Bolex REX 5 - 100' spool REWIND issues

[flavio filho]

Hi all.

 

I looked for info in the forum but didn't find... sorry if it was covered before:

 

1. How do I REWIND the 100' spool after finished? Is there any lever I have to disengage first?

2. How do I KNOW when the film finished (without using the footage meter)? I know that's the right thing to do, but when I loaded my Bolex, I forgot to "zero" the footage meter. :P (first-timers, tsc tsc)

3. If I stop filming for the day, and I still have film left to shoot, and yet, I still have "wind" in the camera, how do I "release" that winding WITHOUT shooting so I could release the cog's pressure and store the camera? Is there any lever/button to disengage so I could do that without actually shooting the film?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Flavio

[Charles MacDonald]

 

1. How do I REWIND the 100' spool after finished? Is there any lever I have to disengage first?

 

why would you want to rewind it? Just take it out (in the dark preferably) and send it to the lab.

 

2. How do I KNOW when the film finished (without using the footage meter)? I know that's the right thing to do, but when I loaded my Bolex, I forgot to "zero" the footage meter. :P (first-timers, tsc tsc)

 

If all else fails you will hear the end of the film flapping. Often it will make a Click when it comes out of the supply spool and the camera noise will change when their is no longer film in the gate.

[Dom Jaeger]

The footage counter (lower left on the control side) should automatically reset back to zero when the door is opened, and won't start counting again until the lid is closed. So unless it's defective (or you open the lid part way through a spool) it will always be reliable. The frame counter (top right) can be manually zeroed, but it's used to accurately count individual frames for stop motion or lap dissolves etc, not for judging when the film is out.

 

The only time you need to rewind the film is for 'trick' photography like double exposures or in-camera lap dissolves. To do it you need to disengage the motor and use a rewind crank.

 

You can store the camera partially wound up for short periods without any problem. If you won't be using it for months but still have unused film loaded, then you may as well shoot off the remainder (it's not like it will much with 100 ' spools) so you can then run down the spring. If every foot is precious just cut the film, process what's been exposed, store the (very) short end and then you can run down the spring.

[flavio filho]

Thanks guys.

 

Yeah... U know? You're both right. Why would I want to rewind it?

:P

Think that something was lost when I did my Bolex course... I remember we rewind the film to process it... But I don't remember why... Maybe just to show "how" to rewind.

Anyway, thanks loads, very helpful.

 

The footage counter (lower left on the control side) should automatically reset back to zero when the door is opened, and won't start counting again until the lid is closed. So unless it's defective (or you open the lid part way through a spool) it will always be reliable.

 

Dom, sorry I might be repetitive, but does that apply for the Rex-5 as well, I presume?

[Dom Jaeger]

Dom, sorry I might be repetitive, but does that apply for the Rex-5 as well, I presume?

 

Yep.