Slide projector that takes a full roll

Gabriel Aszalos · Apr 11, 2021

Does anyone know if it's possible to find a good slide projector which can take a roll of slides? Instead of mounted slides. I find the "mounting" part a bit ridiculous. I mean if I shoot a roll of positive film week, that's close to 2k frames a year. Let's say that only 20% of those are good at best, that would already be 400 mounted slides a year. Not to speak of all the bits and pieces of chopped up film (other shots) remaining that need to be sleeved and will be hard to remove.

I'm a new age guy, so maybe I'm looking at things wrong, but why can't I find a project that takes a roll? Seems like a no-brainer.

BrianShaw · Apr 11, 2021

I seem to recall from grammar school something like that. I think they were called filmstrip projectors.

MattKing · Apr 11, 2021

BrianShaw said:
I seem to recall from grammar school something like that. I think they were called filmstrip projectors.

The filmstrip projectors were designed to be used with half frame images - horizontal across the width of the film - which is the same way "standard" movie film recorded images.
But otherwise, they would be perfect!

BrianShaw · Apr 11, 2021

you have a better memory than me, Matt.

Perhaps Gabriel also needs a new camera.

AgX · Apr 11, 2021

There were film strip attachments for several projectors. Those were modular projectors were one could exchange film-stages.

Pentacon even had a motor-drive attachment for film-strips (of up to 35exp. full-format and to be controlled by audiotape for automated narrated show).
That system included stackable cassetes for the film rolls, to be attached to the film stage, thus very professinal.

But the idea behind film.-strip projection is to project (commercially) ready-made transparencies for educational use, and that was the way they were used.

So much for Germany. In the USA though there were pure film-strip projectors on offer.

outwest · Apr 11, 2021

Ah, yes, filmstrip projectors! I was the designated "AV/Tech" back in elementary school in the 50s. I would have to go to the A/V room and checkout a 16mm projector or a filmstrip projector or an overhead projector for the class. Then we could watch Nanook of the North build an igloo.

voceumana · Apr 11, 2021

Mounted slides permit selecting which slides and the sequence in which they are projected, so they were the standard for slide projectors. Film processors usually delivered slide film already mounted--they used automatic machines to do the cutting and mounting. Returning slide film uncut, unmounted, and sleeved was a special process, but processors provided that service when requested.

But for reviewing a roll of film, the approach you are discussing makes complete sense. And several manufacturers offered interchangeable stages to accept film strips, though I don't know if the provided full frame versions or just half-frame.

AgX · Apr 11, 2021

voceumana said:
Mounted slides permit selecting which slides and the sequence in which they are projected, so they were the standard for slide projectors.

Yes. Exposing film in camera in sequence ready to project for a show is rare. Those commercial film strips were of print film exposed in the lab in such sequence. With large copies likely even contact copied in cine style.

Cholentpot · Apr 11, 2021

I've never heard or seen one of these film strip slides. It would be perfect for my use though. I have a few half frame cameras and I would love to roll some strips through one of these machine. Anyone want to clue me in where to start?

Dan Fromm · Apr 11, 2021

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...70.l1311&_nkw=film+strip+projector&_sacat=625

AgX · Apr 11, 2021

MattKing said:
The filmstrip projectors were designed to be used with half frame images - horizontal across the width of the film - which is the same way "standard" movie film recorded images.

All film strip attachments I know of took could project full frame.

MattKing · Apr 11, 2021

AgX said:
All film strip attachments I know of took could project full frame.

All the ones I ever saw rolled the spool of film from the top, through the gate, and into a take-up area below.
The long dimension of the image was across the width of the film, not parallel to the edge of the film.
Like this:

Rather than like this (without the size distortion):

AgX · Apr 12, 2021

You are referring to those american dedicated film-strip projectors.

I do not know of such from Germany (or Europe), aside of toys. Here we got attachments and these, to coinside with the slide stages, have the film strip run horizontally.

reddesert · Apr 12, 2021

BITD people sent off their slides for processing and they came back machine mounted, as others have said.

If you want to evaluate your unmounted slide film to find the keepers (good shots) and mount them or scan them, a time honored method is a lightbox with a loupe or magnifier. If you mounted 400 keepers a year it's only about the size of a large binder to store them.

If you don't mount the keepers, but want to slide project only the keepers, flipping through the unmounted roll of slide film with a hypothetical full-roll projector would be kind of annoying, because a roll is a sequential not a random access medium, so you'd have to get through all the duds each time.

Cholentpot · Apr 12, 2021

Dan Fromm said:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...70.l1311&_nkw=film+strip+projector&_sacat=625

Wow.

