Bolex H16 Jitter and Shake

[John Roche]

Hello all,

I've seen similar questions on here before but was hoping to get a diagnosis on this particularly brutal jiggle that renders the footage pretty useless. It seems to get better or worse at times but stays pretty consistently bad throughout the entire roll. I'm planning on shooting another roll shortly, but wanted to see if there was anything I could do to attempt a fix. 

Here's a link to the scanned roll: 

 

Thanks!

[Dom Jaeger]

Looks like a couple of issues there. Some sort of weird lateral double exposure, and unsteadiness. 

Is this the first roll you have put through it? Have you practiced loading with dummy film? Did you check the loop (ie after loading, open the loop formers and run a few seconds to make sure the loop is stable and centred)? Even if you made a loading error, I think there are issues here that need a tech to look at. The film should be held laterally by the sprung film guide, so it shouldn't be shifting across like that.

If it hasn't been serviced, I would suggest sending the camera to an experienced Bolex tech for an overhaul before you waste more money on film and processing. It's not the sort of thing you can fix yourself.

[John Salim]

I wonder if the pressure plate isn't quite seated in properly ?

John S

[Simon Wyss]

Basically, it shouldn’t be possible to put on the lid and lock it, if the pressure plate arm wasn’t seated properly. But people accomplish the weirdest things. Maybe the lateral film guide frame is bent. Or the pressure plate assembly damaged.

[Tyler Purcell]

The double exposure issue is very odd, that camera probably needs quite a bit of work sadly. 

[Dom Jaeger]

7 hours ago, Tyler Purcell said:

that camera probably needs quite a bit of work sadly. 

That’s an assumption based in ignorance. As Simon mentioned it might just need a new film guide (I sell them for $30) and a standard CLA. But without inspecting it or having more information I wouldn't be injecting that sort of negativity into the thread. 

[Tyler Purcell]

4 minutes ago, Dom Jaeger said:

That’s an assumption based in ignorance.

There are other assumptions on here which actually make no sense. When I suggest the camera needs work, you just can’t hold back, you complain. Gosh what is wrong with you? I suggest fixing it yourself, you complain. I suggest a tech work on it, you complain. What gives? 

Edited April 6, 2022 by Tyler Purcell

[Dom Jaeger]

6 minutes ago, Tyler Purcell said:

There are other assumptions on here which actually make no sense. When I suggest the camera needs work, you just can’t hold back, you complain. Gosh what is wrong with you? I suggest fixing it yourself, you complain. I suggest a tech work on it, you complain. What gives? 

You’re not making sense. What complaints?  When have I ever complained that a tech works on a camera?

I’m just saying don’t make a grim diagnosis that a camera will need “quite a bit of work” when you don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t have enough information to make that assessment, and it’s not helpful. 

[Robert Hart]

Firstly, please bear in mind I am commenting entirely from recollection and may be confusing the gate of the Bolex H16 and the CP16 cameras. It is donkey's years since I ever had to field-repair my old film cameras.

Sideways walking in the gate suggests that maybe the wing of an edge guide has become trapped and it is not pressing against the edge of the gate plate. Alternatively it may have been bent out of shape by a home repair or over-energetic cleaning or simply worn away. The vertical jitter may be related to the lack of edge pressure. The double exposure is  just another artifact of the film moving sideways in the gate. With the edge guide correctly bearing against the film edge, this should also go away.

The pressure plate itself may not be sufficient to stabilise the film. With insufficient friction of the film in the gate and if the bearing for the shaft which drives the claw is worn, it may not be stroking the claw fully downwards during moments when the centrifugal governor is minutely hunting for correct speed and momentarily decelerating the transport. If the oil film in the bearing is nearly gone or dried, there will be more tendency for the shaft to jump about when its gear is delivering a varying input of power.

I would recommend a proper service by a competent tech familiar with the Bolex camera. There are places in the mechanism where oiling is required and some where oil should never reach. Blitzing every orifice with an oil can where oil can be got in may bring tears rather than joy. 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Robert Hart
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