If we are into 16mm each of us has our favourite projectors. For about 20 years now I've been regularly using quite an elderly Hokushin, and it's really proved itself in that period. It describes itself as 'Quartzlight'... must be before they started calling them 'halogen' so perhaps it's 1970 or so ? What I really like about this rugged machine is its simple threading path, so kind to the film. When a mute Kodachrome arrives back from Dwaynes, it goes straight onto the Hokushin. No messing around with sound heads, you just form the loops and away you go. And for cutting copies it's really fast too. I reckon it only takes about 30 seconds to lace up, almost as good as a Steenbeck. The speed sounds nice and constant, and the film never gets scratched. I think not too many of these Hokushin projectors found their way to these shores.
Like many other folks, I picked up my projector cheaply when the schools were ditching 16mm in favour of video. I think it had been dropped... note that crack !
So, rather pleased with my old workhorse, I was surprised the other day to get an email from Alexander Sage in Malaysia. His company Trans-Asian@American Films and Cinema is supplying NEW Hokushin 16mm sound projectors in both halogen and Xenon versions. If you're interested his email is transasi@streamyx.com
They are rather pricey as you'd expect, but it's good to know the Hokushin has made it into the 21st century, and if they are built anything like the 1970s machines they will be around for quite a while yet.
