Doiflex 16 -discovering a largely unknown camera

[Gareth Blackstock]

So I managed to get hold of a very nice condition Doiflex from a helpful seller in Utah, U.S.  I have been surprised by how little info there is online about the camera.  A couple of sales brochures and a magazine article.... thats about it, and very little written about experiences with the camera.

Thankfully the camera appeared in great condition, appearing to have hardly any wear, from the little I could initially see.  I removed the motor and manually turned the camera over and it felt quite gluggy and stiff. So exitedly i commenced taking things apart.  From initial inspection of the camera gearing, there seems to be a sticky grease on everything, someone has been very liberal with it.  It smells like automotive grease.  There is a sticker that states it was cleaned and lubed in 1971.  I found written inside a cover that it belonged to KOLN-TV from Lincoln, Nebraska.  Hopefully cleaning off this thick sticky grease will help the camera run easily.

From what I picked up online, and seeign one in person, the camera appears a direct copy of the Arriflex ST.  Externally it is hard to argue with that.  However, the more I get into the camera, the more differences in design I am coming across.

In a few areas I see quite different designs compared to the Arriflex.  The turret is very different, the Doiflex uses much less parts, almost a minimalist approach.  The Doiflex shutter and gear assembly is one piece, the Doiflex using a circular flat shutter compared with the Arriflex 45 degree mirrored shutter.  The design of the pull down claw and registration pin is very different from the Arriflex.  Inside the film chamber there are more differences.  The Doiflex uses a sliding film thread lock, compared to the Arriflex using an arm.  And the design of the steel chain to turn the film reel spindles differs also.

I have added some pictures below of the Doiflex internals.

The camera seems very well built, and the design appears 'thoughtful' .....in other words not thrown together from the parts bin to catch a growing market.  I will enjoy seeing how it runs, and have a first hand look at a Japanese camera made in the 60s.

 

This clip shows the pull down claw and registration pin

 

This clip shows the shutter mechanism

 

and this clip shows the film gate with the pressure plate open, with the claw and pin in operation

 

[Gareth Blackstock]

The gearing....

[Gareth Blackstock]

the complete gear assembly...

[Gareth Blackstock]

the film chamber...

[Dom Jaeger]

Nice write up, thanks Gareth! 

[Tyler Purcell]

Damn what a neat camera! 

[Gareth Blackstock]

Thanks for the positive replies, I will be adding lots of pictures to my website... hopefully in the near future I can add a video of the camera running too.  It might take me awhile to clean off the old sticky grease!

Cheers, Gareth

[Simon Wyss]

Most interesting. I see elements that existed with the Bell & Howell 2709. The Arriflex 16 has things that connect it to the 2709, yet different ones. And I’m reminded of the US patent 1,777,419 to Oscar A. Ross, issued on October 7, 1930, filed for on April 23, 1927.

[Gareth Blackstock]

Hello,

I had a look at the patent, it does seem very similar.  Are there other cameras that use the same type of movements? The moving viewfinder prism and the pull-down claw and registration pin? 

I have added lots of pictures to my website.  I will not be cleaning and lubricating the movement for awhile as I have another project on the go. 

Looking over the camera I believe a see quite a few areas where the Doiflex designers have not copied the Arriflex design verbatim, but have either utlised other patents or designs.  Perhaps to make manufacture cheaper, or require less machining steps.  Using less parts for the same end.  For instance the turret has three parts compared to the multiple parts of the Arriflex turret.

I am impatient to C&L the camera to see how it runs, quietly or relaibly? I cannot wait...

Gareth

https://aussiecinerepair.wordpress.com/doiflex-16mm/

[Takahiro Nakano]

Thank you for the valuable information.
The Doiflex is a camera I've been looking for for many years.
Although it's made in Japan, it's rarely sold in Japan.
I now understand the mechanism of the mirror, which had been a mystery to me for many years.
According to documents, F&B/CECO purchased 120 units in 1967.

Your website is very interesting and very useful!

[Erkan Umut]

On 8/19/2025 at 7:20 PM, Gareth Blackstock said:

Looking over the camera I believe a see quite a few areas where the Doiflex designers have not copied the Arriflex design verbatim, but have either utlised other patents or designs.  Perhaps to make manufacture cheaper, or require less machining steps.  Using less parts for the same end.  For instance the turret has three parts compared to the multiple parts of the Arriflex turret.

They could not copy, because of the complexity means price increase, then nobody would like to have one with closer prices to the Arri 16S(t). Also the patents were active.

https://sayyes2analog.wordpress.com/2018/01/13/doiflex16/

Of course, except the Soviet Union!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wise-man/29629618337/in/album-72157710336572487

 

[Erkan Umut]

On 8/19/2025 at 7:20 PM, Gareth Blackstock said:

Are there other cameras that use the same type of movements? The moving viewfinder prism and the pull-down claw and registration pin? 

doiflex 16, certainly, is an interesting camera, which utilizes a combination of mechanisms seen in various cameras.

The pull-down claw looks like a simplified Arri 35 claw mechanism, the Zeiss Ikon Movikon 16 except the registration pin. Its obvious that they wanted to keep it simple.

When it comes to the spinning shutter and oscillating mirror, well-known combined pull-down/shutter mechanism of the cameras like Emel, Maurer, Triad and B&H was used.

[Gareth Blackstock]

Hello, Takahiro

Thanks for the good feedback on the website.  Hopefully over the coming week I will be uploading short video of the movement runing under power.  Thanks for the document, I used an online translator to read it, interesting reading.... even with the poor translation...

