James Steven Beverly Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Does anyone know of an on-line manual or have a manual for a Bell and Howell 240 16mm camera they can post or email? I just got this camera, it arrived today, cute little camera, heavier that I thought it would be, well whadaya expect for something made in 1957. It, unfortunately, didn't come with a manual, a case or the second set of lenses. The good news is that it seems to run very well. I did have to repair one loop former but that only took a few minutes. I would like to know if there are and lubrication points I can get to, basic maintenance and any features or procedures I'm un-aware of or haven't figured out yet. I appreciate any info. Thanks-Steve B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freya Black Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Does anyone know of an on-line manual or have a manual for a Bell and Howell 240 16mm camera they can post or email? I just got this camera, it arrived today, cute little camera, heavier that I thought it would be, well whadaya expect for something made in 1957. It, unfortunately, didn't come with a manual, a case or the second set of lenses. The good news is that it seems to run very well. I did have to repair one loop former but that only took a few minutes. I would like to know if there are and lubrication points I can get to, basic maintenance and any features or procedures I'm un-aware of or haven't figured out yet. I appreciate any info. Thanks-Steve B) The 240 is a great camera! Good score! It's like a more modern filmo basically. I've found it to be preety easy to use so far, the only secret thing is the single frame function which is a tiny hole below the lens in to which you can screw a cable release! I hope you have lots of fun with it! Why the sudden intrest in 16mm? love Freya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steven Beverly Posted June 22, 2008 Author Share Posted June 22, 2008 (edited) Because of the Del Norte' Film Institute, the non-profit organization I founded here in El Paso to promote and teach film making in our area. I believe it is essential the basics of film making be learned on film not video because it creates professional habits right off the bat which will only translate over when they are applied to a video production. 35mm is too expensive for most students to use and Super 8 is not good enough quality to work as a professional format so 16mm is the best compromise. I figure since qualified film crew people are scarce round here, we find some dedicated people, train them in the craft and let them participate on films produced by Black Sky Films International. Giving students the equipment to shoot their own 3 to 5 minute shorts on 16 will give them the skills to go on to the next step and possibly even shoot a feature someone would be willing to buy, which would be virtually impossible with video. Also, for myself 16mm is just something to screw around with to help hone my own skills without spending a lot of cash plus there may come a time when 16mm might be more practical a format for a given project than 35mm. I don't plan to spend a lot of cash on this but IF I can acquire a dozen or so 16mm cameras over a period of time, it'll allow the students at Del Norte' to go shoot with out having to jump through hoops to have the means to do so. REAL COOL DEAL about the single frame capabilities, we'll be able to do stop motion anamation which should be a blast!! B) Edited June 22, 2008 by James Steven Beverly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Charles MacDonald Posted June 22, 2008 Premium Member Share Posted June 22, 2008 The 240 seems to have benn made as a "Filmo" for Home Movies. It actully has a slighly longer run time, and is a bit lighter than a filmo. There are at least two versions, one which uses a fixed lens and has a light meter which runs on a Mercury Batery. That model used tele and wide adaptors that screw in front of the lens. The one I got came with one ofthe adaptors held loose in the case, and so half of the rear element was chipped. The other variant is manual exposure and has a "special" lens mount, but if you remove the regular lens their is a "c mount" ring inside. When the special mount lens is used the index is part of an exposure scale on the front of the camera, so It can look like the diaphram mark is off by a couple of stops. it is not, you use the mark on the body and not the one on the lens. That is the one I have used. I saw three lens version on e-bay once, but did not bid. UNLIKE the filmo, the user was not expected to be a pro, and so they were told to send the camera back for service every few years, so the user manual does not have any Lubricatio instructions. In fact I am looking for those details as mine shot a couple of good rolls of film, then stoped. Nudging the sprokets got ot to start, but I suspect it is 45 years overdue for a clean and lube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steven Beverly Posted June 22, 2008 Author Share Posted June 22, 2008 This one looks like it's the fixed lens variant, but the screw in tellie and wide adapters along with the viewfinder lenses that match them did not come with it, I only paid 25 bucks including shipping so I guess you can't have everything. I'll have to look around and see if I can find them on ebay, if not, we'll shoot with the damn 20mm. The electric eye on this one looks like it was set up for 2 AA batteries, there's a cover that is just under the lens and eye that is held in place by a small screw in knob., I took some batteries out of a surround sound remote and tried them but the eye didn't seem to work. They could just be too dead as they're kinda old but the cover on the back of the eye was open and missing the screws so I'm sure someone was in there before me, screwing with it, trying to get it to work or disabling it. The exposure ring on the side of the lens can be turned manually and there is a hash mark for the focusing distance that extends across the barrel between the 2 rings so hopefully it also indicates where the exposure is set as well because I saw NO mark, dot, arrow, nada on the camera body to indicate the exposure setting. I'm pretty sute it is because even if you were using the eye to set exposure, you'd need to know there was enough light to shoot the stock that was in the camera and looking at the side the mark, F-stop and focusing distance are easy to see. It wouldn't make any sense to put it somewhere else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freya Black Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 Because of the Del Norte' Film Institute, the non-profit organization I founded here in El Paso to promote and teach film making in our area. I believe it is essential the basics of film making be learned on film not video because it creates professional habits right off the bat which will only translate over when they are applied to a video production. 