Panacolor Magazine Movie Projector Zeiss 70mm Pik-A-Movie AS-IS, parts or repair

Description

Up for sale is a vintage Zeiss Ikon Panacolor Magazine Motion Picture Projector. It is from the late 1960s and I guess it was supposed to be the way the makers thought people were going to watch feature length films at home (then along came video tape and up-ended all that).
The projector uses a simple to load "cassette" (kind of like an 8-track tape player). In the cassette is a roll of 70mm film on which they printed twelve rows of super-8 sized pictures and twelve tracks of optical sound. There are also some types of optical markers that tell the projector it has reached the end of the roll and it automatically "jumps" to the next track, allowing it to show the contents of the magazine as one continuous 2 hour movie. The projector has rear projection screen where you can watch the movies and it also has a diverter mirror system in the back that lets you project onto a regular movie screen.
The projector is 18" x 19" x 15" tall and weighs 68lbs. It has a cast aluminum chassis and a plastic outer shell, the top of which can be removed to access the film transport mechanism.
THIS SALE INCLUDES:
A Panacolor Magazine Motion Picture Projector
A power cord
One film magazine containing a feature length film, Russ Meyers "VIXEN!" (
1968 |
Run Time -
110 min.
|
Countries -
United States
|
MPAA Rating -
R
)
CONDITION:
(See pictures for condition)
This projector used to work but it has been in storage for many years and it is not currently functional. I ran it once recently to unload the film and it played sound and wound at its normal speed. I ran it with the lamp removed (if it jams, that thing can burn a hole through the film in a second) so did not check picture. It does not seem to be properly switching between film tracks.
Its 1960s technology so that means there are a large number of relays, micro switches, and bus board connectors, all of which can get dirty and cause it to malfunction.
It may need cleaning, may need some further electronic component service.
Shows some corrosion/rust on the exterior.
The rear projection screen is a replacement.
There seems to be a knob missing off the back for flipping the mirrors.
The film cartridge has some broken plastic pieces (I think it is parts of an end piece that stopped the film from winding back into the cartridge) and the film itself has burns and old tape splices/repairs that seem to have dried out/failed.
Other parts may be missing, I do not have a manual for this unit so I do not know what it was supposed to come with.
SALE TERMS:
Please examine the pictures, they are part of the description. Items are described as accurately as possible. If you have questions about specifics, be sure to message and I will answer them to the best of my ability. The projector is being sold
AS IS / parts or repair / no returns
. It is a piece of film history and a real collectors item. There is no guarantee that it is functional.
Local pickup is available.
HISTORY (from the web):
Panacolor was a startup company from the late 50s/early 60s that tried to compete with Technicolor in the motion picture film print business. In 1963 they partnered with Zeiss-Ikon of West Germany to develop a new projector that “looks like a television set and uses a film cartridge,” which was expected to be a much cheaper option for educational and home use than film reels". The projector had a prism core assembly consisting of 12 symmetrical lens elements, and it used optical rear projection with a 100-watt halogen lamp. This lamp didn’t require an air blower to cool the system, so Panacolor claimed that the projector would be much quieter than comparable systems."
They tried marketing the projector towards education but when that failed they focused it towards the feature film/
hotel room movie on demand
business in the US, and in the UK where the system was dubbed “Pik-A-Movie”. It was tested in
London area
hotels. Some of the films available to guests included "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "Planet of the Apes", and "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie".
Despite some success Panacolor as a company had faded away by 1975.