bolex double sprocket cameras

[kevin jackman]

did any of the reflex cameras have double sprockets? and did they also have the 1:1 shaft?

[Chris Millar]

as in double 8 ??

 

if so - yes

[kevin jackman]

no sorry as in 16mm

[Dom Jaeger]

No H16 reflex has double sprockets. All H models after serial no. 76471 (1952) were fitted with single tooth sprockets and the first reflex wasn't introduced until 1956.

 

The first 1:1 drive was added in 1964 to the H16 REX-4.

 

The Bolex Collector site has excellent information on the various models and their features:

 

http://www.bolexcollector.com/articles/07_05_11.html

 

Andrew Alden's Bolex Bible is probably the best single resource for H16 information. It's available from his website:

 

http://www.bolex.co.uk/

 

(I am in no way affiliated.)

[Chris Millar]

what for if you dont mind me asking ?

[kevin jackman]

bummer

[Simon Wyss]

The first 1:1 drive was added in 1964 to the H16 REX-4.

1963

 

Every Paillard-Bolex H 16 can be fitted with sprocket drums toothed both sides or one side, they are just screwed to the shafts. Bolex, Yverdon, has both articles on stock, and so have many repair people. Important that loop sizes are correctly set

[Dom Jaeger]

1963

 

Ah Simon, "pedantry is the dotage of knowledge". My Bolex service manual has the 1:1 shaft installed from serial no 210600 on, which puts it at 1964. The revision page itself is dated 09.63, so they were probably manufactured in 1963, but not sold until the next year. To add a thrust to my pedantic parry, they are not actually a REX-4 but a late model H16 RXOV. The subsequent RX 5 model was so designated to identify it's magazine saddle. Thus the single turret magazine model was called H16 M5 despite not being the 5th generation.

[kevin jackman]

ok well if anybody has some spare double sprockets lying around please let me know!

[Chris Millar]

Did you read my PM ?

 

I'm interested B)

 

If you had a lathe or similar and a spare set of the normal variety maybe you could chop all of them in two and glue them together ...

Edited November 26, 2010 by Chris Millar

[Jean-Louis Seguin]

Kevin, I can supply you as many double sprockets as you like but honestly I don't see the point.

Also, you may have trouble fitting them to a recent reflex camera as the teeth are very wide and can rub against the spring loaded film guides.

Sprockets on later reflex cameras are narrower. There are about five different versions of these sprockets guides over the years.

 

Chers,

Jean-Louis

[Simon Wyss]

pedantry

Yes. I wish people would know about the positive side of pedantry. In Latin it means to go by foot. It has everything of natural rhythm, to walk lets us breathe, not breathless. I feel we all are in a deep need for our own pace. The speed-up is over, that was around 1989. And the drive is upwards again, gone is that decadent 20th century.

 

I have an H 8 Reflex, it must be just one of the first with the new housing: big base, 1-1 shaft, T-I knob switch instead of lever. The instruction booklet is accompanied by a leaflet on which the changes are illustrated, dated 1963.

 

It is not so important.

[kevin jackman]

i actually want to try half-16

[Chris Millar]

i actually want to try half-16

Did you consider what I had to say in the PM ?

 

If what I think you mean by half 16 is right then you end up wasting around the same amount of film in side cropping than you do in top cropping.

 

The next iteration on 16mm thinking is vistavision 16mm - but then you're looking at really short roll lengths ...

 

Answer = 2 or 3 perf/super/vista/scope 35mm

 

But like I said in the PM - it sure is fun playing around with formats and if you're after a 2.6666 aspect then its perfect

 

(quick, not quite right numbers: 4/3 becomes 4/1.5 - which is 2.6666...)

[kevin jackman]

im actually not trying to have 2.6. once cropped it would fit 1.77 which is what hdtv is. i just want to play around with something that is between 16mm and super8. im also wondering if an h8 gate can be machined to the correct dimensions and if it would fit as a replacement.

[kevin jackman]

im guessing then that i could temporarily transfer parts from a non reflex and use a modified gate to do this. does it sound simple and feasable?

[Chris Millar]

i just want to play around with something that is between 16mm and super8. im also wondering if an h8 gate can be machined to the correct dimensions and if it would fit as a replacement.

 

Then shoot sideways ... 4/3 becomes 3/4 - mask half with a mattebox or at the gate itself - 3/2 equates to a 1.5 aspect, which you can letterbox to 1.77

 

No need to retime the rollers because you forgot to mark the tooth position with respect with the pull down then ;) (painful experience)

[Chris Millar]

heck - even triple sideways mask/roll it if you want scope... you get:

 

2.25 aspect

[kevin jackman]

I actually dont want 2.25

[Chris Millar]

I actually dont want 2.25

 

I know - you mentioned that earlier - I also mentioned the following:

 

Then shoot sideways ... 4/3 becomes 3/4 - mask half with a mattebox or at the gate itself - 3/2 equates to a 1.5 aspect, which you can letterbox to 1.77

 

What do you think of that ? I reckon that aside from the shift (lens not centred) it's a workable option.

 

The 2.25 comment was for the benefit of those reading who were thinking about optimising film area usage for wider aspects in subframe 16mm.

 

;)

 

But my ideas dont seem to hold much water with ya huh ?

 

(?)

[kevin jackman]

not that at all i just wanted to make it clear the crazy ratio isnt for me. i dont like masking. if it can be dome id actually rather get an h8 gate and machine it etc. I want to do it right. not sure if sideways or top bottem is better. i think it just might work well. low speed, crazy idea. fairly cool.