When this brown box caught my attention during Christmas, I was rummaging through my parents' basement.
Not that it looks special except for the word "Leica" in the old green brass on the side.
I opened the case and found a Leica projector machine of the 1950s model.
While the old M1 Leica camera is still cool, it's not a windfall.
I pulled it out and plugged it in, to my surprise it was still working and the light bulb was shining!
The original slide attachment slides onto the projector on two metal tracks.
The piece that saved the attachment is removable, so I can use it to save my new LCD conversion.
I found a cheap LCD key ring in a camera store because the LCD is 1 so this is the perfect size for this item.
8 "is almost exactly the same size as the actual slide.
There are 2 questions: 1)
This is a very low resolution device and I can see the pixels on a small screen so I'm sure I'll see them when it's projected on the wall & 2)
This device only shows an image that it will not play the video.
I decided to still use the device because the size of the package makes it easy to use.
I have an old digital camera and I take it apart to see if I can use its LCD screen but it has a lot of other electronics and features, the ribboncable of the LCD is too short to make it work.
I infer that since it is the slide machine in 1950s, the resolution does not have to be high, as this will increase the "authenticity" of the experience ".
The first step is to open the key ring and separate the part from the housing.
You can cancel once the key ring is taken apart
Fold the LCD from the board.
This is required so that you can pass the light of the projector through the back of the LCD screen instead of using the built-in LED light.
On most LCD, there are several layers of material on the back of the screen that can reflect light through the LCD.
These need to be removed in order for the LCD to be transparent.
The board needs to be delegated back to the housing in case the LCD is "on.
To do this, cut a tececut on the plastic case, but make sure it is tight enough that when the case is reassembled with the LCD, the two halves hold the LCD edge, that way you keep the screen about adding structures.
Now you can test on the LCD if Kodak slides are appropriate.
I put the LCD backlight on one side and installed it as part of the LCD plastic frame so that it doesn't interfere with the Leica light that shines through the LCD.
I have heard that in some devices the logic detects if the backlight is not working and turns off the LCD.
I didn't want to take the risk, so I left everything in tacts, except to remove the lid from the back of the LCD and let the light shine all the way.
Note: When projecting, the slide projector actually reverses the image.
To make up for this, I just flipped the images in photoshop and rearranged them into the keychain.
I installed the LCD with the plastic light switch board because they are cheap and easy to get and the thickness is right.
I cut the plate with dremel to fit the original Leica accessory bracket.
The first board provides an installation platform and the second board will hold the LCD.
Once the plates are cut, spray them with a metal hammer finish so they match the paint face on the old projector.
After the paint is dry, insert the first plate into the accessory bracket.
Place the second board on the first board and drill holes for the mounting screws.
Epoxy protects the LCD in the key ring on the plate hole and screws the top platform to the end of the glass on the plate.
Then reassemble the key ring box and connect the slide holder to the LCD screen.
I need something to fix the keyring case on the light switch board, which can also be removed in order to plug in the USB to charge the keyring and load a new picture.
I thought a couple of options, but I wanted something low-tech to work with the project, so I just bent a piece of metal to act as a "clip ".
It keeps the case firm but easy to remove and does not look inappropriate on the device.
Finally, I touched the screw with a little spray paint and let it mix together.
Load the keyring with the image of the slide show and attach it to the stand with a clip.
Press the "on Button" at the top of the key ring to insert the LCD attachment into the slide machine and sit down and watch the show!
This picture is better than I originally thought, but still very pixelated.
The keyring automatically rotates the image switch every 15 seconds and it is difficult to take good pictures of the slide show because the room has to be dark to project the image on the wall.
I project the image onto a piece of white cardboard with a 3'x4 'and the picture itself is about 8ft away from the projector and about 2 feet wide.
The best part of this accessory is how inconspicuous it looks.
The person who just looked at it would think it was the original attachment of 1950s.
This is the perfect way to watch childhood photos with your family at a holiday party!