Medium Format Slide Projectors (New/Used)

New Used Superslides (4x4)
Military Surplus (to 3 1/4'' x 4''!)
Features/Comparison (early 1961-2)
1962 U.S. 6x6 Slide Projectors
Larger than 6x6 Transparency Projectors
Wall Street Camera Ad for BL755
Slide Projector Related Postings
Bulbs Sources
Slide Projectors (Phil Greenspun)
Brumberger Riviera Manual
Special Thanks to "R. Peters"

Related Links:
Slide Labels for Laserprinters (35mm)
Rollei P66 Autofocus Fix (Charles Clemens)
Postings on MF Slide Projectors

Current/Recent Medium Format Slide Projectors

Here is a modest listing of recent 6x6 and 6x7 slide projectors. Unfortunately, a number of these medium format slide projectors have been discontinued recently but you can probably still find them in stock at some dealers (see notes below). Web searches will also turn up sources online. See Willem-Jan Markerink's short listing for brief information about these models (tray/single, Triac control, etc.).

See W.J. Markerink's 6x6/6x7 MF Slide Projector Listing
Leitz EPI Diaskop IV Projector Brochure (WJM)
Leitz Epi Diaskop II projector brochure (WJM)

See B and H Photo Video Use search box to find Medium Format Slide Projector Pages (specs, prices)


Rollei P11 photo courtesy of R. Judd rjudd@best.com!

rec.photo.marketplace
From: zhou ling lingzhou@cehpx28.ews.uiuc.edu
[1] Re: 6x6 medium format slide projector wanted
Date: Tue Apr 28 00:53:49 CDT 1998

          I would recommend you to look into the
          ProCabin medium format slide projector
          which sells under $200 made by MAMIYA.
          Check out the messages posted at the
          Mamiya Website.  Excellent value.

[Ed. note: I think the price for the Mamiya is more like $1,000US for the 6x7 version, but it does let you show unmounted slides too - handy...]

Current Production Model Links

Hasselblad's PCP 80 6x6/6x4.5 projector

Kiev Site - contact Kalimar about the Kiev Automat - the least expensive new medium format 6x6 projector in current production

Meopta (Arista) Czech 6x6

Mamiya Medium Format Projectors

Rollei's Rolleivision 66 dual P 6x6/6x4.5/4x4/35mm projector

Rolleivision 66 and 66AV

Military Surplus Projectors

See Buhl Optical Co. Type #AP-4 (6x6 6x7 6x9..)

C&H; Surplus also reportedly stocks the Kindermann projectors in surplus

C and H Sales Company
2176 East Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91107-9988
213-681-4295
818-796-4875 (fax)

rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
From: kellvin@pacbell.net
[1] Help!! Projector woes.
Date: Tue May 05 16:26:14 CDT 1998

anyone,

i need to do some front-projection photography which requires a medium format projector. to my dismay i have learned that these are VERY expensive devices indeed. anyone know anywhere i can buy a cheap one? i've been considering building one. any books available on the subject? someone posted a listing for some old military projectors for sale from C and H in california, but they're all gone. any good ideas are appreciated.

kellvin

Low Budget Medium Format Slide Projectors

A large number of inexpensive dual use 6x6/35mm slide projectors were produced in the 1960s. Many photographers wanted to mix and show both their 6x6 chromes from their Rolleicord TLRs, Bessa folders, or Bronicas along with their new 35mm SLR mounts. Manufacturers responsed with a variety of dual use 6x6/35mm slide projectors in 1960s price ranges from $40 to $100+. These dual use projectors were marketed under a variety of brand names (e.g., Sears). Lots of owners don't even realize these older slide projectors have a dual use capability.

Naturally, you should probably not expect as much from a Sears or Tower brand 6x6/35mm slide projector as the current Rollei 66. But you should be able to pick up a medium format slide projector for $100-150, using the following listing as your guide. Most sellers don't know about these dual use possibilities, so prices at yard sales, pawn shops, and even off the WWW are quite cheap.

