8mm projector bulb is like other projector lamps that are used to transfer an image from a multimedia projector onto a larger screen for an audience to view. Therefore, 8mm projector bulb might be the right option for you. The followings are several types of 8mm projector bulb you can chose in the market:
1. A1/231 EFP 12v 100w 8mm Projector Lamp – Osram Xenophot
This 8mm projector bulb is undoubtedly the most common type used in Super 8 projectors. If your Super 8 or Dual-Gauge machine is labeled as taking a 12v 100w bulb, this is almost certainly the correct bulb to fit it. This bulb is often referred to as EFP bulb, which is the standard American coding.
However, not all types of this 8mm projector bulb are the same. Many disco effect lights use the same fitting, but as precise color temperature and performance is secondary to lamp-life in these applications, today, many manufacturers are producing cheap “long-life” versions of the A1/231 with inferior brightness and a duller, more yellow light output. Cheap lamps may use a simple aluminum mirror which will direct excess heat onto your valuable film, potentially damaging it. Meanwhile, quality lamps have Dichroic mirrors, which reduce the reflection of heat and filter the light for a whiter image.
The capsules of this 8mm projector bulb are filled with Xenon rather than the more ubiquitous Krypton gas used by other manufacturers of cheaper lamps. The Xenon reduces the rate of tungsten vaporization and allows for a higher filament temperature, resulting in brighter, whiter light. That is why, Xenophot lamps are typically 15-20% brighter than the Krypton-filled versions.
2. A1/17 CXR 8v 50w 8mm Super 8 Cine Projector Lamp/Bulb
Easily recognizable by its distinctive ‘diving-helmet’ shape and by its 3-flanged base, this 8mm projector bulb is one of the most commonly found types of Super 8 and Standard 8 projector bulbs. If your projector is labeled as taking an 8V 50w lamp, this is almost certainly the correct lamp to fit it. This bulb is also often referred to as CXR or CXL bulbs, which are the standard American coding.
You then need to check the bulb fitting in your projector. If it takes this 8mm projector bulb, there will be a base with 3 protruding pins which will fit into the ‘eyelets’ of the lamp base. There will be a recess in the centre 1 cm or so deep that the bottom of the lamp will fit into.
3. 15v 150w EFR A1/232 Lamp -Bauer T502/T510/T525/T610
This 8mm projector bulb is also known as an A1/232 or EFR. This brighter bulb fits some top of the range projectors made by Bauer like the T510, T502, T525 and the mighty T610, their flagship machine. This bulb only fits a few models made by Bauer, and should not be used in machines only designed to take 100w lamps.
Of course, those projector bulbs mentioned above are not the only 8mm projector bulb available for you out there. So, you do not need to worry that you do not find the one you are looking for. To find the right one, just fit in your needs and budget.
