Bolex H16 RX #185260

[Guest Michael Carter]

I jsut want a good 16mm camera to use and I'm used to the H16 type.

The one I now have is a RX. This one has one 25mm Som Berthiot f 1.4 lens on it. The camera has a shutter lever, 18fps, single perf gear inside, a turrett handle and a filter slot, I have the little slider filters. The top and bottom are round, not flat, so a handle is used on it just to hold it some. There is a little fungus in the lens.

 

Should I send it away to have serviced and fitted with a motor? It has a 8 frame shaft, not a 1:1.

 

Or should I try to trade it in on one ready to go?

 

Or sell it on e-bay then purchase one ready to do.

 

I do like to project my films and am not sure about going Super wide but I know that is the way to do it for 35mm or HDTV.

 

There is a tiny spot of rust on the film path from condensation on film left inside it while in a wet film store by a stream. It is on the base part that does not move.

 

I've never used the camera.

 

I would very much like to have a bright view finder. This one seems rather dim.

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

Michael Carter

Edited May 30, 2005 by Michael Carter

[JimMcGee]

Hi Michael,

 

It sounds like your camera has a few issues that need attention before shooting some film through it. It may be easier to sell it on ebay and buy one that is in good useable condition. A lot will depend on the amount of money you are willing to spend. The rust you mention is certainly something you should be concerned about because it could damage or scratch your film. The fungus in the lens is not a good thing but may not be that noticeable. It depends how much fungus you are talking about. It may cost more to get it serviced than it is worth.

However, only you can decide that. I would probably sell it and buy something that you know will serve you better. This is not a suggestion, it is only my opinion. I hope this helps.

 

Jim

[Steven Budden]

I jsut want a good 16mm camera to use and I'm used to the H16 type.

The one I now have is a RX. This one has one 25mm Som Berthiot f 1.4 lens on it. The camera has a shutter lever, 18fps, single perf gear inside, a turrett handle and a filter slot, I have the little slider filters. The top and bottom are round, not flat, so a handle is used on it just to hold it some. There is a little fungus in the lens.

 

Should I send it away to have serviced and fitted with a motor? It has a 8 frame shaft, not a 1:1.

 

Or should I try to trade it in on one ready to go?

 

Or sell it on e-bay then purchase one ready to do.

 

I do like to project my films and am not sure about going Super wide but I know that is the way to do it for 35mm or HDTV.

 

There is a tiny spot of rust on the film path from condensation on film left inside it while in a wet film store by a stream. It is on the base part that does not move.

 

I've never used the camera.

 

I would very much like to have a bright view finder. This one seems rather dim.

Thanks,

 

Michael Carter

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

How much do you want to spend? I've been scoping email for a year now for these things, I pretty much know what they'll go for.

 

Steven

[Steven Budden]

Also, you don't need to send it away to fit it with a motor. Just buy a tobin and stick it on. The new tobin is crystal sync and works with the 8 drive shaft. Five hundredish.

 

Steven

[Guest Michael Carter]

Jim at Bernies in Pgh along with Tony the lens tech are doing the work. After a few new films are shot, Guy will enlarge the gate as large as possible; then, I'll need the proper Switars.

 

Wanna buy some film lab stuff and help me pay for all this?

[Guest Michael Carter]

Well, it is almost two months now and Jim has not fixed the camera yet. Dave is now supposidly working on my lenses. He is not done either. This is bad. I want my camera and lenses back!

[Guest Michael Carter]

Monday it is supposed to be ready. ( Yea, right; I've heard that for 2 months now)

The lenses were returned to me. They were not cleaned as I requested. There is dirt inside as before. It looks like they cleaned the outsides and not the insides. The 10mm is not brown looking anymore but it still is mottley and they said no charge for that one. I'm glad it is not brown anymore. Obviously the mucelage was not replaced only bleached out somehow. Sunlight? I can see the dust, dirt, and mold? in the two 25mm ones.

I hope the camera fares better!

Pittsburgh Camera Exchange.

Jim said Dave did not do the work. Yesterday he did, today he didn't. I went in there today just to ask him about why he didn't clean out the 25s and how did he get the 10 to be clear again, but was told someone else did it??

[Steven Budden]

I have a 10 x viewfinder and that's dim too. I guess you focus while the lens is wide open and then stop down, otherwise you can't see a thing. That's why it's good to have a side finder too I guess.

