|
Gave this as a gift to my grandfather after his broke. He is extremely happy and it works great.
First, it came with a very sturdy plastic case. These slide projectors are extremely complicated electro-mechanical devices. Also, the ATS models include a viewer and a reading lamp. Ironically I was able to replace it with the same part from my old Carousel projector.
Though the seller and others have stated that the projector uses metal gears, this is simply NOT the case. Today I opened the case of the Ektagraphic III ATS machine I just purchased and counted 9 plastic gears, and there are likely more. If you do not consider yourself to be very highly competent in repair of such devices, you should not even attempt a repair because you will probably not be able to put it back together correctly, and in working condition. Furthermore, failure to advance the tray is NOT caused by a gear, plastic or otherwise.
I do not have the answer to that, but we can hope. I can tell you that it is a nightmare to attempt to repair anything other than very minor problems on these machines. I successfully repaired my Carousel machine 15 years ago, and was unable to fix it this time though the problem was the same (failure to advance the tray). Failure to advance the tray is probably the most common problem with these machines. The truth is that both the Kodak Carousel and Ektagraphic machines are full of plastic gears.
It is however caused by failure of a plastic part in the Carousel models. Will the Ektagraphic models hold up better. In any case I am very happy with my Ektagraphic projector so far, though a plastic cover on the fan bushing fell off and was rattling around in the squirrel cage fan. It had to be replaced as there is a large resistor across the fan duct and it had melted a large hole into the plastic part. Do not buy a machine that does not advance. Do these people believe there is a need to deceive the public in order to sell these machines, or are they just ignorant of the facts. This plastic cover probably has no function other than to contain lubricant.
I have seen machines for sale on E-bay where the seller explains how fine the machine is except for one "small" problem which is that is doesn't advance. It is probably not worth a dime. There are other features I really like about the Ektagraphic projector I purchased. I have found the viewer to be very nice to have.
Everything worked to my standards for a classroom setting and has come in handy already. I ordered this product from slidecentral last week and it came very soon after. The seller also sent a conformation immediately to my email and also let me know when it shipped. It was impeccably packed and neat. Very easy to unwrap and set up. THanks so much for everything. I recommend this seller to everyone.
The AMT cost quite a bit more new but can be had used for about the same price now. You must look in the "Comments:" section to see what is actually included. There are three additional buying tips below but for now lets move on to model selection.To determine which projector to buy it helps to be familiar with the three major features so let's quickly review them. All have three plastic gears that get brittle and fail with age (whether they are used or not). What is included depends on the seller, so to see exactly what comes with each projector you will need to check the seller's comments (see the buying tips below if you need help locating these comments).Ektagraphic III A and the Carousel 4600 Features: Has Auto-focus (no Remote-focus or Timer).
The Ektagraphic units have other advantages over the Carousel series (better slide registration, the Auto-focus can be turned off when not needed, etc) but the major difference is the durability. If you are buying a slide projector this is the one I would recommend.The most important tip I can offer when buying a Kodak projector: Buy an Ektagraphic III series machine and avoid the Carousel series machines. The Ektagraphic series machines (ATS, AMT, A, E Plus, E) do not have this problem since Kodak used metal for these three gears in the professional models. Some projectors come with Extra Bright Light Module, most but not all come with a lens, some come with trays/a carry case/etc, but some come with no accessories at all. It has the features most will use (auto-focus, remote-focus, variable timer, etc), projects an excellent picture, and like all the Ektagraphic III machines it is very durable.
To get to these comments you must click into the new or used listings (from the overall listing page for each projector model). Direct Link: Kodak Carousel 4600 ProjectorDirect Link: Kodak Ektagraphic III A model ProjectorNote: The Ektagraphic III A is offered as an upgrade in some of the Carousel 4600 Listings for less. You need to know that most slide projectors sold on Amazon DO come complete with lens/tray/remote/etc. The controls work the same and are in the same places (so if you've used a Carousel model using an Ektagraphic III machine is the same).
Auto-focus is where you focus the first slide and the machine will focus the rest. Often you will need to click the "more" link to see all of the seller comments. First a little about the projector in this listing: The AMT model with the optional "Extra Bright" light module was Kodak's best selling professional projector for many reasons. Again, you will need to read the seller comments for each item to locate these upgrades.Ektagraphic III E Plus and the Carousel 4400 Features: Has Remote-focus (no Auto-focus or Timer).Direct Link: Kodak(R) Ektagraphic III E Plus Slide ProjectorDirect Link: Kodak BC4401 Carousel 4400 ProjectorNote: The Ektagraphic III E Plus is offered as an upgrade in some of the Carousel 4400 Listings for less. Again, you will need to read the seller comments for each item to locate these upgrades.Ektagraphic III E and the Carousel 4200 Features: No Auto-focus, Remote-focus, or Timer.Kodak BC4201 Carousel 4200 ProjectorNote: Again, check the Seller Comments in the Carousel 4200 Listings for E model upgrades (currently there are no Ektagraphic III E model listings on Amazon).Three final buying tips:This is important: The specific product description for each slide projector being sold IS NOT ON THE OVERALL LISTING PAGE FOR EACH MODEL (since the accessories for each machine vary you can't just look at the overall listing description). Only then will you see the "Ratings:" above the "Shipping:" above the "Comments:" for each individual listing price. And the Timer feature is a slider control that will automatically advance the tray to the next slide at a set interval (adjustable from about 3 to 30 seconds per slide). Any of these machines can use the optional Kodak or Navitar "Bright Light" modules but most were not sold with them.
The Carousel projectors (5600, 4600, 4400, 4200, etc) are more familiar to most users but were built for home use. Buying a projector with the Extra Bright Light Module is recommended as they do increase the brightness of the projected image by about thirty percent, there is no disadvantage to using a brighter light module, and the same model with one can frequently be had for the same price. Remote-focus allows you to manually focus each slide with the wired remote control. Here are the features on each model along with my notes:Kodak Ektagraphic III ATS and the Carousel 5600: Has all features plus a view-screen.Direct Link: Kodak Ektagraphic III ATS ProjectorDirect Link: Kodak Carousel 5600 ProjectorNotes: Both of these have the same feature set on the AMT model with one additional feature, which is a small built-in view screen that allows preview of slides without a lens or screen.Ektagraphic III AMT Features: Has all three features (Auto-focus, Remote-focus, and Timer) and as I mentioned above is the one I would recommend to most buyers.Direct Link: Kodak Ektagraphic III AMT 35mm Slide Projector Without Lens.Notes: The AMT is listed here on Amazon WITHOUT LENS since this is how Kodak originally sold the advanced Ektagraphic III models. This information can only be found in the "Comments:" section found at each individual price point (and there are usually several different prices for each projector model once you click into the "New" and "Used" sections). All of the machines listed above can use any of these three lamp types:EXW = Brightest available (but only about half the life of an EXR).EXR = Medium life and Brightness lamp.FHS = Long Life (but lower brightness and also adds a slight yellow tint to images).If your goal is the brightest/sharpest slide image possible: Get a projector with an Extra Bright Light Module, use an EXW type lamp, and use a fixed (not zoom) lens since they have fewer glass elements (which allows more light to pass though the lens).Hope the Mini Buyer's Guide has helped, and of course enjoy the slide show.
|
