Jump to content

Bolex H16EL MKIII Troubelshooting PLZ


Muhammad Usman Khaild

Recommended Posts

Hi, i got this beautiful BOLEX H16 EL, MKIII, first of all please confirm that if its MKII or MKIII Version, ?

Well i am having a issue to start this camera, i have managed to rebuild the battery with more powerful cells, and now its full ready,

when i attach it with my camera, and press the shutter, all i get is 2 red lights with a (- and +) in the viewfinder, and after little time, the camera sounds little, like it moves the film part just a little and stops, and the lights gone, i have locked the shutter pressed and then i am plugging and unplugging the battery component, every time it moves a little and then shut down, in the attached picture i have mentioned an arrow and a red circle on the part which rotates once and then camera shut down, so can any technical guy can explain me what is this issue.?

i think the camera is not damaged, as it powers on, and then off after rotating one frame. i turned all the speed but the same behavior for all speeds. So what i am basically missing.? do i have to insert the reel to make it work.? or what.? I will also try to put a video for clear views. But kindly guide me. or if someone have made any video for running this camera then please share. or any service manual if it needs service.

 

 

Thanks.

post-67376-0-70783500-1432062541_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello.

 

First of all, it is a Mark III camera you have. I have one of these cameras and you can establish this by looking at the ASA setting dial. It goes as high as ASA1600 on the Mark III and it is the only model which can be set to this.

 

As I understand it what you are saying is that when you try to start the camera rolling, you get a "clunck" sound and the camera motor turns slightly and then stops. I appreciate that you have rebuilt the battery, and in the ordinary course of events I would say that I suspect that despite this it might be that for some reason the battery is not holding enough charge. The "clunck" sound and partial movement is indicative that there is insufficient power. I suggest, therefore, that you double check that the battery is holding the correct voltage and amperage. You can do this by by checking it with a meter. If a check indicates that the battery is fine, you can check that the camera is receiving the correct amount of power in order to operate by pressing the tiny white button on the rear of the camera. The "battery check" red light should illuminate and then immediately go off. The two red lights you see in the viewfinder should not be on until you press the exposure check button which is located on the top of the camera just above the lens. Normally the lights should stay on for a short period only whilst you are setting the exposure on the lens and then the button should be released automatically and the lights should go out. The fact that you say these lights are on when you try to start the camera suggests that there is a problem in this area. Is the exposure check button stuck down, or are you able to press it down and see it rise again after a short interval? It should not be stuck down and if it is, it may be that this is connected with what you are experiencing. It might just be that the exposure check button has been pressed down but there is insufficient power in the battery to trigger the automatic release of the button.

 

I suggest you check these points before doing anything else.

 

Best of luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello.

 

First of all, it is a Mark III camera you have. I have one of these cameras and you can establish this by looking at the ASA setting dial. It goes as high as ASA1600 on the Mark III and it is the only model which can be set to this.

 

As I understand it what you are saying is that when you try to start the camera rolling, you get a "clunck" sound and the camera motor turns slightly and then stops. I appreciate that you have rebuilt the battery, and in the ordinary course of events I would say that I suspect that despite this it might be that for some reason the battery is not holding enough charge. The "clunck" sound and partial movement is indicative that there is insufficient power. I suggest, therefore, that you double check that the battery is holding the correct voltage and amperage. You can do this by by checking it with a meter. If a check indicates that the battery is fine, you can check that the camera is receiving the correct amount of power in order to operate by pressing the tiny white button on the rear of the camera. The "battery check" red light should illuminate and then immediately go off. The two red lights you see in the viewfinder should not be on until you press the exposure check button which is located on the top of the camera just above the lens. Normally the lights should stay on for a short period only whilst you are setting the exposure on the lens and then the button should be released automatically and the lights should go out. The fact that you say these lights are on when you try to start the camera suggests that there is a problem in this area. Is the exposure check button stuck down, or are you able to press it down and see it rise again after a short interval? It should not be stuck down and if it is, it may be that this is connected with what you are experiencing. It might just be that the exposure check button has been pressed down but there is insufficient power in the battery to trigger the automatic release of the button.

