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Pathé type enclosed 30 ft. cartridge to be accommodated. The
take up was onto a small reel supplied with the unit. A small
low wattage torch globe located in the centre of the film
chamber was powered from either a battery of a small
transformer via two terminals on the rear of the camera body.
The camera – projector was a sturdy unit, the body and side
door were both made die cast – this resulted in a camera
weighing in a 1.8 Kg.
THE SCREENUS 9.5 mm
This would have to be the worse example of a combined camera
– projector. Film advance in both camera and projector mode
is hand turned via a small handle mounted on the side of the
unit. There is no provision to prevent the shutter remaining open
during pauses in cranking. The fixed focus lens has just two
aperture settings, fully open and about half open. The
viewfinder is a simple right angle viewer, similar to a box
camera. The camera accepted a Pathé style film cassette.
In projection mode, the returned film in a Pathé 30 ft is
mounted within the body and a simple take up reel is driven by
the lower take up. A small torch globe is held in a metal cylinder
and is powered via two terminals at the rear. These unit
appeared on the market in the UK in 1935, it was reported that the company went out of business
not long after – the unit reappearing some time later, being aimed at the juvenile end of the market.
This would seem most appropriated, as the Screenus would seem to be nothing more that a toy!

Although today these 9.5 mm items represent interesting collectables, in the author’s opinion, it
is a pity that many manufacturers of 9.5 mm equipment (including its inventor, Pathé), failed to
utilize the real potential of the gauge; but continued to offer equipment with sub-standard
performance, right up until its virtual demise in the late 1950s.

The SCREENUS
showing the film
chamber, reels and
lamp holder.
(Projection
accessories shown:
Reels and lamp
holder are removed
and a Pathe style
camera film
cassette inserted
for camera use. )