If possible, try to get whatever hand controls, manuals, spare bulbs, carrying cases, and especially trays that you can. Offer to buy slide holder cubes or storage boxes to rebox their collection if it will help convince them to sell to you. Otherwise, you may have a hard time finding the dual-use capable slide trays many older projectors take in the quantity that you will want and a price you can afford!

Some slide projectors worked best with paper or plastic mounts, while others did better with the thicker glass mounts. Please note that some medium format slide projector trays used adapters to mount 35mm slides into a larger holder so you could mix these with the 6x6 slides. So unless you get a supply of these adapters, you may not be able to use them well in their dual use role with both 35mm and 6x6 slides. But since you can buy inexpensive 35mm slide projectors for $15 and $25 and up, this won't be a major loss. The lack of an inexpensive current production model 6x6 projector other than the Kiev version is simply a matter of marketing and changing markets.

Budget Priced Medium Format Slide Projectors

Brumberger T10 slide projector
Photo Courtesy of Jay Kiessling

Medium Format Slide Projectors Features/Comparison (early 1961-2)

Comments: Multiply mid 1960s price by 5.16 to get price in today's inflation adjusted mid 1997 dollarettes. For example, the Viewlex V-53 that cost $67.95 would represent $350 in current 1997 dollars (based on CPI).

Note: Shorter lens produces a larger image at the same distance, larger f/stop lens opening is obviously brighter, as are higher wattage bulbs.

Be careful about names and numbers, as many 35mm only units were also produced and differ only by one number (e.g., Bausch and Lomb BL655 might sound like a 6x6, but it is 35mm only, while BL755 is the 6x6 version).


Golde Reflex Projector with Golde 6 l/2 inch f4 Anastigmat Coated Lens
Photo courtesy of Ross Nitkin - billn4@aol.com

1958 U.S. 6x6 Slide Projectors

Source: 2 1/4 Slide Projectors, by Norman Rothschild, Modern Photography, December 1958, p.96 [added 2/2001]

1962 U.S. 6x6 Slide Projectors

Brumberger T10 slide projector
From a 1/28/98 EBAY Listing:

American Optical Model GK Slide Projector
Photo Courtesy Ed J. Roth (homepage)

Larger than 6x6 Transparency Projectors

American Optical Model GK
Photo Courtesy Ed J. Roth

American Optical Model GK Slide Projector
From a 1/24/98 Ebay Listing

Wall Street Camera Ad for BL755 from Feb. 1965 Pop. Photography

John Craig's Listing of 9,000 Manuals is probably your best source for manuals if you need one and can't locate it for your slide projector. Unfortunately, he has relatively few slide projector manuals, but may be able to recommend other sources.

Camera Traders Online has some Prado 66 and other Leica manual copies.

Camera Traders Online also has Ansco and other manuals...

Superslides

Double the impact of 35mm but just as easy to project

For more information about superslides, see Superslide 4x4 (127) Film Resources

Superslides are in-between 6x6 slides and 35mm slides, being 4x4 cm in size but fitting in a superslide mount that will work with most 35mm projectors. You get about double the viewable film area (185%) of a regular 35mm slide. But mounted superslides are 2'' x 2'' in size, just like the 35mm slides, so they fit in most 35mm projectors. I say most because some glass mount superslide versions may be too thick for some 35mm slide projectors in a few cases.

The usual superslide image is 4cm x 4cm square, but most slide mounts permit cropping the image as desired (just as with regular 35mm slides). Regular 6x6 slides have just over double the area of superslides, but more than four times the area of 35mm slides. So superslides are a compromise, but a very promising one for the photographer who wants to get the most out of available 35mm slide projecting equipment.

How do you get superslide sized slides? You can shoot them that way directly, e.g., with a Hasselblad 16S/A16S superslide back or a native 4x4 camera such as the Rollei Grey Baby cameras (using 127 film). The latter site provides sources for slide mounts and related resources for superslides (e.g., 127 film sources).

You can cut superslides down from any larger size slide, including 6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7, 6x9, and so on. Or you can use any medium format slide duplicator on these formats to crop and duplicate a slide for superslide use. You can even blow up a 35mm slide to superslide size, including cropping into the square format with many slide duplicator setups. Granted, an original medium format negative will have higher image quality than the blown-up from 35mm superslides.

