Servicing Bell & Howell Filmo 8s now

[Simon Wyss]

Hello, everyone!

 

Announcing professional technical service, repair, and maintenance of Bell & Howell 8mm film cameras

 

Early Filmo 8s have the spigot or clip-on type lens mount. Although almost a thing of the past these can be disassembled, cleaned, checked, dressed, lubricated, reassembled, and adjusted like anything else. Some bayonet mount lenses are more desirable than others, I can give advice. Adapters are around for the use of D-mount or C-mount thread optics. The lens mounting threads with turret models is no D mount but a slightly larger one plus flange focal distance is shorter. There are adapters to bridge this gap, too. Fall 1951 one-eye Filmo 8s got the D mount. From January 1^st, 1957 on only D-mount models were sold.

 

All-metal made Filmo Eights can have a bright future when properly maintained. I know about the two or three weakish points in the design and have remedies. What regards the gear train these little cameras are champions!

 

Double-Eight film is available. Perforators are around for continued conversion of unperforated 16mm stocks. Nothing against the other brands—Bell & Howell Filmo 8s are unique in perfection.

 

I take models 127, 134, GB 605, lenses, and accessories. Due to the age and varying conditions I am not able to standardize a price. As a rule of thumb please acknowledge a minimum of two work hours. I grant a two years warranty on my work.

 

 

Film-Mechanik Simon Wyss

Rixheimer St. 35

4055 Basel

Switzerland

simon-wyss@gmx.net

[Stefan Fischer]

Hi Simon

Very good infos above.

I repaired and serviced many Eyemo and 16mm Filmos.

If the little BH 8s are as solid and well made as their big brothers, this could be a perfect 8mm camera. Im going to buy one on eBay. But not sure which one to choose. Can you give me some advice please? Need a simple one, no turret but 24 FPS and d- mount.

 

Thank you

 

Stefan

[Simon Wyss]

The 8s are very well made. Adjustable bearings, adjustable governor brake, a cleverly made film advance shuttle, active lateral film guidance, take-up friction that can be oiled.

 

I think it’s you who knows best what to choose. 24 fps you have with all models, the regular ones have the 8 to 32 speed range, called Companion. Sportsters run from 16 to 64. Caution: early Filmo 8s don’t have a single frame function. If you want a critical focuser you pick the turret version. Here the English made with D mounts are preferable. The American Aristocrat has different threads (also very short) and FFD. With an adapter, however, you can use those lenses on a D-mount camera. Elgeet made a range of adapters.

[Stefan Fischer]

Thanks

Bought a 605 with single lens

 

Stefan

[Robert Randall]

I’ve been going crazy adapting all sorts of old cine  lenses. I recently got a bell and Howell 8 mm magazine camera with a lens that slightly larger than D mount. What is the adapter you’re talking about to make these work?

[Simon Wyss]

The adapter D-mount to 134-Turret is Elgeet nr. 384, like here. Elgeet 386 lets you use C-mount lenses with clip-on Eights. Elgeet 389 serves to put C-mount lenses on a 134 T.

[Robert Randall]

Thank you! Forgive my ignorance and lack of specificity. I’m trying to use this lens on my m43 camera for which I have both C and D adapters. This Here They’ve listed it as an rms mount. Is that correct?

Edited January 16, 2020 by Robert Randall

[Simon Wyss]

Oh, no, that lens lacks an intermediary ring from a special thread* to the 134 turret thread. RMS is metric and Taylor, Taylor & Hobson or the American manufacturer wouldn’t use metric threads. Comat and Super Comat lenses are Cookes which leaves me a bit at loss about the Made in U. S. A. It is a normal lens for 8mm film cameras. May have been Wollensak to sub-treat this.

_______________________

* 95/128" or 18,85 mm, 40 t. p. i., 60 degrees flank angle

Edited January 16, 2020 by Simon Wyss
Thread specifications added

[Robert Randall]

Hmmm interesting. So i guess I'm going to have trouble adapting these lenses without 3d printing some special adapter or rigging one up somehow. If only I could adapt them  to C or D mount I'd be home free. I got a few of these lenses with a couple Bell and Howell camera's I picked up cheap, but I suppose they must head back from whence they came.

[Simon Wyss]

I have seen Angénieux lenses bearing that ring, Wollensak, and TTH. For your consideration, the Comat is a dialytic four-glass design, the Super Comat has five elements. In a way, big and heavy lenses contradict the Filmo-8 concept.

[Johnny Liu]

Simon Wyss,

Hi, and thank you for all the great information.  I am located in the United States and am interested in buying a Bell and Howell 8mm camera (maybe a 134) from eBay.  But, I am concerned about the lenses.  Previously, I have owned several Bolex 8mm cameras and have several lenses for them.  As I understand, Bell and Howell does not use a standard D mount.  As you mentioned, adapters were made in the past.  Were these adapters used to allow D Mount lenses to be used on a Bell and Howell 8mm camera?  I have tried to find this adapter on eBay, but have not been successful.  I suppose one of these adapters would appear eventually if I bought a few old Bell and Howell 8mm cameras and/or lenses from eBay.  Do you have any of these adapters for sale?  If not, do you have a picture of what this adapter looks like?  Thanks!

