Anyone still projecting?

OlyMan · Oct 18, 2017

blockend said:
The problem with slides today is they don't easily fit into exhibition streams. They are hard to scan well, group viewing requires setting up time, a darkened room and a portable projector (no one else will have one), and they can be expensive when film, processing and postage are taken into account. They are a niche within an existing film photography niche, with the commitment that entails.

100% definitely true. Even when everyone shot film you really had to go to photography clubs and exhibitions to find anyone else who did 'slide tape' as it was called. I would not have been exposed to it at all had my dad not been heavily into it in the 70s. Like me he only showed slides at home, and he got round the tedious issue of setting up and taking down two projectors and all the AV equipment that went with them by building a permanent install in the lounge. The projectors projected onto a pull-down screen above the fireplace chimney breast. Sadly I don't have the room for that.

RalphLambrecht · Oct 18, 2017

OlyMan said:
I still enjoy doing slide shows the old way using two projectors and a dissolve unit, sync'd to music. The nights are quickly drawing in here in Northern England and my thoughts are turning towards maybe putting on some slideshows again. I have quite a lot of material from my walks through the English Lake District and Yorkshire Moors I took in Spring and Summer that are ripe for compiling into several brief shows, and I'm looking forward to getting my lightbox out again and starting work.

My only concession to modernity is I no longer use tape as a recording medium for my audio and projector control signals, I use a laptop. Sure I could do it all much quicker with a computer and a video projector, but for me, at least half the fun is the effort that goes into it all. Most people can't understand how folks like me still revel in the joys of using such time consuming obsolete methods when there exists digital cameras, iMovie and video projectors, but presumably you guys here 'get it'.

No, I don't get it either. I hated slide shows when I was made to sit through them as a kid and I won't do it to anybody now but, I don't see how modern tools make them any better; faster maybe but, better, I don't think so.

tezzasmall · Oct 18, 2017

Willyekerslike said:
I annoyed my sister and her last husband when I put a show together of their house and garden to the Fawlty Towers theme music, no sense of humor some folks, I thought it was quite good.

I still love a good slide show and we get one at my photo club very occasionally, with most now doing it the digital route.

BUT I would love to see your Fawlty Towers show - I laughed loudly just at the thought of it! As you say, '...no sense of humor some folks...'

Terry S

OlyMan · Oct 18, 2017

RalphLambrecht said:
No, I don't get it either. I hated slide shows when I was made to sit through them as a kid and I won't do it to anybody now but, I don't see how modern tools make them any better; faster maybe but, better, I don't think so.

Sadly most people associate slideshows with cringe-worthy narrations and awkward cheesy photos of family members, which should really only exist as 6"x4" prints hidden in a box somewhere. It's a bit of a stereotype, when your guests after dinner quickly made their excuses to leave as the host got out the slide projector. That couldn't be further removed from what I do, and barely scratches the potential of the medium. But I 100% respect your opinion and viewpoint.

Alan Gales · Oct 18, 2017

RalphLambrecht said:
No, I don't get it either. I hated slide shows when I was made to sit through them as a kid and I won't do it to anybody now but, I don't see how modern tools make them any better; faster maybe but, better, I don't think so.

The ones we were made to see in grade school were the worst!

E. von Hoegh · Oct 18, 2017

Not as much as I used to, my therapist says I'm doing very well.

CMoore · Oct 18, 2017

Just "recently" getting back into photography (when i joined (APUG).......i bought a smallish screen. Have not even used it. The typical Pull and Fold that people would use to show slides of their vacations.
Maybe 3 feet by 4 feet.?
Anyway. I have that, a good quality Kodak Carousel. and several of the round holders...maybe they hold about 70 slides.?
My wife's daughter had a baby, she is now One.....that is to say , the baby is now one year old, the daughter is not a baby.
I have shot a few rolls of Fuji 100 color slides of the kid.....is it Provia.? The one that starts with P and not V.
Not sure how great they are. Most of it has been inside with a flash, We will see.
Now that she is older, i can get her into the daylight a lot more and take some better frames as she goes through the years. I hope to pout on a "Show" when Penelope gets to be about 5-6 years old.
I think modern cameras are AWESOME....they are amazing and powerful tools. They are simply not the kind of cameras that i have chosen to use. But Most People have grown accustom to Digital Images, and i keep getting asked....."When are we going to see those slides.?"
"Can you send us the scans.?" Etc Etc Etc
So if my wife's daughter and her husband are reading this.......It is a long-term project. Just forget that the slides even exist. I will surprise you with them in 5 more years.