 

I suggest you check these points before doing anything else.

 

Best of luck.

Dear Robert, thanks a lot for your help, yes the exposure button is stuck down, and is very loose, maybe something is broken inside , thats why it just fall down, i have tried to open the camera to make it clean and oil some mechanical parts, but the screws are too hard, . about the batery, well before it was equipped with 10x AA batteries with 0.8 Mah and now i have equipped it with 10x AA Batteries with each battery = 1000 mAh, so it has good power, When i simply insert the battery lead, and press the battery check white button, the red light lits continuously until i unpress, and when i insert the battery charger in the battery and insert in the camera again, then i press the battery check button, and it lits and then goes off after some time, so what does it mean.?

well for more test purpose, i have tested the camera on a big TRUCK battery which holds about 200W and 12 Volts, and the camera performs the same action. I thought that maybe something is jammed, and with high power it will be fixed, but everything is same.

 

if you have some guide to disassemble the camera then it will be great. or maybe some video reference, so i will check this and try to fix this.. or else i will sale it AS IS on ebay.

What do you suggest, as in my country there is no technician who is able to fix this camera, or even know about this great camera.

 

Thanks a lot..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear Robert, thanks a lot for your help, yes the exposure button is stuck down, and is very loose, maybe something is broken inside , thats why it just fall down, i have tried to open the camera to make it clean and oil some mechanical parts, but the screws are too hard, . about the batery, well before it was equipped with 10x AA batteries with 0.8 Mah and now i have equipped it with 10x AA Batteries with each battery = 1000 mAh, so it has good power, When i simply insert the battery lead, and press the battery check white button, the red light lits continuously until i unpress, and when i insert the battery charger in the battery and insert in the camera again, then i press the battery check button, and it lits and then goes off after some time, so what does it mean.?

well for more test purpose, i have tested the camera on a big TRUCK battery which holds about 200W and 12 Volts, and the camera performs the same action. I thought that maybe something is jammed, and with high power it will be fixed, but everything is same.

 

if you have some guide to disassemble the camera then it will be great. or maybe some video reference, so i will check this and try to fix this.. or else i will sale it AS IS on ebay.

What do you suggest, as in my country there is no technician who is able to fix this camera, or even know about this great camera.

 

Thanks a lot..

Hello again.

 

I am not a technician, and so I am not able to advise you how you should go about sorting out the problem you have with your camera. What I do say is that the camera has complex electronics within it, and I think we have now established that there may well be a connection between the failure of the camera to start running properly and the fact that the exposure button is not operating correctly. Without any hestitation I would strongly advise you not to try to repair the camera yourself. What I suggest you do is to contact Bolex directly in Switzerland or perhaps an engineer in the USA who is experienced specifically in dealing with Bolex cameras and the EL Mark III in particular. You need to explain what is happening and in particular tell them that the exposure button is not operating correctly. You can email Marc Ueter at Bolex (email: sales@bolex.ch) and he will be able to advise you.

 

I am sorry that I am not able to help you further, but I wish you success.

Edited by Robert Lewis
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

So do I, for the price you payed it’ll be worth to have it serviced. Mechanically it’s an H-16 RX-5 and this still costs about that on the second-hand market, perhaps a little less. If you got it with the zoom lens and that is fine, you made a bargain.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So do I, for the price you payed it’ll be worth to have it serviced. Mechanically it’s an H-16 RX-5 and this still costs about that on the second-hand market, perhaps a little less. If you got it with the zoom lens and that is fine, you made a bargain.

Yes bought it Kern Vario 12.5-100 Lens and Aspheron 6.5mm adapter, plus shutter release and Case. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It sounds indeed a bargain at the price you paid :) especially with the Aspheron lens included.

As it's probably just an electronic problem can you not find someone locally to fix it ?

And please... what is the current situation regarding buying 16mm film stock in Pakistan ? Is there any Kodak stuff being imported ? Interested to know !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Muhammad, have you tried operating the camera via the 1:1 shaft from some kind of external motor ? This would probably indicate whether or not there is a problem with the transport. If all is well then it surely is some problem with the electronics or electrics that could be solved by a competent person locally.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...