Bienvenue à CINERDISTAN. Pour les amis Français, j'ai essayé de traduire quelques unes de mes pages en Français. Voir Pathé Rural.

For a quick summary of what is on this site, go to Contents, otherwise, go to one of the main sections by clicking on the list on the left of this page.

For frequent visitors, there  is What's New. This is a page where I put new material added to the site, instead of just putting

it into the  various sections, which I thought made it hard for anyone who just wants to see what has changed or  been added. I generally copy it to the right place as well.

SW&S  brings together stuff I want or have for sale, suppliers where you can get  specialised stuff, and things like the Cinema Chez Soi DVD's that I can make available if needed.

PLEASE TELL ME OF ANY PROBLEMS OR BROKEN LINKS YOU MAY FIND ON THIS SITE SO I CAN CORRECT.

CINERDISTAN is about:

Narrow gauge projectors (tho' occasionally 35mm), which are my

principal interest, so this is the main topic.

Film, i.e. cellulose acetate, celluloid, mylar, polyester or whatever

9.5mm               

17.5mm

28mm 

Some 8, 16, 35mm                              

Cine technology and history

Film Preservation

and anything else cine-related that catches my interest.   Links to other sites are in Miscellany.

This site is not for people who just want to watch films on DVD. Go away.

(There’s not really much about cameras/film-making either, tho' some

cameras are quite nice)

To contact me, click here for details.

SAFETY

It occurs to me that there may be people viewing this site who have only recent experience of matters

electrical. Please BE WARNED - old projectors etc were not built to modern safety standards and

can be dangerous. 240v and 110v will kill if you let them. Electrical shorts can be explosive. I have

had mains  shocks and was lucky to survive; it is most unpleasant.

Follow a few simple rules:-

-never plug anything in without checking it

-use a transformer wherever possible, not original resistances

-don't trust old wiring, it decays, gets brittle, breaks and causes short circuits

-add an earth - most old machines and transformers don't have one

-test by setting projector controls to ON then, without touching the machine, switch on mains from a

  safe distance, then:-

-get a mains tester screwdriver and use it before touching machines you are not certain of.

-use an RCD (Residual Current Detector), a safety device readily available from DIY stores

-if in doubt, get expert help.

A request for help - does anyone have copies of Le Cinéma Chez Soi,

(French Pathescope Monthly), please?

I'm getting very cross about failure to pack stuff properly for shipping. See

Packing under Restoration  for a short rant.

I have been collecting films and projectors since about 1965 or so. I just like

film  on any gauge, tho’ I don’t go for the really rare stuff like 22mm. My

special interests are dismantling old projectors and trying to make them

work again, and saving what I can of films on the rarer gauges. This is

supported by a metalworking shop in my garage. I have more projects of

various kinds than I shall ever be able to finish.

This site is about the stuff that interests me, things I have done, information

I have gathered etc., in the vague hope it might be of interest or help to

others, too. We cine people need to stick together and encourage new,

young nerds, because film is rapidly disappearing as a medium and the DVD

buffs are rampaging all over the place. I like watching DVD’s on my DLP

projector as much as the next person, but it’s only one tiny part of a much

wider and more diverse hobby.

Everything on this site is mine  (except where other authorship is noted) and

I assert my copyright therein, including the translations from and into French.

The material may be used for non-commercial  purposes, subject to

acknowledgement of source; if anyone can come up  with a commercial use,

we should talk. I welcome, but may not always accept, things that might be

added to the site. I give a name-check to anyone who provides information

I use.

Martyn Stevens.