AgX · Oct 18, 2017

[QUOTE="CMoore, post: 2003390, member: 76135"I bought a smallish screen. The typical Pull and Fold that people would use to show slides of their vacations.
Maybe 3 feet by 4 feet.?[/QUOTE]

I wonder what "Pull and Fold" means in the context of erecting/collapsing that screen.

RichardJack · Oct 18, 2017

Only with my enlarger, printing B&W or a digital projector. Our camera club displays our images on a 80" flat screen, after seeing that no one wants to use a projector.
For those of you still projecting, even the Zeiss projecting lenses need a bit of help. Slides are never flat. Your only hope for a better image is to make your own lens stop and install it at the rear of the lens. Most lenses are f2.8=3.5, do your math for the focal length and make a stop disc that will give you f5.6-8. You may have to reduce your image size a bit because it will not be as bright, but once your eyes adjust you will really see a big difference.

Alan Edward Klein · Oct 18, 2017

I threw my projector away - it stopped working. Then scanned my slides and made DVD slide shows to be shown on HDTV's with music, titles, credits. Do it as a story, keep it short. Being able to play it immediately without having to set up makes your guests a little more comfortable. But having family who's interested works best. Also tell a story. While I downloaded it to YouTube, I burned DVD's in HD so I can give copies to my family. Good way to back them up too. Think in terms of story telling when you take the pictures. Have a beginning, middle and end. Take people from one stage to the next. If I was to do these two over again, I'd shorten each shot to maybe three seconds and have less shots overall. Also, switch the fades to different types to add more excitement.

This was a scuba vacation to Key Largo on Ektachrome.

This was a Father's Day. It's digitally captured, but you can see the story being told.

Alan Edward Klein · Oct 18, 2017

For those interested, the Scuba shots were taken on Ektachrome, I think it was ASA 200. Used a Nikonos IVa with 35mm lens underwater camera for both the above water and underwater shots. The Coney Island show were digital shots with either a P&S or MFT camera, forget which. You don't need a lot of pixels either 2 MB for HDTV or 8MB for 4k UHDTV for each still. Also you can combine some short video clips, although there are none in my two. That will help jazz up your show to keep viewers interested as well.

AgX · Oct 19, 2017

We should not overlook that at least here in Europe projectors were offered that got an own, swing-out rear-projection screen. These come in handy for a hassle free show to a small group.

BMbikerider · Oct 19, 2017

Actually following reading and contributing to this thread I have decided on where and when my next European trip will be to in 2018. I have also decided that I will be using slide film by way of a change and taking my F6 plus a couple of lenses. The light is so good, especially in Switzerland and northern Italy during June that 100ISO is more than adequate.

Given that I have 8 months before I go I also have plenty of time to save up to pay for the film and processing too!

cooltouch · Oct 19, 2017

AgX said:
We should not overlook that at least here in Europe projectors were offered that got an own, swing-out rear-projection screen. These come in handy for a hassle free show to a small group.

Heck, I usually just point my projector at a white wall. As frequently (which is pretty darn infrequent) as I show slides,, a white wall is plenty good enough.

AgX · Oct 19, 2017

Today white walls are out of fashion over here. And even at the hay days of white walls they were frequently covered by furniture in some way.

Dan0001 · Oct 19, 2017

Have accumulated way too many projectors over the years but the one that was the most fun was the TDC Vivid 3D projector( for Realist slides) which requres 3D glasses and with some people, can induce migraines, dizziness and even seizures. The 50's were great times!

RichardJack · Oct 19, 2017

The 1960's, 70's & 80's were pretty good right up to when digital killed everything. Our photography department put on computer controlled slide shows using several banks of Kodak Ektagraphic projectors, probably at least 100 at a time. They were behind a translucent screen, the slides were put in backwards and we'd put on a beautiful show for an auditorium that seated 500 hundred. Kodak made very durable projectors but we avoided the 140 trays. I wish I took a photo of the setup before they were all thrown into the trash (the way the government works).
At home I had a 4x6' piece of sheetrock that I carefully painted with a bright white satin paint. I'd take that out for my slide shows. I foolishly sold my Honeywell 6x6 projector, I had some beautiful presentations that I took with my Rolleiflex. 6x6 slies or larger are amazing.
A few years back I scanned all (~5k) of my slides with a Nikon 9000 ED scanner and saved them as tiffs. Digital ICE worked great on all but my Kodachromes as did the color restoration and grain reduction features. Scanning and using a flat screen is the way to go these days. Some of the better TV's allow you to calibrate the color using devices like a Spider Pro.
I still own a Kodak 750 projector, I better buy bulbs for it while I can, it would be nice showing kids what they are missing on their phones.
Have a great day everyone!