You can also cheat, and shoot two or more images at the same time (e.g., on different backs and even with different film, as with multiple Bronica 6x6 cameras film backs). This approach has the advantage of giving you an original 6x6 or larger slide for future use, with a second original to use for superslide use. Recall that the superslide can only be made from a 4cm x 4cm sized film area, so anything larger must obviously be cropped to this size for superslide mounting.

You may want to slip a clear plastic mask under your Bronica prism viewfinder, for example, or other medium format camera finder (e.g., Kowa 6 screen, Hasselblad waist level finder, Bronica Magnifying hood etc.). Mark and center the actual dimensions as they will be mounted of your superslide onto this clear plastic mask with a pen marker (or sharp object for a scratched in line). Now you can see your regular viewfinder, along with a marked square the correct size for your superslide cut-outs. You can now compose your image for the superslide format in mind. In effect, you are converting your regular medium format back or equipment into a superslide sized back or camera during composition.

Once you have your unmounted transparencies developed, you can use any of a variety of cutters to cut out the desired 4cm x 4cm superslide image area. You can mask off some of the area if needed on some slide mounting types with opaque masks or tape. Finally, you can mount your own superslides using a variety of slide mounts available (see listings for 4x4 mounts and cutters).

In summary, superslides represent a very inexpensive way to bridge the gap between 35mm quality slides and those of medium format. Superslides offer double the film area and quality of 35mm, but in a form factor that can be used in current 35mm slide projectors. This fact can be very useful, given the extremely high cost of audio-visual slide show productions using medium format projectors (see note below).

See Related Postings on slide projectors etc.
[n.b. splitting file to speed up downloading times...]

Postings Related to Slide Projectors...

Date: Wed, 04 Feb 1998
From: "R. Bender" rjbender@apci.net
Subject: [Rollei] Rollei] Super slides

I use a Mamiya superslide cutter that I got from KEH for $40 a few years ago:

Mamiya Superslide Cutter Manual
(courtesy Bell and Howell/ Mamiya)


I saw in their recent catalog under Mamiya 645 stuff, section MS39, that they are now going for $29 new:
http://www.keh.com/catalog/text/ms.html

Does anyone know if 35mm film scanners do a decent job with superslides? I'm thinking about getting an HP PhotoSmart scanner with the HP Photosmart photo printer.

R. Bender
(A Mamiya, Nikon and Rollei user. Formerly known as Mamiya645@aol.com.)

From: RANDCARL@aol.com
Date: Sat, 8 Jun 1996
Subject: 127 slide mounts [Ed. Superslides]

With all the talk lately on Baby Rollei's, I'm still trying to find some 127 slide mounts. Anyone have any ideas for a U.S. source?

Porter's Camera Store, Box 628 Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613 Cat # 55-0275 $14.95 per box of 100...same are reusable

These can also be used to salvage a 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 that was shot too loose..just cut same down with scissors and slide it into above. It can then be projected with a regular 35mm projector...quite spectacular as it has about 35% greater image area than a regular 35mm slide.

Date: Thu, 06 Jun 1996
From: Marc James Small
Subject: Kiev 66 projector

I have a Kiev 66 and have used it for several years. Like so many SPS (Soviet/Post-Soviet) items, it is mechanically crude but optically superlative.

Mine dates from the early 1980's and is dual format. The slide trays are DIN. The plug is NOT a standard one, though. Single-voltage -- 220v only -- and it took me a while to find a HIGH power transformer (the transformer was made in China: thus my MF slide projection is done with American or German film in Dutch slide mounts, German trays, on a Ukrainian projector powered by a Chinese transformer -- wow! Almost as bad as my Swedish/German/Ukrainian/Japanese Hasselblad. Talk about world cars!)

A friend who just came back from Kazakhstan said you could pick these up new-in-box for $US 15 there.

There are other dual-format projectors (Leica used to make them, and I believe Rollei, Kindermann, and Zett -- old Zeiss-Ikon -- still do) but these are quite expensive.

Marc

See Related Postings on slide projectors etc.