The History of Old Film Projectors and Where To Buy One in 2024

While film projectors may not be as popular as they used to be, they are often cherished for viewing old home movies, creating retro movie theatre rooms, and watching vintage 8mm film the way it was originally intended. 

For that reason, there are still a lot of places to buy old projectors in 2024. It can be helpful to know the history of them not only because it’s interesting, but because it can help you determine what to look for in an old film projector. 

Whether you are just curious about the history projectors, want to see where your old film projector fits in historically, or want to know where you can find old projectors for sale in 2024, Capture’s archival experts compiled all the best information to help. 

Keep reading to learn about the original film projectors, how the technology has changed into the 21st century, where to buy old film projectors, and how to maintain them properly to ensure this historical movie format is preserved.

You may not realise how long film projectors have been around in some form or another. In fact, humans have been projecting images using shadows and mirrors for hundreds of years. In 1515, Leonardo DaVinci even drew plans for a projector box that used light to cast images into glass slides. 

Not long after, a familiar name enters the scene when Eastman Kodak introduced cellulite celluloid film as a commercial product in 1889. Within 2 years, it became the main way to project images. Now, if we skip ahead a few years, we start to see wide uses for old film projectors.

In the 1920s, school teachers, military officers, and lecturers started using filmstrip projectors as an accessible way to show films and educational videos. From there, the popularity only increased, and the technology advanced to the film projectors we know today.

Then, less than a decade later in 1932, Eastman Kodak company developed the 8mm film format as well as projectors like the Kodak Instamatic M67 motion picture film projector.  Joined by companies like Bell and Howell, Argus, Pathe, and Canon who released their first 8mm movie projector in 1956, the CINE 8-T.  

Later, in the 1960s, the Super 8mm film projector was introduced by Kodak and followed soon by Sankyo, Keystone, and other popular vintage movie camera brands. Some of the most popular Super 8 film projectors from this period include old vintage Chinon GL projectors, Bell and Howell Lumina, and Elmo GS and ST 1200 models.  

After the release of Super 8 projectors, dual projectors that could project both 8mm and Super 8mm film reels were introduced, including the Bolex 18-3 Dual antique film projector model. In 1973, Kodak introduced Ektasound, which was magnetic recording on the actual Super 8 film that added a soundtrack during filming as opposed to after the film was developed.

With the arrival of digital cinema projectors in the 1980s, it became much easier to use a projector screen to create a high-quality home theatre to view home movies and professional cinema projector films. Plus, modern digital options also made it easier than ever before to add animations, headings, full HD video, countdown timers, and more to home movies. Plus, you can now easily transfer and share using apps, email, and social media to play your home movies on any projector, anywhere, anytime.

Still, there’s something nostalgic and special about using a vintage movie projector or slide projector so you can watch your old home movies and display them with a projector lens like they were originally intended.  

If you want to buy an old home movie projector in 2024, you’re in luck because there’s plenty of places where you can still find retro reel-to-reel projectors. Here are a few options.

If you properly maintain your old film projector, then you can keep it working in good condition for much longer. In fact, simple maintenance can keep your machine working for years or decades while neglecting basic care can run down your machine quickly. Here are some tips to maintain and repair your movie film projector so you can make sure you can keep watching your wonderful home movies.

Cleaning your old film projector can also keep it in better condition. That’s because dust and debris can scratch the lens and bulb or even scratch your film. Clean often to prevent dust build up that can clog the machine as well.

While the rise of digital technology has greatly reduced the popularity of film projectors, there are still collectors and everyday people who buy and sell movie film projectors for their old home movies. While old film projectors preserve the history of film as well as your ability to view your old home videos as they were originally intended, we recommend digitising your old film to ensure it lasts forever.

Capture's Memory Specialist can turn your videotapes, photo albums, photographs, slides and digital media into high-quality digital copies so you can view it on smartphone, or computer, or even share it across the world on social media. Click here to learn more about our film digitisation services.