One just sold for $300 a few days ago (plus $99 shipping), and I think the really crazy prices for this machine may be long gone. Granted that one claimed the spindles didn't spin, but that could just be belts. The loop restorer pointed to the back of the machine, which means late model, right?

Which brings me to the question -- I think there are 3 version of this, right, not including xenon and TC (telecine?) etc.? Or just 2, depending on which way the loop restorer points. Are the changes just to the film path, with parts less likely to scratch, or are there others? TC just means 5-blade shutter?

Some people really do a number on this machine -- besides it breaking down, everyone claims how it ruined their prints with scratches. I wonder which version they have, and if they modded it with new green parts or not? Is that the only mods that get done? I just read someone saying that had one with "all the mods" but didn't explain -- as if we are just supposed to know.

How hard are these to fix? I've never sent a machine to anyone to be fixed -- and the one used machine I bought "serviced" was that farkakte ST-1200HD that needed new belts a few weeks after I got, and scratched my prints like a cat in heat!

I can do mechanical fixes, and simple wiring. What I've never tried to do is replace capacitors (knock on wood, I haven't needed to) or anything like that, but I take it it just requires using a soldering gun, which I have, and have used before. What I've seen is that people's skills are different, and maybe the people complaining have 5 thumbs and can't use a screwdriver? I really don't know.

I've said it many times -- the only feature that intrigues me about the GS-1200 is the 200 watt lamp. I probably never would use all those sound recording features. I always thought that the machine came with a superior lens (f1.0), but from what I've seen the f1.3 lens is more common. I do have the f1.1 lens I bought many years ago, so that with the 200 watt lamp would be an upgrade for me.

Which comes to the point about the "discontinued" ESC lamp "only made in batches", when it was made. But now I hear about the Donar ESC lamp from China supposedly in current production. Is it just as good?

Despite all this, some people swear by the GS-1200.

That guy from Spain with the blog I've linked to before posts a lot on the Super 8 Facebook page, and he has recently trashed this machine because of scratching, but then again, has he "done all the mods" to prevent scratching? He loves the Fumeos and higher-end Fujicascopes.

That's the rub with all this -- people give opinions of this and many other projectors, but are they maintaining them properly? Have they the correct skills to maintain them? It's really hard to separate the wheat from the chaff regarding "reviews" of projectors. I learned the hard way that keeping the gate clean is not the be-all and end-all of keeping your projector from scratching films. Are these self-proclaimed "experts" just at the point I was 20-25 years ago, as opposed to what I know now?

I keep mentioning about upgrading my current projectors to better and brighter lamps, but all I can find are posts about xenon or HDI upgrades, which would be overkill for me, and I'm not looking to go that route for other reasons as well, not the least of which is that you really need to be an electrician to do it safely, you need to add additional cooling, and you need to keep the lamp lit constantly until you are done showing films for the day/night. Not worth it to me.

But if I can put a 200 or 250 watt in my ST-1200HD, that would meet my requirements. My gut feel is that when projecting at 24fps, the heat will not be too great to put the film in any danger.

The silent Elmo GP dual 8 projectors take 150 watt halogen lamps, and their cooling system is very modest, not as strong as the ST-1200. I doubt the designers of the ST-1200 said, "we have designed this machine to cool only up to 150 watt lamps, and not 1 watt more." My guess is they erred on the side of caution and 200 watts would be fine.

If you like your ST1200 then why not get a HID conversion on it, I have one and it really is a game changer, it will give you the extra light your searching and the reliability of the ST.

As for the GS1200, I have four of them, I like them but they do have problems that are well documented. I do use the recording facilities on them as where possible I like to rerecord some films into stereo, all of mine are in standard factory form with no modifications other than a two blade shutter.

They came standard with a 1 1 lens, the 1.0 is a good upgrade too.

Three versions were produced with varying differences to them, by the time the later versions were produced then these are probably the better machines but all will perform in the same way, they are complicated units hence why they can get a bad name for reliability, bearing in mind the age of them and old electrical parts, there is a lot to go wrong compared to the ST1200 but get a sorted one and you won't look back.

The upgraded parts for scratching is a good idea ,like with any machine things wear out,film is delicate so it's important to just check any area on them, getting a new machine you don't know the history on its always wise to run it with a clear leader through, I would do this with any machine.

A lot of plus points to owning one and a lot of minus points ,it's like buying a prestige car cheap with no history that's sat unused for years and you wonder why it doesn't run properly, Mark

Out of curiosity Thomas, how far is your projector from the screen and what size is your screen?

My throw is about 20 feet or so, and I fill a screen that is about 5 feet wide. I could zoom out about another foot if my screen was bigger.

I don't want to do an HID (I put HDI up there by mistake) conversion for the reasons I listed above -- really need an electrician to do it safely, and you need to keep it lit for entire show.

My 16mms are 250 watts, and that would be plenty for Super 8, too.

Any examples of what fixes are required when they break down? The people who send them out -- are they the same people who never open the back of their machines? Need to bring their car to service station to re-fiil windshield wiper fluid? Can't change a light-switch in the house?

There are less people in the world right now who professionally fix these projectors than candidates running in the 2024 presidential election!