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BOLEX conversion to super16


Arthur Sanchez

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Hello there Friends of the Bolex...

 

Anyone have any experience with conversion cameras to super16? (Specifically BOLEX H16) Also older Bolex cameras are not reflex, so, could super16 non-reflex be useful?

 

I'm looking into get one but not sure if they will work...

 

Thanks,

Arthur!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello Camera People!!!

 

Thanks for all the feedback and ideas...

 

Looks like production is proceeding with the conversion movement. Plans are to have the first prototype completed in early 2017. Several issues still to be resolved are:

 

Ground Glass Marking: what style of crop lines and marking are preferred?

 

Reflex VS Non-reflex: There are many non-reflex Bolex cameras available that are 3X4 - 16mm. IF the camera was converted to 16X9 - Super16 it possible to attach a reflex C-mount lens and still have a more affordable Reflex Super16 camera. Thoughts?

 

OK, that's all for now... any other thoughts please let me know...

 

Arthur!

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I couldn't easily find their website a few minutes ago. But I did talk on the phone a couple of years ago about S16, and they still were doing ground glass etching...

 

Found this, with their phone number and Alexa, 35mm artwork...

http://strattoncamera.com/pdf/shurco_2003.pdf

 

Let everyone know what you find, OK?

Edited by Gregg MacPherson
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  • 6 months later...

No doubt you are already onto the following subjects, however another mention can't hurt. When you dress the inside of the extended gate, take care to do the final sizing gently with a piece of smooth machined bare metal and not so vigorously as to induce friction galling of the alloy gate which will ruin the smoothness of the visible frame edge. Like the salt in the stew, you cannot take an error back out. Also recoat the worked surfaces or you may get internal reflections off the top and bottom edges onto adjacent frames.

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Do you mean paint the inside edges matte black?

 

Arthur!

I guess you are already doing it but yes, any newly exposed bare metal needs to be coated with a matte finish. I used black marker ink ( parcel pen or "Sharpie" ) and found that was too shiny. The flare only showed when a really hot pinpoint highlight moved in the image until it hit frame edge, then there was only a faint flare into the opposite edge of the neighbouring frame. It can happen with unmodified cameras. You sometimes see it in some older movies.

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  • 9 months later...

The cost of converting a Bolex to Super 16mm is typically going to run you around $1000. In addition, a non-reflex Bolex (and non-reflex cameras in general) are a pain to use, especially with a moving subject or camera. In my humble opinion, I would consider instead doing a Ultra 16mm modification ($500), or choosing a different camera.

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Zachariah

 

Thanks so much for your advice... since September of 2016, I've begun converting Bolex H16s and others to super16... and experimenting along the way... conversions are not easy... but with Bolex... very doable.

 

check out my website or visit us on Facebook...

 

Arthur!

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take care to do the final sizing gently with a piece of smooth machined bare metal and not so vigorously as to induce friction galling of the alloy gate which will ruin the smoothness of the visible frame edge. Like the salt in the stew, you cannot take an error back out.

Thank you for reminding me of this... I think of you now every time I do this...

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