Robert Chacon Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Hi im wondering if anyone can answer a question I’ve been pondering, that being...is it possible to change the shutter degree angle on a bolex rex 3? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Simon Wyss Posted January 18, 2021 Premium Member Share Posted January 18, 2021 Yes, it has a variable shutter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Chacon Posted January 18, 2021 Author Share Posted January 18, 2021 53 minutes ago, Simon Wyss said: Yes, it has a variable shutter. Sorry should've been more specific, i mean for example, changing the 133 angle to lets say 180. Just wondering if its possible to mod it to a higher shutter degree angle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Simon Wyss Posted January 18, 2021 Premium Member Share Posted January 18, 2021 (edited) No, the two-blades shutter mechanism opens until 135 degrees. You count with 133 degrees as compensation for the shutter not throwing a sharp shadow on the film but that’s rather a swiss pedantry. For 180 degrees you would have to exchange the shutter group (plus more). There is actually no two-blades variable shutter design that goes to 180 degrees. The blades must still overlap in the widest open position. Three-blades variable shutters exist, for example with the Mitchell 16 Professional, going to 235 degrees, from serial number 227 on. A beautiful camera by the way Paillard-Bolex H-16 cameras up to serial number 100,400 have a 190 degrees shutter together with a different claw mechanism. Edited January 18, 2021 by Simon Wyss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom Jaeger Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 5 hours ago, Robert Chacon said: Sorry should've been more specific, i mean for example, changing the 133 angle to lets say 180. Just wondering if its possible to mod it to a higher shutter degree angle. The Bolex trailing claw pull down mechanism (found in all reflex models) is not a fast pull down - for half a revolution the claw is pushing against the film, and as it pulls back across the perf the shutter should still be closed, so it really requires more than half a shutter revolution to cleanly transport the film. The largest shutter angle Bolex made for this claw movement was 170 degrees in the electric models EBM and EL, discarding the variable shutter. You could potentially try to replace the variable shutter in a REX model with a fixed 170 degree shutter, but what is your goal? It’s a lot of effort to gain a fraction of a stop more light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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