Any ideas on how to build or customize a Bolex H8 or H16 so that you can run Regular 8 film with a 400' magazine?

Johnny Liu · January 28

Hi,

If I have a Bolex H16 camera with the 400' magazine saddle/mount - and a Bolex H8 camera - and the 400 foot magazine for the H16 - is there any way to combine parts from these two bodies to create a camera that can run 400' of Regular 8mm film?

For the camera - could I take the H16 and replace necessary parts inside it with parts from the H8? Or would it be easier to cut off the 400' magazine saddle/mount from the H16 and custom install it on the H8?

As for the 400' magazine, I am sure some customization will be necessary - can anyone tell me the a list of parts that would have to be customized to make a 400' magazine work for Regular 8mm film?

Is there anyone out there that even performs such a conversion?

Thanks!

Simon Wyss · January 28

It can be done. The mechanism and the front of an H-8-4 would be mounted in the H-16-5 housing. Name plate exchanged eventually. No changes to the magazines are necessary although the magazine motor electric tension a little lowered.

Both cameras need to be of the same technical period, meaning that an H-8 with the I-T switch lever belongs into a corresponding main frame or one with the 1-1 drive shaft into a housing with the opening for that. The latest (-4) version is indicated because you may want to use a crystal controlled ESM that goes together with the MM:

Johnny Liu · January 28

Simon,

Thank you so much for the confirmation that this is possible. Also, thank for noting the things that I need to look out for/be aware of!

Johnny Liu · January 28

Simon,

I have one more question - not exactly related to the above topic. For H8 cameras - I noticed that the H8 Reflex cameras have a lens turret for C Mount lenses. Is it possible to replace that turret with a turret from an H8 non-Reflex camera that takes D Mount lenses? I only ask because I have some Micro Four Thirds mount lenses and a Micro Four Thirds to D Mount adapter that I might want to use on an H8 Reflex. Is the film plane located at the same position in the body on both the H8 Reflex and H8 non-Reflex models? If so, is it simply that the C Mount turret and D Mount turret are different thicknesses to provide the correct flange focal distance for C Mount and D Mount?

Simon Wyss · January 28

Not directly. The Reflex H-8 have the shutter assembly as part of the front group, the Standard cameras carry the shutter on the mechanism. It would involve the combination of either an older main plate with the shutter bearing and drive or adding one to a younger mechanism. Costly.

It’s not the C mount. You have the UN 1"-32 as lens mounting threads but the FFD is way shorter than that of the C standard, namely 15,305 mm instead of the 0.69" or 17,526 mm.

Edited January 28 by Simon Wyss

Johnny Liu · January 28

Simon,

Thanks for the explanation. Sounds more complicated than I expected. i guess I will probably not be doing that. Thanks!

Simon Wyss · January 28

One more point I forgot to mention: only the frontal shutter can be a variable one, the corresponding mechanism takes places there. Standard H camera shutters are always simple 190, 170 or 144 degrees opening discs.