35mm is too expensive for most students to use and Super 8 is not good enough quality to work as a professional format so 16mm is the best compromise. I figure since qualified film crew people are scarce round here, we find some dedicated people, train them in the craft and let them participate on films produced by Black Sky Films International. Super8 can be preety cool in it's own way but it is really expensive to wwork with. Usually at least twice the price of 16mm. It's nice for a different kind of look and feel and the cameras are nice and portable. Giving students the equipment to shoot their own 3 to 5 minute shorts on 16 will give them the skills to go on to the next step and possibly even shoot a feature someone would be willing to buy, which would be virtually impossible with video. Also, for myself 16mm is just something to screw around with to help hone my own skills without spending a lot of cash plus there may come a time when 16mm might be more practical a format for a given project than 35mm. I don't plan to spend a lot of cash on this but IF I can acquire a dozen or so 16mm cameras over a period of time, it'll allow the students at Del Norte' to go shoot with out having to jump through hoops to have the means to do so. REAL COOL DEAL about the single frame capabilities, we'll be able to do stop motion anamation which should be a blast!! B) Sounds like a cool idea! Yes the single frame is a really great hidden feature. You can also shoot single frames by pushing the little run lever the opposite way from the running direction to just take one frame in a quick pixelation style. They really are great little cameras. So easy to load! Sadly they are not reflex which is the big downside. love Freya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Montes Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 Does anyone know of an on-line manual or have a manual for a Bell and Howell 240 16mm camera they can post or email? I just got this camera, it arrived today, cute little camera, heavier that I thought it would be, well whadaya expect for something made in 1957. It, unfortunately, didn't come with a manual, a case or the second set of lenses. The good news is that it seems to run very well. I did have to repair one loop former but that only took a few minutes. I would like to know if there are and lubrication points I can get to, basic maintenance and any features or procedures I'm un-aware of or haven't figured out yet. I appreciate any info. Thanks-Steve B) I have three of these model 240s and manuals for them. I have one scanned I can email you. I have the single lens, the twin lens and the three lens model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck colburn Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 http://www.lcegroup.com/review/Bell-&-...-And-Review/791 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Montes Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 http://www.lcegroup.com/review/Bell-&-...-And-Review/791 Whoa, $60 for an original manual? Guess the one I got is worth something. :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steven Beverly Posted June 22, 2008 Author Share Posted June 22, 2008 I have three of these model 240s and manuals for them. I have one scanned I can email you. I have the single lens, the twin lens and the three lens model. Thanks amigo, I owe ya one! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steven Beverly Posted June 22, 2008 Author Share Posted June 22, 2008 Super8 can be preety cool in it's own way but it is really expensive to work with. Usually at least twice the price of 16mm. It's nice for a different kind of look and feel and the cameras are nice and portable. Sounds like a cool idea! Yes the single frame is a really great hidden feature. You can also shoot single frames by pushing the little run lever the opposite way from the running direction to just take one frame in a quick pixelation style. They really are great little cameras. So easy to load! Sadly they are not reflex which is the big downside. love Freya Super 8 being more expensive than 16 is just another plus for going with 16 in addition to it being considered a professional format, super 16 even more so. So though super 8 may have some cool aspects, we gotta go 16 for training, them move on to 35. ONLY THEN will they be allowed to shoot video. :D What do you mean by "a quick pixelation style"? Are we talking Fisher Price Pixelvision here? As for them not being reflex, they gotta learn how to measure for focus anyway so for our purposes, I don't see that as a negative but more as a training tool. They're also gonna learn how to edit old school before going on to scanning and non linear editing. VFX will first be in camera before moving on to digital. I believe it is important to understand all aspects of the process so we'll start with the harder stuff so they can be armed to handle situations with a variety of of solutions and not be afraid to go old school when the situation calls for it. I LOVE the fact we're using old cameras, it instills a sense of tradition and remind them there is a legacy of excellence and very high standards they should strive to live up to. It's the philosophy behind Del Norte' . B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alliana