I remember these now, we used to watch slides in school on these machines. Had a cassette player on the back with a tone. This took me back.

Any idea which model I should look for?

runswithsizzers · Apr 12, 2021

The filmstrip idea sound like a good way for a photographer to preview a roll of slide film.

But if you are projecting slides for an audience, I would think the advantages of using mounted slides would easily justify the effort it takes to mount them.
- a filmstrip projector cannot show both portrait and landscape aspects in their intended orientation
- a filmstrip projector does not allow editing to remove the duplicate, flawed, and boring frames
- mounted slides can be edited for sequence, which I think is an important element of an effective slide show

Given that slideshows already have a reputation for often being too long and too boring, we owe it to our audiences to edit the slides for brevity and maximum impact.

Dan Fromm · Apr 12, 2021

No idea. I've been out of school for a few years. Not only that, I've never operated a film strip projector.

Cholentpot · Apr 12, 2021

runswithsizzers said:
The filmstrip idea sound like a good way for a photographer to preview a roll of slide film.

But if you are projecting slides for an audience, I would think the advantages of using mounted slides would easily justify the effort it takes to mount them.
- a filmstrip projector cannot show both portrait and landscape aspects in their intended orientation
- a filmstrip projector does not allow editing to remove the duplicate, flawed, and boring frames
- mounted slides can be edited for sequence, which I think is an important element of an effective slide show

Given that slideshows already have a reputation for often being too long and too boring, we owe it to our audiences to edit the slides for brevity and maximum impact.

Ya see, I'm coming at this from a different angle. If I use one of these for people who've never heard of or seen one of these things the novelty alone is worth the experience. Plus when you're a Dad it's your duty to force the wee ones to this torture. I would gleefully put the kids on the sofa and force them to watch a strip of 72 frames of rocks and plants. Bonus if it came with a cassette player.

Whhiiiiirl *click* and here we have some flowers I saw on the side of the highway

*click* some rocks and look at the exposure eh? Nailed it. No meter.

*click* I missed focus on this one but it's a good study in motion

etc and etc.

runswithsizzers · Apr 12, 2021

Cholentpot said:
Ya see, I'm coming at this from a different angle. If I use one of these for people who've never heard of or seen one of these things the novelty alone is worth the experience. Plus when you're a Dad it's your duty to force the wee ones to this torture. I would gleefully put the kids on the sofa and force them to watch a strip of 72 frames of rocks and plants. Bonus if it came with a cassette player.

Whhiiiiirl *click* and here we have some flowers I saw on the side of the highway

*click* some rocks and look at the exposure eh? Nailed it. No meter.

*click* I missed focus on this one but it's a good study in motion

etc and etc.

Suggest this thread be moved to The Lounge and retitled, "Photography and Sadism"

Cholentpot · Apr 12, 2021

runswithsizzers said:
Suggest this thread be moved to The Lounge and retitled, "Photography and Sadism"

It's my duty as a father to go into the big box music store with the family and sit down on the largest drum set and play my heart out. It's also my sacred rite to follow my kids around - in front of their friends - with the largest camera I can carry, this is why I have a collection of flashbulbs.

I'd have slide night once a month but being a cheap Pops is also part of the contract.

railwayman3 · Apr 12, 2021

IIRC, at least some of the old "Aldis" manual projectors had interchangeable carriers for filmstrips or mounted slides, and the old "educational" and "story" duplicated filmstrips sometimes appear on E-bay.
The problem with filmstrips was scratches and damage from handling, no doubt many users were not photographers and it probably didn't matter too much for educational purposes. But I wouldn't want to submit one of my "precious" original unmounted rolls of transparencies to a filmstrip projector.

Gabriel Aszalos · Apr 13, 2021

Thank you all for your responses. I am convinced now that mounting them is the better choice

AgX · May 3, 2021

Kodak offered for the Carousel-S projector a tube with film-strip gate with sprocket and integrated condensor and lens (likely a plain triplet), that is inserted in the projector instead of the regular lens (thus moving the film stage outside the projector casing). It should fit other projectors too that accept Kodak lenses.
It got vertical mode!
Likely the attachmemt can be inserted twisted by 90° (problem may be the grip of the Carousel-S), thus allowing not only for vertical but horizontal mode too.

(Film-strip adapters to substitute slide stages only allow horizontal mode.)

nokia2010 · May 30, 2021

Film strips = small roll of films?

AgX · May 30, 2021

In this context we refer to both. But yes, basically the idea of the filmstrip attachments and also the pure filmstrip projectors, was to project commercial transparencies printed on and marketed as roll of positve film.

Slide projector that takes a full roll

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