 

Also, I'm not sure it's worth having the inside of those lenses cleaned out. It would probably cost almost as much as new ones, and many won't do it for fear or destroying the lens altogether.

 

Steven

[Guest Michael Carter]

The local camera tech said he would not touch any lens that you could not get new parts for. I asked him what about if I provided him with a spair part lens? We'll see. However, he does regularly clean INSIDE of lenses. I also asked about my Keystone K-9. " I won't touch it." "But I have three! You can use two for parts." "OK, bring them in." Hoo boy.

Currently, he is replacing the gate in my RX camera since Jim has a ton of them as spair part cameras. The governers are bad. I asked him why he doesn't just put a motor on them. "It isn't worth it." (It is to ME.) ...

[Guest Michael Carter]

http://www.cinematechnic.com/services/zeis...ns_service.html

 

Now I know the REST of the story.

Like in a Calvin cartoon, to the tech I must have appeared as a blob zog creature emiting spores.

 

Anyway, the lens does look clear if not examined too closely. The second one looks better - that is another story.

 

I'm spoiled by my H8RX4. To get the same in 16 would cost as much as a 3ccd camera.

[Guest Michael Carter]

The Som Berthiot 25mm normal or RX lens takes a Ser 5.5 filter. However, an Ednalite does not fit as it is too wide. What filters are made to fit as is, that is without any grinding? :o :angry:

[Guest Michael Carter]

Well, two more weeks have gone by. No camera yet. I found tony's shop. Jim sent the camera to him. He had rejected cleaning the lenses on the basis of ... no parts ... I gave him a second one for parts ... fungus or mold? ... the camera was just as moldy! The "moldy" lenses were on the camera in a moldy bag. Wonder why he agreed to work on the camera then. I dunno.

 

Meanwhile, during all this frustration, I bought an older gentlemen's H16T non reflex Bolex camera. I had seen it a year ago when he showed us some home movies. What to my surprise the camera came with single perf wheels. WOW! The main reason to fix the RX was it took 1R film. That and it has a filter slot so using filters was easy as one gel in each holder and all three lenses could be used on one filter. Nice. Now, my old H8rx has filter rings that fit onto the 75mm and 16mm blacks that came with the camera. Another SomBerthiot had a slip over ser 6 ring that jammed the other lenses. Two more 25mm Switar lens purchases and one junker H16M later I have a complete set of black lenses that take filter rings. Less a shutter that the RX has; the Bolex H16T does not have a variable shutter. I can live without a shutter now that I have a working Bolex 1R with ser 5 filter rings for each lens. At least I HAVE A CAMERA NOW.

 

It is a lot easier to outfit a NonReflex Bolex outfit and cheaper and faster than to go for a RX outfit.

 

:P <_<

Edited August 14, 2005 by Michael Carter

[Steven Budden]

Do 100' loads normally come in single perf unless specified, or double unless specified? Because I just bought a bunch of rolls of black and white negative kodak and they all came double perf, to my surprise (I didn't specify... I just assume they'd be single). Not that it mattered much... I am shooting R 16, but for future reference. Because if double are easy to come by anyway then why the scramble for cameras that take single perf only?

 

Steven

 

(I bought from Action Camera here in SF)

[Evan Kubota]

I'm new here. Anyway, AFAIK double perf is somewhat hard to get. Fuji doesn't make it, and you have to special order it from Kodak - anyone know if there's a minimum, or higher price associated with this?

 

Anyway, I have an H16 on its way that may very well be double perf. I can either use Foma double perf, special order Kodak films, or convert it to single... does anyone know what serial numbers tended to be double or single perf? Mine is 66000 or so (has the octameter and eye level focuser). I hope it's single, but I think the chances are about 75% that it will be double.

[Guest Michael Carter]

Double perf was a special order from Denver? I could only get single perf negative. Strange they sent you double. Sell it and buy some 1R. They may be dumping old stock?

 

Low serial numbers mean double perf wheels. However, I have a H16M with single perf wheels you can have for $50 and change them yourself?

[Steven Budden]

Well, Action Camera here in SF is a resource for experimental filmmakers and for a few of the schools here. Maybe since most of them shoot R 16 (and probably many on older cameras) they keep R 16 standard in stock. I dunno.

