Beseler Slide King Projector

AnselAdamsX · Mar 19, 2012

Anybody familiar with the Beseler Slide King Projector?
I'd like to know if it has good image quality.
I'd like to project 6x7 and 6x9 color slides.
I also noticed there are more than one lenses available. What length is most appropriate? I've seen 12" and 14" lenses.

Thanks
Chris

David A. Goldfarb · Mar 19, 2012

I have one and have posted about it. Try searching on "Beseler Slide King" for some previous threads.

The quality is good, but it's designed for use in a large auditorium, and it can be hard to find lenses short enough to project a normal sized image in a smaller room. I think the shortest I've seen is 6.5". It wouldn't be hard to adapt other lenses.

Also, you may not find carriers that correspond to available contemporary mounts, so you will likely be cutting your own slide mounts or adapting a carrier to work with mounts you can get.

Also, advancing the frames is a strictly manual operation where you insert the slide in the carrier, shove it into place, take out the previous slide and insert a new one, slide the carrier over, change slides again, etc.

That said, once you sort out all the details, projected medium format slides from modern color films are stunning.

Ian C · Mar 19, 2012

The comments in post #2 agree with my experience.

The supplied lens is reasonable for the intended purpose. The main difference seen due to different focal length is different magnification for a given projection distance (lens to screen).

The focal length is chosen to accommodate the projection distance and magnification wanted.

At a projection distance of 6 meters (about 20 feet) the 12 lens gives 18.7X. With the 14 lens youd get the same image size at just under 7 meters.

My Beseler MF slide projector uses a cast and machined aluminum lens mount. The barrel of the lens is gripped in the aluminum mount with a setscrew making it easy to change lenses. Mine is 10 focal length.

MattKing · Mar 19, 2012

David A. Goldfarb said:
The quality is good, but it's designed for use in a large auditorium, and it can be hard to find lenses short enough to project a normal sized image in a smaller room. I think the shortest I've seen is 6.5". It wouldn't be hard to adapt other lenses.

David:

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the problem one of finding lenses that are long enough to project a normal sized image in a smaller room?

Doesn't the projected image get smaller as the focal length increases?

johnielvis · Mar 19, 2012

MattKing said:
Doesn't the projected image get smaller as the focal length increases?

you've answered you're own question---need a shorter length for shorter rooms....long length in short room is smaller magnification

David A. Goldfarb · Mar 19, 2012

Yeah, shorter (wider) lens projects a bigger image than a longer lens at the same screen distance. A 12" lens projects a fairly small image from a medium format slide at a distance of around 10 feet.

MattKing · Mar 19, 2012

Oops - I was thinking in terms of having projected images that were too large, not too small.

David A. Goldfarb · Mar 19, 2012

It seems these were used in situations where you had a big screen, but also plenty of distance from the projector to the screen, so the most common lenses are around 10-14" for those settings, and they are just too long for a small room.

AnselAdamsX · Mar 20, 2012

While I was looking at the Beseler I ran across a Navy 3 1/4" x 4" projector with a 6.5" lens. It had some holders too. I bought it on the spot since I want to project large in a small room. I'd like to see a 6' image in medium format.

68degrees · Jan 10, 2013

Ansel how did the navy projector lens work in your Slide King. I have a Slide King and am looking for a short lens. What can be adapted? Im looking for 7' x 7' with the slide 10 feet from the screen. Please advise. Also, cant get the set screw out.

psartman · Aug 23, 2016

I recently acquired a mint Beseler Slide King II 1000 watt projector, looks to have been made in the 1960s, surely the last of its breed. It didn't have a holder (I've got a collection of 1400 magic lantern slides), but I got one on eBay and just found two more at our University's ReUse center (where I first got the projector), along with 6.5, 15, 18 and 24 inch Beseler EF Series III lenses. The holders were on GIANT Christie Xenolite projects with huge 20 inch lenses, looks like you could start a brush fire from a mile away with those things. From a bit of playing around, I agree with the above observations on lens throw and focal lengths. I have a modern 230mm (9 inch) triplet Artograph projection lens that throws a sharp moderately large image, but it doesn't fit in the tapered metal lens mount. Anyone know of a source for one of these mounts (an older projector for parts), so I can machine it out to take this lens?

fradiavolo · Apr 20, 2017

Following up with a basic question about the Beseler 3610 slide projector: I am thinking of purchasing one, but am wondering if it's possible to find replacement bulbs for such old devices: otherwise, the machine will become obsolete the moment it blows....Does anyone know what model bulb these projectors use? Or a good online resource for locating replacements? Many thanks to all.

AgX · Apr 21, 2017

Welcome to Apug!
Here in Germany I find it easier and more economical to buy locally a complete projector just for the lamp.

David A. Goldfarb · Apr 21, 2017

It's been a few years since I've had to buy a bulb, since I haven't been using mine so much, but as I recall, it wasn't such an unusual bulb, and it could be obtained from one of those online suppliers with hundreds of types of bulbs, or occasionally you'll find a cache of them on eBay. I'm guessing that it has uses in other kinds of projectors.

fradiavolo · Apr 27, 2017

Many thanks for the thoughtful replies, and the warm welcome. Between what I have read here, and responses I received to inquiries made elsewhere, I've gotten the sense that putting down some money for a projector may not be riskiest investment. There will be bulbs....
I am very much looking forward to receiving the Beseler I purchased on ebay and getting some kind of show on the road with the images I've collected.
Again thanks to all, and I will make sure to share in this forum things I found out about the Beseler projector as I begin to use it.

Beseler Slide King Projector

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