Jump to content

400ft magazine able to add to H16 Bolex ?


Lewis Hart

Recommended Posts

Hi guys, just curious if there is a way to mod / add a 400ft mag into a H16, I know they added 400ft as standard for the far later models, but is there a way to add a adapter or anything for the 400ft. 

I know there are separate power supplies that you have to attach to the side as far as im aware. Think the model im interesting in buying is a 1952 H16 Duluxe. 

Thanks for any help

Lewis 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"The 400ft film magazine is available for use on all H16 cameras which have the magazine mounting present on top of the film chamber. The first camera to have the magazine mounting installed was the H16 Rex 5 in 1967, with the H16 M5, SBM, EBM and EL also having them fitted as standard when they were introduced." 

 

As per information ive read, any way to add a 400ft to a previous model? 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

Not really, you’d need to get the body custom machined and find mag saddle parts (good luck) and it would probably cost as much as just buying a magazine model. While most magazine models tend to fetch a high price these days, if you’re patient you might find a relatively affordable M5 model (non-reflex but with magazine saddle). 

Why do you specifically want to buy a Deluxe model anyway? Be careful of double perf only cameras, which were still being manufactured in 1952. The serial number needs to be higher than #76471.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
7 hours ago, Lewis Hart said:

Think the model im interesting in buying is a 1952 H16 Duluxe. 

Yea as Dom says, be very careful about those older cameras. It can be very tricky and costly to get new film for them due to many of them being double perf. Also, no way can you really run 400ft magazines, how would you power the motor drive? The reason why the Rex 5's are special is not just because of the mounting mouth, but also because when you run the trigger of the camera, it will trigger the motor drive as well. Otherwise, none of it works really. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
3 hours ago, Tyler Purcell said:

Also, no way can you really run 400ft magazines, how would you power the motor drive? The reason why the Rex 5's are special is not just because of the mounting mouth, but also because when you run the trigger of the camera, it will trigger the motor drive as well. Otherwise, none of it works really. 

No this is not correct. The RX5, M5 and SBM models all need to use an external electric motor in order to run magazines, which has a connection for the MM magazine take-up motor cable. When you run the camera motor, it powers the magazine motor. 

There is no special trigger in an RX5.

3 hours ago, Dom Jaeger said:

Not really, you’d need to get the body custom machined and find mag saddle parts (good luck) and it would probably cost as much as just buying a magazine model.

I should add that I believe it used to be a service the Bolex factory provided in the past, but I don’t think they have done so for some time. Currently they are not even selling parts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Dom Jaeger said:

Not really, you’d need to get the body custom machined and find mag saddle parts (good luck) and it would probably cost as much as just buying a magazine model. While most magazine models tend to fetch a high price these days, if you’re patient you might find a relatively affordable M5 model (non-reflex but with magazine saddle). 

Why do you specifically want to buy a Deluxe model anyway? Be careful of double perf only cameras, which were still being manufactured in 1952. The serial number needs to be higher than #76471.

Thanks for your reply Dom, as expected to be honest wishful thinking haha ? I just found a Duxule with 3 lenses, a hand grip, few rolls of film, case, etc and in good condition for £300 pounds, which I feel is a pretty good deal, wanted to get a Reflex of course but a  1000 starting price is about where its at, and I wanted to test the waters without breaking the bank.

The serial is 84,000+ so I think were good and its single perf? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Tyler Purcell said:

Yea as Dom says, be very careful about those older cameras. It can be very tricky and costly to get new film for them due to many of them being double perf. Also, no way can you really run 400ft magazines, how would you power the motor drive? The reason why the Rex 5's are special is not just because of the mounting mouth, but also because when you run the trigger of the camera, it will trigger the motor drive as well. Otherwise, none of it works really. 

Thanks for your reply bud, good insight all around, very new to 16mm so lots of learning to do. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there a way to DIY a conversion also to super 16? There are a few companies here in the UK, I haven't checked prices but I imagine its around the several hundred mark?

I tried to see if there are parts to purchase etc but it all seems rather custom, isn't it just the film gate thats widened to a wider piece of metal, crude explanation im sure there's more to it haha. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

I don’t do any format conversions but can tell you that a correct Super-16 version of a Paillard-Bolex H costs you some 1600 quid.

If it’s feasible in any way, leave the older and the amateur cameras as they are. Better invest money in an overhaul and a good tripod. Learn to make 3-to-4-image-aspect-ratio films. Kind Hearts and Coronets is 3:4 and that’s a good picture. Or The Ladykillers

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, Simon Wyss said:

I don’t do any format conversions but can tell you that a correct Super-16 version of a Paillard-Bolex H costs you some 1600 quid.

If it’s feasible in any way, leave the older and the amateur cameras as they are. Better invest money in an overhaul and a good tripod. Learn to make 3-to-4-image-aspect-ratio films. Kind Hearts and Coronets is 3:4 and that’s a good picture. Or The Ladykillers

I have absolutely no issues with 3:4 at all, I like it, but prefer if possible of course to have a wider aspect ratio and then crop and add a matte in post, but it seems rather a sharp price for a closer to 16:9 16mm conversion, I know there is a company in Canada that does the whole process including shipping for 700 bucks CA, but thats domestic shipping. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

Canada machining the aperture wider, recentering aperture and turret, shifting the double prism, widening the cache on the ground surface, adjusting the rest of the finder system, machining the sprocket rollers, adjusting the film guides on them for CND 700 is a bargain.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Simon Wyss said:

Canada machining the aperture wider, recentering aperture and turret, shifting the double prism, widening the cache on the ground surface, adjusting the rest of the finder system, machining the sprocket rollers, adjusting the film guides on them for CND 700 is a bargain.

A chap on Youtube Kyle I watch his content, he bought a reflex for around a 1000, sent it off and he said it was 700 to get it converted, seems like a bargain. 

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...