OlyMan · Oct 20, 2017

Alan Edward Klein said:
I threw my projector away - it stopped working. Then scanned my slides and made DVD slide shows to be shown on HDTV's with music, titles, credits. Do it as a story, keep it short. Being able to play it immediately without having to set up makes your guests a little more comfortable. But having family who's interested works best. Also tell a story. While I downloaded it to YouTube, I burned DVD's in HD so I can give copies to my family. Good way to back them up too. Think in terms of story telling when you take the pictures. Have a beginning, middle and end. Take people from one stage to the next. If I was to do these two over again, I'd shorten each shot to maybe three seconds and have less shots overall. Also, switch the fades to different types to add more excitement.

Very good advice about how to keep them tight and interesting. Doing it all on a computer, when I spend my entire working day staring at computer screens, is the antitheses of what I would enjoy. I can definitely see the attraction though from a convenience and time-saving perspective, but for me that's part of the enjoyment.

Europan · Oct 20, 2017

E. von Hoegh said:
Not as much as I used to, my therapist says I'm doing very well.

Love that one

As a professional projectionist I still do, with a Bell & Howell Filmo 57, a cute machine for silent 16mm film, and some 8mm projectors.
Wish I was asked again to run a cinema, you know something 800-seated or so, with two or three 35mm projectors, a 16mm one, all
equipped with carbon-arc lamps; then a tube amp, hand rewinds, tape recorder, turntable, a theatre gong . . .

FujiLove · Oct 20, 2017

Currently shooting, processing and projecting slide film in both 35mm and medium format. The image quality is incredible, particularly the medium format slides. I have a fairly modern Leitz 35mm projector (not sure of the model as it's currently packed away after a house move) and a Rolleivision 66 for the medium format slides. I picked up both of them from eBay for peanuts. I've been mounting my new slides in second hand Gepe glass mounts, which take a bit of cleaning and prepping, but are worth the effort. Most of the slides being projected are old family 35mm photos - a lot of Kodachrome.

This thread reminds me that I must find a decent screen. I don't think my white painted wall, despite being very smooth, is doing them justice

etn · Oct 20, 2017

I do 99% of my color pics on slide film and project them "all" (i.e. the "good ones"). Mostly 6x6, more rarely 35mm. I have been toying with the idea of trying black & white slides for a while, but haven't done so yet: http://www.adox.de/Photo/adox-scala/
(I'm an ADOX fanboy, apart from being a Hassy fanboy Pity this film doesn't exist in 120 format!)

etn · Oct 20, 2017

FujiLove said:
The image quality is incredible, particularly the medium format slides.

+1 on that. One cannot believe it unless he has seen it. I'd encourage everyone to do so. Truly impressive.

tomfrh · Oct 20, 2017

FujiLove said:
This thread reminds me that I must find a decent screen. I don't think my white painted wall, despite being very smooth, is doing them justice

cooltouch said:
a white wall is plenty good enough

I agree. I have a proper projection screen, but I prefer to point the projector at a white wall. The image is just as good, and I really like having a magic window open up on the wall.

guangong · Oct 20, 2017

I project 35mm. 5x4.5, 6v7, and 6x9 in both color and b/w. I have several projectors: a very small Leitz traveling projector, a 35mm manual Prado, a Pradovit 250, a Prado 500 and a Linhof for 6x7(also made by Leitz). I have lent my little Leitz portable to friends and the usual comment from the borrowers is that their slides never looked so good on any of their own projectors.. A giant projected image concentrates vision. I use all of these for my projects as well as for recreation and family pics.l I was lucky to inherit a giant portable screen from a late Leitz official that hangs from trom the rafters of my 2 car garrage. (I also project Super 8 and 16mm movies, but that is another topic).

etn · Oct 20, 2017

RalphLambrecht said:
No, I don't get it either. I hated slide shows when I was made to sit through them as a kid and I won't do it to anybody now but, I don't see how modern tools make them any better; faster maybe but, better, I don't think so.

I think we all got bored with endless vacation slide shows. The key in my opinion is to offer a sort of "virtual art exhibition" to the audience instead: make a selection of the best 20-30 pictures and leave it at that. 50 at the very maximum. The audience will not get bored, and the presenter will not get a bad reputation of showing thousands of average or uninteresting pictures.

Reminds me of a discussion I had with my Dad once when he came back from vacation:
He: "Do you want to see my vacation pictures?"
me: "Dunno, how many do you have?"
he: "hmmm... around 900..."
me: "No no no, this will never work. You need to make a selection!!!"
So he came back a few days later and said "You were right. Not all my pics were that great. I made a selection."
me: "So, how many do you have now?"
he: "I came down to 750!"

(he now switched to d*g*t*al, but still projects the pictures. He's using a consumer-grade videoprojector. The slide shows are not getting any shorter but there is a visible drop in image quality.)

Anyone still projecting?

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