Kodak Ektapro 9020

Kodak Ektapro 9020 – Flagship Slide Projector for Professional AV Presentations

The Kodak Ektapro 9020 is the top-of-the-range model in the Ektapro family of slide projectors, engineered for professional audiovisual applications. As the flagship of the series, it combines all of Kodak’s key technologies: a built-in dissolver with smooth cross-fade transitions, autofocus with override, a P-Bus interface for daisy-chaining projectors, and an Extra Bright twin-lamp module with automatic changeover. The unit was manufactured in Germany and represents the highest standard of quality in slide projection.

The built-in dissolver enables dissolve effects with times ranging from 0.1 to 9.9 seconds — without the need for external control units. In two-projector mode, the Ektapro 9020 serves as the MASTER, controlling a second projector (SLAVE) via the P-Bus connector. The Soft Slide Change function allows smooth fading in and out even in single-projector operation. The infrared remote control provides Random Access to any slide in the tray, dissolve time settings, Freeze mode, Auto-Timer, and numerous other effects.

The Ektapro 9020 accepts slides in the standard 24 × 36 mm format, and with an optional condenser also 40 × 40 mm superslides. Interchangeable Extra Bright lamp modules with two 82V/300W projection lamps deliver a bright, saturated image — if one lamp burns out, automatic switchover to the second occurs in under 0.3 seconds. Compact dimensions (340 × 336 × 140 mm) and a weight of approximately 9 kg make the projector portable and convenient for stacking in multi-projector setups.

The Kodak Ektapro 9020 belongs to the last and most mature generation of Kodak’s professional slide projectors, which defined the standards for audiovisual presentations worldwide for over three decades. The Ektapro series, introduced in the late 1980s as the successor to the legendary Carousel and S-AV lines, brought revolutionary innovations for its time — microprocessor control, stepper motor slide transport, a P-Bus interface compliant with RS-232, and a modular design allowing system expansion with additional components.

The 9020 model represents the pinnacle of this lineage and is the only Ektapro to integrate a complete AV feature set in a single housing: dissolver, autofocus, autotimer, parallel mode, individual lamp control for MASTER and SLAVE, automatic zero reset after the last slide, and an AV slot for additional modules. With its P-Bus In and Out interface, up to 16 projectors can be daisy-chained — a crucial capability for professional multi-image (multivision) shows, which in the analogue era represented the most sophisticated form of visual presentation.

The Extra Bright lamp module provides approximately 30% higher projection brightness compared to earlier models. Three lamp types are available: EXR (300W/35h) for maximum brightness, FHS (300W/70h) for double lamp life, and the economical EXY (250W/200h). The twin-lamp module with automatic changeover guarantees show continuity even in the event of lamp failure — switchover occurs in under 0.3 seconds via a moving mirror system.

Today, Kodak Ektapro projectors enjoy growing interest among visual artists, exhibition curators, filmmakers, and photographers who employ slide projection as an artistic medium with a unique aesthetic. The warm, saturated colours of analogue slide film, the characteristic grain, and the organic image quality of Kodachrome or Ektachrome have sparked a renaissance of slide shows in art galleries, film festivals, and immersive installations. The Ektapro 9020, as the most advanced model with a built-in dissolver, is particularly prized in these applications — it enables the creation of smooth, multi-layered visual narratives without the need for external control equipment.