EIKI SSL-2

EIKI SSL-2 – Compact 16mm Film Projector with Optical and Magnetic Sound Playback

The EIKI SSL-2 is a professional 16mm film projector from the Super Slim Line (SSL) series, designed by Eiki Industrial of Osaka, Japan — one of the world’s largest manufacturers of 16mm projectors. The SSL-2 is the top model in the SSL range, equipped with both optical and magnetic sound track playback. Thanks to the Slot Load system, the film is loaded through a slot — quickly and without risk of damage to the print. The compact, slim housing weighing just 13 kg makes this projector exceptionally portable.

The projector uses a 24V/250W ELC-type halogen lamp with a cold mirror that reflects visible light while transmitting infrared radiation — protecting the film from overheating. A Hi/Low switch allows brightness adjustment to suit screen size and ambient conditions. The standard 50mm f/1.2 six-element coated lens delivers a sharp, bright image. An automatic loop restorer ensures stable film transport, while the inching knob enables precise single-frame positioning.

The SSL-2 stands apart from the more affordable SSL-0 and SSL-1 models with its ability to play back magnetic sound tracks in addition to optical ones. The built-in 25W RMS IC amplifier with separate bass and treble controls drives three speakers: two removable 12.5 cm front cover speakers and one 12.5 cm internal speaker. A 600-ohm line output allows connection to an external sound system. Operation is via a rotary switch — a defining feature of the SSL series, distinguishing it from the sister ESL series which uses electronic push buttons.

Eiki Industrial Co., Ltd. was founded in 1953 in Osaka by Moriichi Matsuura, Shigeya Yagi, Koji Sekino and Yoshinari Minagawa. The company initially focused on manufacturing audiovisual equipment for schools, and over time became one of the world’s largest producers of 16mm projectors. The name EIKI derives from the phonetic rendering of the Japanese words for “picture” (ei, 映) and “machine” (ki, 機). Eiki projectors were distinguished by having roughly half the number of moving parts compared to competitors, resulting in lower maintenance costs and greater reliability.

The SSL (Super Slim Line) series represents an evolution of the earlier NT/NST and SL lines, retaining the proven claw-and-belt film transport mechanism but housed in a significantly slimmer enclosure. The “S” in SSL denotes operation by rotary Switch, as opposed to the ESL series which features Electronic push buttons. The model number indicates the level of specification: the SSL-0 has only an internal speaker and optical playback, the SSL-1 adds two removable front cover speakers, and the SSL-2 — the top model — combines the full speaker complement with both optical and magnetic sound playback.

Magnetic sound track playback is the defining feature of the SSL-2, as many educational, industrial and documentary films from the analogue era were distributed with audio recorded on a magnetic stripe applied to the film print. The magnetic track offered superior audio quality and a wider frequency response (up to 12,000 Hz) compared to the optical track (up to 7,000 Hz), making it the preferred choice for applications demanding faithful speech or music reproduction.

Today, Eiki SSL projectors enjoy growing interest among visual artists, exhibition curators and filmmakers seeking the authentic aesthetic of analogue projection. The warm, organic character of the 16mm image — with its natural grain, subtle focus variations and characteristic flicker — cannot be replicated digitally. The EIKI SSL-2, as the model with complete sound playback capabilities and compact dimensions, is particularly valued in art installations, gallery screenings and at film festivals, where the authenticity of the projection medium is an integral part of the visual experience.