Chris Elardo

My S16 conversion for my Rex 5 was done by Jakov at JK. I already had a 13X viewfinder on my camera, but he does nice work.

I use a Sekonic L398 and I always set it for 2/3 of a stop under my film stock's ASA. 1/3 compensation for the prism and 1/3 for the 135° shutter. After that, I don't have to think about my readings until I start playing with filters or change film speeds.

Bolex's are, by far, one of the cheapest and easiest camers to convert to S16. I have a S16 Rex5 and I'd love to add an SBM to the mix. Clean SBM's have become VERY difficult to obtain because they're the most rugged lens mount + the easiest to convert. Owners are definitely hanging on to these models.

I'm one of those Bolex geeks, and I like what the camera offers as far as flexibility with animation, portability, etc.- but what kind of shooting do you want to do? Are you set on Super 16 conversion? Some cameras are unable to be converted, or only at considerable expense. If you're happy with 4:3 aspect ratio and don't care about single frame or backwind features then a Scoopic or older Arri, etc. would probably be perfect. Costs rise considerably once you start grabbing lenses, filters, magazines, etc... I have a Tobin time lapse motor along with a crystal synch ESM motor, pre-set Switars, a POE 16-100mm zoom and lots of filters and crap- it's tons of fun but it adds up fast!

Same here. I've sent all my film Fed Ex from Arizona to Colorlab in Maryland several times with the appropriate labels and have never had any issues at all.

Is there a particular reason you have to send it to Fotokem? There are plenty of labs closer to you...

Done!

Hi Julian, I've felt your angst using the H16! On my last project, I had to follow a kite dancing in the air and it was very difficult. Dealing with a mere approx. 25% of the light actually making it through the viewfinder takes a lot of practice and scenes must be choreographed and well rehearsed a lot of times before you pull the trigger. One thing that helped me was using the viewfinder on the side of the camera. When set to the proper distance it can give a very accurate framing of what the lens is seeing. Also, since preset prime lenses are very expensive, why not try the 16-100mm POE zoom? If you shoot it at around 25mm or higher you shouldn't have any vignetting and opening the lens to full aperature for focusing is a snap since all you do is push in the power button halfway and it automatically opens the lens. Just let go of the button and it automaticaly snaps down to the proper f-stop for filming. Also, I would highly recommend purchasing the Bolex shoulder brace for anything not on a tripod. This item is an absolute Godsend when using an H16 because it frees both of your hands. You can manipulate the lens and other controls much quicker and easier because the shoulder brace hugs your body very securely. I wouldn't part with mine for anything! I use the shoulder brace and POE lens for anything that is spontaneous and/or unpredictable- such as children playing, animals, etc. Filters can be put in front of the POE lens so that the iris automatically adjusts for the difference. You can usually get this lens at an excellent price. If you must have Switar presets, have you tried purchasing them in the U.S.? I occasionally see these at pretty good prices on e-bay here and I bought two of mine that way. My 75mm preset was purchased from PROCAM, the Bolex dealer for North America here in Arizona. I'm not sure what the exchange rate is for pound vs dollar, but I believe this would work in your favor. I'll say once again, using the Bolex viewfinder is a pain but if you practice you can get great results. Once I put my eye to that viewfinder and adjust the lens I never pull away until I stop the shot. I know that sounds rudimentary but you have to let your eye adjust to the low light and if you keep pulling away from the eyecup it really ruins this and quickly becomes a serious b*tch. Hope this helps-

Thanks Matthew- I bought several rolls from Fuji before they closed shop and they gave me a great discount. I have some 160T, 250D, 500T and 64D. Have you tried all of these? My last project was all 64D and 500T, so I haven't had a chance to compare the others yet.

Thanks Heikki, I uploaded some clips from my last project showing the same shot at a couple different exposure settings. Hopefully, to show Miller a little something to try and help. This site is weird to try and imbed stuff because it wouldn't just let me copy and paste a link. I also couldn't get it linked as an attachment. Very frustrating... As for the film stock, I was surprised how the 500T compared to the Fuji 64D that I used for most of the other shots. I purposely under exposed a few shots to try and get a flatter, dreary look but I was stunned at how much the grain came out for such a low ASA stock. The 500T seems much more well-behaved in low light.

Sorry guys, I don't mean to whine- it wasn't about the Bolex, it's that I was being completely ignored when I was trying to help, and also trying to get help. No problem- thanks though for checking it out!

I'm sorry if my samples aren't very good, but it's no reason to be rude.

Why can I not get my clip to appear? I like your trailer, Jeff- how did you post it? I'm having no luck with this...

http://youtu.be/xOtttEaynno

Can some one tell me how to paste a link?

I've dealt with Colorlab many times and agree with Will. They do lots of archival preservation stuff and have a really good crew. They do small batches no problem and have great prices. I see what your saying Matthew but they've been really easy to work with doing just my small projects and there are several labs much closer to me that I could use. I send my stuff to the one in Rockville, Md.

There are parts for the magazine that need machined so that the film doesn't get scratched in the newly expanded image area of the film. The internal rollers that are used in the camera body need machined as does the contact spindles of the tension arms inside the mag. The entrance and exit ports of the mag may need modified as well. This is standard procedure for using the 400' mag with a S16 Bolex- (I have a Rex5 S16). JK camera did my conversion and does good work for a good price. Hope this helps- and yes, you need the torque motor that mounts to the outside of the mag and is connected to the ESM camera motor with a small connection cord.

Colorlab in Rockville, Md. does a lot of archive work. They process 100' rolls no problem and have excellent turn around time and service. A great lab.

If you do a search on You tube for: Fuji Eterna Vivid sample 500T, you should find a set of 3 samples I uploaded showing something of the range and flexibility of this stock. You can usually push these tungsten stocks pretty hard- at least a stop or more. I'd attach the links for you but for some reason I cannot attach or paste anything and I'm not sure why...

Exactly.

There were several cameras to choose from back then with most docs being shot in 16mm. I know Marty Stouffer (Wild America) used an Arriflex, and I believe Jaques Cousteau used Mitchells in the 1970's. I'm not sure what was shot with Eclairs, but I'm sure they're somewhere in the mix. As far as sound goes, Nagra was still king in the 80's giving way to DAT recorders in the 90's.

I'm not sure what model H16 you have, but Rex5's and SBM's are available with a 400' magazine mount on top of the camera. They convert cheaply and easily to S16. Bolex also makes a very nice shoulder brace that frees both your hands, but even the 13x viewfinders are a bit challenging to follow the action through. If you really want something that has a hand crank internal motor, then you're definitely limiting your choices. There are very few cameras that shoot slow-motion at a decent rate with a spring motor other than a Bolex, so if you're willing to sacrifice that and go with battery power then any of the cameras suggested by the gentlemen above would be the way to go.

Colorlab in Maryland did my last project. Great group-

If you're going to go through the work and expense of shooting film, why skimp on something as critical as proper camera maintenance? I live in Phoenix and send my stuff up to Dieter (not familiar with the other techs mentioned so no offense to anyone). He has repaired my POE zoom, ESM motor and serviced my Rex5- all operate perfectly and I consider it money well spent- never had a problem. Considering some of the horror stories I've read, I'll just say, Thanks Dieter!

Thanks Trevor. I was very frustrated and pissed that Fuji were bailing out on film. Ironically, the great price they gave me on film stock while they were liquidating enabled me to do the project at a much better price. :huh: Vidiots can't add any more to what they've already yapped about regarding this stuff...