[Simon Wyss]

Hello Johnny

Filmo 134 from 1951 on have the D mount. So you can look for a younger example and be fine. For the older ones Elgeet made a nr. 384 adapter.

If you like, look out for a Gaumont British Bell & Howell Filmo 605. These have the D mount, regardless whether single-port, twin or triple turret. Equal build quality to American Filmo

[David Bernard Anderson III]

Curious but, is it possible to convert the split 8 B&H into a straight 16mm or 8mm?

[Simon Wyss]

No. That would lead to a Double Run model by itself which you can buy.

8-mm. film has half the film advance distance per frame of the 16-mm. film, so also not feasible because the gearing of the film drive sprocket rollers is different. A new camera altogether. Why want to convert everything into everything? It all exists already.

[David Bernard Anderson III]

6 hours ago, Simon Wyss said:

No. That would lead to a Double Run model by itself which you can buy.

8-mm. film has half the film advance distance per frame of the 16-mm. film, so also not feasible because the gearing of the film drive sprocket rollers is different. A new camera altogether. Why want to convert everything into everything? It all exists already.

Was unaware of other models. I was gifted a camera in split 8 and it’s rather hard to find film for it, so rather than have it be a nice paper weight I’d hope to bring some modernized life into it. Thank you for your reply though. 

[Simon Wyss]

So you have a Filmo Straight Eight, model 127, right?

[Johnny Liu]

Simon, thanks for the information and advice!  I'm going to try to find one of these Elgeet 384 adapters on eBay!

[Simon Wyss]

It’s been done.

[Johnny Liu]

Simon, I have been looking for the Elgeet 384 adapter on eBay, but don't think I have found one yet.  But, while looking, I found this other adapter called an Elgeet 381.   The description on the box says it converts "Standard 8mm lenses to 8mm B&H bayonet mount cameras".  When they say "Standard 8mm" do they mean D-Mount? Or do they mean the screw mount specific to older B&H cameras?   Also, which B&H 8mm cameras used bayonet mount?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/135069858861




Are the below two eBay items also examples of adapters to the Bell and Howell bayonet mount?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185571866247

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/297629006489

 

[Simon Wyss]

Don’t give up early, I am sure you’ll find one.

The standard mount for lenses on 8-mm. cameras is the D mount, a thread. The other, finer, thread with that intermediary ring is Bell & Howell specific, used on the Aristocrat turret Filmo Eight. It was there to strengthen B. & H.’s monopoly.

The D mount was kind of a soft licence, handed over to camera makers silently (EMEL, Niezoldi & Krämer, Stewart-Warner, Keystone, Paillard). Lens makers offered their products with various mount rears.

The first Bell & Howell camera for 8-mm. film was the Filmo Straight Eight, model 127, put on the market in 1935. It features a clip-on or spigot mount. You see it with the other intermediary ring next to the TTH 1.5 inch, f/3.5. The Straight was soon paralleled by the Filmo Dual Run 134 models until the Straight had to be abandoned within a year. Dual Run Filmo also had the lens bayonet.

Filmo 70 cameras for 16-mm. film all have C mount threads. Eyemo 71 bear a lens bayonet.

And yes, there were an A and a B mount on the early Filmo 70. These afford centering of lenses to the aperture. Clip-on mounts locate a lens repeatedly in the same position. Threads don’t.

[Johnny Liu]

Simon,

Thanks again for your advice and insights.  How do you know so much about these Bell and Howell cameras - is it from owning several models or do you have Bell and Howell product catalogs from that time period?

I will continue searching for the Elgeet 384 adapter, definitely.  Do you know of other companies that also made the same adapter?

[David Bernard Anderson III]

On 11/12/2025 at 5:57 AM, Simon Wyss said:

So you have a Filmo Straight Eight, model 127, right?

No. I have a 134 model. I actually need some help with it if you can spare a message or call. 

[Simon Wyss]

Johnny, have you asked there? https://camlensadapter.com/no-384

[Johnny Liu]

Simon, no I have never seen that website before. But, it looks great!  Thanks for the tip!

 

[Johnny Liu]

Simon,

In the webpage you gave me a link for, they have a picture of the Elgeet 384 adapter and the box it came in:

The adapter is stamped "L8" and it looks very similar to an adapter that was used for Bolexes to allow a D-Mount lens to be used on the older Bolex L8 cameras.  It is described here on this webpage:

http://www.bolexcollector.com/accessories/filter50.html

Do you know if the Elgeet 384 adapter is the same as the above Bolex L8 adapter?  If so, that is great because I already own two of these Bolex L8 adapters!