 

Thankyou Erkan for the added information, it will help increase info on this camera.  

3 hours ago, Erkan Umut said:

When it comes to the spinning shutter and oscillating mirror, well-known combined pull-down/shutter mechanism of the cameras like Emel, Maurer, Triad and B&H was used.

Does this mean the shutter and oscillating mirror are similar to Emel, Maurer, Triad, and B&H?  Or does the Doiflex have a unique design? Or is the pull-down mechanism similar to these other manufacturers?

Gareth 

[Gareth Blackstock]

As I have been working on the camera, I am finding that the machining quality is impressive, and attention to detail is admirable.  Even the tiny screw holes are nicely finished.  For a camera designed and built to be sold cheaper than the competition, I think the Doiflex build quality is on the same level as the more expensive cameras of the day.

[Gareth Blackstock]

And another close up of nice machining work.... note the tiny brass inserts.

[Erkan Umut]

On 8/21/2025 at 9:09 PM, Gareth Blackstock said:

Does this mean the shutter and oscillating mirror are similar to Emel, Maurer, Triad, and B&H?  Or does the Doiflex have a unique design? Or is the pull-down mechanism similar to these other manufacturers?

General attitude was to utilize a combined mechanism that serves the both requirements (exposing and film advancement). But, in contrary, in doiflex 16 we see two individual arrangements. 

That means two separate cam movements: one for the shutter and the other for the claw. Eccentric cams move the cam follower frames of the shutter and claw lever. Normally, shutter cam follower frames have claw levers in many cameras thus eliminating two separate arrangements.

[Erkan Umut]

Soviet 16СП (16SP) uses a simplified Arri shuttle clone which has no registration pin.

[Gareth Blackstock]

Thats interesting.  From the sales literature I get the impression the Doiflex was developed with input from American camera retailers perhaps.  What benefit would having two seprate movements be?

This coming week I will be putting the movement back into the camera body.  The electric motor I have that runs on 8volts is running backwards.  So I have to dismantle it and find out why. 

I have another Doiflex motor that runs off 28volts.  I will use that one to run the camera with film and at speed.  I have uploaded a video of the movement running at around 15 or 20fps.

I also have to re-glue the viewfinder mirror back onto the oscilating shutter mount...it fell off. 🙂

 

[Erkan Umut]

3 hours ago, Gareth Blackstock said:

Thats interesting.  From the sales literature I get the impression the Doiflex was developed with input from American camera retailers perhaps.  What benefit would having two seprate movements be?

Intercinema Corp. in NY was manufacturing co-axial 400ft mags with a detachable torque motor starting from 1968, and under development for 2 years. In the UK, THE CINTRON GROUP of Grove House, London was the importer starting in 1970.

In any case, you need two movements, one is for the sinusoidal claw trajectory, the other one for the lateral pin movement, if your camera should have a registration pin or pins.

For example, Traid camera (see below) has a claw connected to the front cam frame and separate individual register pin (contrary, claw and pin movement share the same axe in doiflex 16).

 

[Erkan Umut]

Here is the B&H shuttle:

 

 

Edited September 2, 2025 by Erkan Umut

[Erkan Umut]

The film transport phases of the Soviet KC-4camera:

[Gareth Blackstock]

Thankyou Erkan, 

It is interesting to see the different designs from various manufactureres.  I wonder on the longevity an durability of the various designs.  For example, in the motorcycle industry, since the 70s japanese manufacturers have created new designs to either improve a function, offer an improvement such as reduced weight, or increased strength.  However, after a few years of use by your average rider, and various maintenance jobs, the sucess of many designs fell short.

How many camera designs were destined to be short lived due to lack of metalogical advancement, the manufacturer relying on perfect maintenance intervals, etc.

 

[Gareth Blackstock]

Also, I have finished re-assembling the Doiflex 16.  I have it running with film, albeit at only 15fps, and I made a video of the camera running.

When i was reading over the sales literature, there was mention of the Doiflex using ball bearing bearings, instead of using only bush bearings.  The literature stated that doing so would reduce maintenance and wear.  I also found that the pull down shutter assembly had lots of small cavities, small holes that seemed to be less about reducing weight, but likely to hold repositories of grease.  Under the main screw there were several small cavities.  By machining these cavities, presumeably for grease, the metal parts would always have a source of lubricant.  

During the clean and lubrication of the Doiflex gearing, I was quite stingy with grease and oil.  The ball bearing races were re-packed with grease.  The fibre composite gears were already quite well soaked with oil. 

Working on the camera I consider it well designed, well made from what appear quality materials.  The machining appears have have small tolerances.  Having run the camera with film for around 20 minutes I see no binding or tangling.  Although cosmetically and in many areas the Doiflex 16 is similar to the Arriflex, I would consider the Doiflex has enough unique and inovative engineering to be considered not a mere 'knock off' of an Arriflex.

As I am not a camera tech, or engineer, or someone with years of experience with cine cameras, these are my observations 🙂

https://youtu.be/F8Yo8aVFcFc

 

Edited September 7, 2025 by Gareth Blackstock

[Gareth Blackstock]

After coming across more information on this camera, such as distinctive design changes in the model range, and many more pictures, I decided to create a page on my website devoted to the Doiflex: https://aussiecine.wordpress.com/doiflex-16mm-camera/

I am hoping over time that Doiflex owners might email me with more information about the Doiflex, or pictures, to improve available information.

G

[Gareth Blackstock]