just so much better than any other projector and everything that I didn't like about the older FP30s seems to have been fixed now (stuff like switching the lamp with the motor, "sticky" picture changeovers, etc.). I never liked the V5, personally. I'm not a fan of the belt-drive concept and the whole thing just felt flimsy. I didn't like the picture, either. I still like the simplicity of the Century design, but if I owned a theatre and were buying new equipment, I can't imagine going with anything other than Kinoton heads.  |  IP: Logged Marin Zorica Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 671 From: Biograd na Moru, Croatia Registered: May 2003 posted 08-17-2006 10:19 AM                     Anybody use Meopta MEO5? That gonna give You a big problems!  |  IP: Logged Christian Appelt Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 505 From: Frankfurt, Germany Registered: Dec 2001 posted 08-17-2006 11:08 AM                     I consider Meopta 5 the worst projector (excluding some primitively designed 35mm portable machines). IIRC, it is impossible to change lenses and formats without having to readjust focus. Even slightly warped or shrunken prints were big trouble to keep in focus, image steadiness was below average. This summer I have seen two open air screenings using Meopta 5, both with terrible registration and endless focus problems. IMHO the only reason to get a Meopta is that you have no money even for a decent 30 year old projector. That said, I would like to praise Meopta for the photo lab equipment they made over the years, very sturdy, well designed and reliable stuff that I still use now and then for medium format enlarging.  |  IP: Logged Gunnar Asgeirsson Film Handler Posts: 64 From: Iceland Registered: Jul 2006 posted 08-17-2006 11:16 AM                        "Marin Zorica wrote But if You're Vic 5 running good and if they are in good conmdition (or need repair to be) why you would change it?" I dont want to change.. I love these macine so much and the are never whit problems. I was just wondering what people think:D I think the best machine ever would be Cinemeccanica Vic5 CC7040H. I would like to change from orginal Vic5 to Vic5 CC7040H:D Then i can control the macine by PC computer and dont need Eprad Ultimation  |  IP: Logged Ian Woloschin Film Handler Posts: 54 From: Worcester, MA, USA Registered: Mar 2006 posted 08-17-2006 08:01 PM                        quote: IMHO the only reason to get a Meopta is that you have no money even for a decent 30 year old projector. [Mad] I happen to use two DP-70s, which as far as I can tell are almost 50 years old. I've never used any other kinds of projectors, but I have to say, for something that's probably more than twice as old as I am, they're pretty amazing machines! Apart from upgrading the sound readers to cyan dye readers last year we barely ever need to do any work on them, though we also barely use them compared to a normal theater. Of course, I'm sure a nice new projector with automation and everything is nicer, but when I'm only running two movies a week, it's kind of fun to do it the old fashioned way. It's kind of neat to know that I'm one of a small number of projectionists who can run a changeover booth. I'm sure some of the guys at my local theater at home have no idea what a cue mark even is...  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-17-2006 11:26 PM                     Of course all you know that the DP-70 is my favorite machine but I also have to nominate the the Super Simplex projector. I still service well over 20 locations running these venerable projectors and they put out dam fine images too. With the addition of a set of Positrol Sprockets a Super in good shape could easily compete with any of the "best of the best" projectors out there. Sadly the lack of G-87's will eventually kill them off. Good old friends... some of them have been running since the late 20's! Mark  |  IP: Logged

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