 

Steven

[Guest Michael Carter]

I just called Pittsburgh Camera Exchange about my camera. The girl went to talk to the man. ..The camera is here and Jim is working on it. However, today is his day off and (can't talk to you) can call tomorrow. Yea, right. :(

Now I'm thinking:

The tech down the street was supposed to fix it, not Jim. Jim could not fix it last go round. Why is he at work if it is his day off? He never calles me.

Isn't this fun? May 30 - Sept 28.

Edited September 28, 2005 by Michael Carter

[Steven Budden]

Have you paid them anything yet? I think camera repair folks are just often slow and don't do things unless they're forced. Make up some tight deadline and say you need it by then or you'll find someone else. Maybe that will call their bluff. They won't get much business stealing people's cameras and I've been worried about the same thing in the past but the worries turned out to be unwarranted.

 

Steven

[Guest Michael Carter]

Have you paid them anything yet? I think camera repair folks are just often slow and don't do things unless they're forced. Make up some tight deadline and say you need it by then or you'll find someone else. Maybe that will call their bluff. They won't get much business stealing people's cameras and I've been worried about the same thing in the past but the worries turned out to be unwarranted.

 

Steven

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No. I got scared and took back the handle and lenses. So I have them back now. I hope you're right.

They lost a lot of business from ME already; lenses, filters, filter rings, tripod, lights... I have already bought some of them other places and NONE of them from PCE.

[Guest Michael Carter]

I got the camera today.

It was put into PCE in April when I bought a new Sekonic light meter. Today is October 22.

The rust is gone and it runs real quiet.

[Charles MacDonald]

I got the camera today.

It was put into PCE in April when I bought a new Sekonic light meter. Today is October 22.

The rust is gone and it runs real quiet.

Congratulations, I am also on an old car list, and I have heard several stories like yours about CARS that speen years in the Shop.

 

I think it was a year or two ago that the default changed to single perf. Most places USED to stock 2R as it is "universal" for standard 16. (will fit any camera, even old crocks like the Keystones. and my OLD Devry) Super 16 Does require the single perf.

 

Folks that deal with Film school folks may be more inclined to order the 2R, as the chances are good that many film school students will need it. (AFAIK, most of the Kodak stocks and the Foma B&W can be ordered either way as long as you buy several rolls at once.)

[Clive Tobin]

.. does anyone know what serial numbers tended to be double or single perf?

 

See my Identifying Your Bolex article, now with two extra pages and lots of pictures, at http://www.tobincinemasystems.com/page100.html

 

It has the beginning serial numbers for single perf sprockets, the beginning number of the register claw movement, etc. also.

[Guest Michael Carter]

By those specs my camera is a RX#1. It has a variable shutter, it has a filter slot with LARGE sized filters (there are smaller ones for other cameras or do they fit also?) the large ones are beloved by Super 16 converters, the eye focus knob is on the side of the view barrel, a round bottom has one tripod hole, it also has single perf wheels inside of it, that happened at a certain serial number which is not listed and quite important today. Here it is, don't know from where but supuposidly Bolex cameras became single perf at & above serial number 76,471, and it has a handle to turn the lenses. The lens mounting plate is very thin and a cine kodak 15mm lens does not fit (or focus) unless unscrewed some.

The shutter is or should be 131 degrees since the serial number is higher than 162,306 being 185,260.

It came with a book.

It has a screw in a hole on the side the book says is for the Rexofader or a electric motor.

It also has an opening for the turret locking screw.

It has installed on it now a chrome locking device on the top right looking at the camera, that thing is not shown or listed in the book.

Shutter speeds are listed as being, 1/40 @ 16 f.p.s. and 1/60 @ 24 f.p.s.

 

There are two Som Berthoit 25mm H-16 RX lenses, one with less mold than the other, which only has a tiny bit along the outer edges, still clear enough to shoot with. These lenses do come apart easily and the one with the most was taken apart (rather than smash it to bits) and wiped out. It now looks better than the other.

There is also a Berthoit 10mm H-16 RX but it has the rear element spotted all over; that part is no longer brown but clear. It is not a sharp lens but it works. Any telephoto will fit and I have the black 75mm one. It is in great shape.

 

The viewfinder is dim. Too dim for my eyes. I really prefer the Regular8mm P1 and need it. I'd rather have a RX4 or 5 with the bright viewfinder. So, I'm taking offers on this lot. It'll go on E-Bay some day as I work to try to get what I can see through.

 

This camera can be converted to Super 16 wide gate. Dim, but wide.

Edited October 25, 2005 by Michael Carter