Bozzi Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 I have three of these model 240s and manuals for them. I have one scanned I can email you. I have the single lens, the twin lens and the three lens model. Hi, I have a movie camera that looks like the one in your photo (three lens), I'm trying to catalogue it but I can't find the exact model name and the year of production. I looked in the web but the images related to "Bell & Howell 240" are quite different... can you help me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Montes Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Hi, I have a movie camera that looks like the one in your photo (three lens), I'm trying to catalogue it but I can't find the exact model name and the year of production.I looked in the web but the images related to "Bell & Howell 240" are quite different... can you help me? The three models are the single lens 240, the twins lens 240T and the three lens 240TA. There is also a 240EE which I believe has a single lens and an automatic metering system but I don't have that one. The manual I have covers the three models I have. Looking at Michael Rogge's site: http://www.xs4all.nl/~wichm/cinelist.html#A The model 240 seems to be from around 1957. I'm having to rescan the manual since the some of the files got corrupted. I will probably put it up on a free file download site so anyone can have a copy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Charles MacDonald Posted June 30, 2008 Premium Member Share Posted June 30, 2008 The model 240 seems to be from around 1957. I'm having to rescan the manual since the some of the files got corrupted. I will probably put it up on a free file download site so anyone can have a copy. I found my manual for the 240EE and it says printed in USA 457 on the back, so 1957 looks right. The Books says that the EE model CAN be set manualy, if you remove the (now no-longer-made PX-2 Mercury) battery. if there is a working battery, the system was designed to set the appature automaticaly. The fastest film It can handle in the meter settings is 50ASA BTW, so with the discontinuance of Kodachrome 40, it would not be worth while to try and Brew up a Zinc-Air version of those PX-2 batteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steven Beverly Posted June 30, 2008 Author Share Posted June 30, 2008 I found my manual for the 240EE and it says printed in USA 457 on the back, so 1957 looks right. The Books says that the EE model CAN be set manually, if you remove the (now no-longer-made PX-2 Mercury) battery. if there is a working battery, the system was designed to set the aperture automatically. The fastest film It can handle in the meter settings is 50ASA BTW, so with the discontinuance of Kodachrome 40, it would not be worth while to try and Brew up a Zinc-Air version of those PX-2 batteries. Actually, finding safe replacement batteries for those environmentally hazardous XP-2s is no problem, they got 'em on Ebay in case anyone needs one for any reason. They're about $2.50 each but even back in the day when Kodachrome 40 was still being made, who'd trust the on-board light meter anyway. :D If I could ask a favor now that you've found the exactly correct 1957 manual, I would be VERY grateful if you wouldn't mind scanning it and either posting it here or Emailing it to me when you have a chance. I would very much appreciate it and would owe you a favor. Thanks-Steve B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Charles MacDonald Posted July 1, 2008 Premium Member Share Posted July 1, 2008 If I could ask a favor now that you've found the exactly correct 1957 manual, I would be VERY grateful if you wouldn't mind scanning it and either posting it here or Emailing it to me when you have a chance. I would very much appreciate it and would owe you a favor. Thanks-Steve B) HI Steve, I made a paper photocopy on the weekend, and stuck it in the mail to you today, Never had any luck with this scanner thinga ma bob.. POST office is closed here in Canada July 1 and in the states on the 4th so I guess that it might take a week or three to get to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steven Beverly Posted July 1, 2008 Author Share Posted July 1, 2008 Paper and 3 weeks are terrific. I owe you one, dude!! Thanks a bunch!-Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freya Black Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Super 8 being more expensive than 16 is just another plus for going with 16 in addition to it being considered a professional format, super 16 even more so. So though super 8 may have some cool aspects, we gotta go 16 for training, them move on to 35. ONLY THEN will they be allowed to shoot video. :D What do you mean by "a quick pixelation style"? Are we talking Fisher Price Pixelvision here? Pixelation is a very pororly named animation tequnique that has nothing to do with pixels from what I can tell. It's just a name for using the single frame in live action situations to create a sort of jittery movement type thing. I can't explain very well. I typed it without thinking really and now I kind of regret saying it! ;) Nothing to do with the amazing fisher price camera! :) The batteries are 4.5volt each BTW, so in theory I think it could be run off a 9 volt battery? It might be more trouble than it is worth tho. :) love Freya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alliana Bozzi Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 The three models are the single lens 240, the twins lens 240T and the three lens 240TA. There is also a 240EE which I believe has a single lens and an automatic metering system but I don't have that one. The manual I have covers the three models I have. Looking at Michael Rogge's site: http://www.xs4all.nl/~wichm/cinelist.html#A The model 240 seems to be from around 1957. I'm having to rescan the manual since the some of the files got corrupted. I will probably put it up on a free file download site so anyone can have a copy. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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