andrew parrish

Thanks Dom. I was kind of amazed that It is in as good of shape as it is. After the lubing the easy stuff, it purs like a kitten, and the glass is in good shape, too. No life in the light meter yet, but I'll check for bad leads when I go in again. Thanks again. Andrew

Hi everybody, I bought a P1 to fool around with on e-bay for $20. ( ie take apart& learn) I found a great video on youtube that told me how to lube the gears under the film compartment, and that made a big difference. However, the winding spring sounds and feel like there is sand in it. Can I take it apart without an explosion of parts/ loss of an eye? Thanks Andrew

Hi. Sorry If this is a dumb question, or has been asked before. ( the search engine didn't turn up an answer) I have a H8 rex 4, that I use with a bower c mount adapter, and Smc Takumars. My suspicion is that the adapter is going to through off the DOF calculations, because of the increased distance from the film plane. Is this correct? Is there a way to compensate? Thanks, Andrew

Thanks Brian

Thanks for the reply. I was in a camera store, and saw it for 45 bucks in mint condition. They thought the mercury battery issue would make it basically worthless. I showed them the hearing aid trick ( wein cells are not too common here), tested it with a grey card, and now have a seemingly good new tool. The IRE scale looks interesting. I assume that they are only good for Video, because the marks don't seem to match the "straight line portion" of 100d reversal ( I'm just learning this so please bear with me it this is really stupid) The curve on the Kodak page looks like the film will handle 5 stops under, and 3 stops over before you get density issues. The IRE scale looks like 4 up 4 down. Does this mean the IRE scale is only good for video? Am I out to to lunch. The Wiki page on IRE isn't to detailed Thanks for reading, AP

A very good book. I've read a few that are about the mechanics of cinematography, but this book is about the art.

These are all very cool tips, guys. Thank you so much. I shot my first 1/2 roll, and tried out many of these, and I like them. I remembered to wide it up, but forgot to reset the foot counter. ( 13 shots, 6seconds a piece-Duh) The octometer is interesting. I was also thinking it might be useful as a spotting scope when shooting surfing with extreme tele. Apart from the foot counter, the only other problems ( before the film comes back, anyways) is that with my c-mount adapter attached, the aperture scale is directly face down, and a pain to read, and I need to get a real camera journal, because the note taking has gone to a whole 'nother level. and my tripod head ( maybe tripod) isn't going to stand up to telephoto. Thanks Andrew

The Minolta sounds like A great meter, but I have to say, I like the thinking behind the studio deluxe. I just bought an h8 rex4 to try and expand on my understanding of cinematography, and learn how to slow down and look. As a side note, how do people feel about Pentax Spotmeter III?

Don't be afraid of making your own adapter. Flat bars of aluminum can be had cheap (compared to Cine stuff, any way), and can be worked with home -type tools ( hand drills, taps, Chop saws). I built a copy of a Bolex light bench for 30 bucks worth of materials, and I'm no great craftsman. Good luck Ap

After Years of fooling around with thrift store super 8 and HDV cams, wrestling over what intermediate's camera to buy, I finally took the plunge, and bought a H8 rex 4. The film stock is in the mail, and I am getting ready for my first shots. Apart from the obvious stuff, what bolex tricks did you learn that nobody told you about? Thanks for looking, and hopefully making my " first time " a good experiance. AP ps Apart from the camera, my kit bag includes; kern pallard 8-40, a c-mount adapter, SMC Super Takumars in 50mm, 105mm, 135mm, and 200mm, canon .6 adapter, a westron master 2 light meter, A manfrotto 190 with a 200 head, bolex matte box, ND's and pols, etc

Looks like a lot of people like the Minolta. I am going to hunt one down and play with it. Thanks, AP

I have been using it outside, in overcast skies, and I think now I should be testing it in a studio, with the grey card you mentioned. I found another sight that said that the emulsion dial, if the meter is old enough is not in ASA, but in a Weston scale used before modern ASA, and would be 1/3rd out. Thanks again for the insights. AP

[Thanks for the cool sight Brian. My meter looks just like the Grey one, and it is in near mint condition. For the past couple of days I have been playing with it, testing it against my dslr, and zeroing it. The funny thing is that it seems to be getting more accurate. When I started,It was under a full stop at 400 foot candles, and didn't seem too sensitive at low light. Today I did it again for a fourth time, and it was 1/3 under at approximately 60 Fc. The meter was in the pocket of a flea market special, and was not stored well. Is it possible that using it is loosing up old lube?

Thanks for your response Brian. I have had to re-think my problem. My meter is called a weston master II. I think that it is old, but of pretty good quality- solid metal case, and very heavy. It is analog, with a sliding scale. the first is from 0 to 1600. The second is from 0 to 50. The dial measures in 1/3 of a stop-I think that it has the potential to be very accurate. I down-loaded the manual, and rezeroed it. Maybe I did it wrong. I guess this started with my belief that the Selenium photo cells in non-battery powered meters get tired, and fail. Is this wrong?

Hi Everybody, I am learning how to use a light meter, and old one I have doesn't take batteries and is inaccurate. Can anyone recommend one that I can get used for under $150? I shoot mostly arty skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing with the odd wedding and family event thrown in. I use mostly available light, with a couple of reflectors at most. Thanks for looking AP

hi Dom, I told the whole thing off, and reset the alignment screws, and that did the trick. I think the problem was that it was more crooked than off center. Thanks for your interest, and the tip about the book and the mattes AP

Well, I have picked up a bolex matte box, and done a few experiments. The issue is the size of the filler holder on the Matte box. It looks like it is designed to take 2x3 gels. Without a adapter of some kind, you cannot connect the filters to the matte box. I think anyone who has a few basic skills could fab up a holder to connect a different slide in filter system- the bolex one is held on by just 4 standard screws. The small Cokin filter holder is very tight if mounted at the taking lens, and I don't think it will work The screw on filters will fit in, up to about 58mm, but I'm sure a matte should be use to cut down light entry. The downside of the screw on filters is two fold- first you need to have the proper thread adapter- not too bad, if you have a big collection of same sized filters, because the adapters are relatively cheap. The second problem is that screw in filters are slow to use compared to one that slide in, especially if you are using a "stack", and the light is changing.

thanks for the reply Dom, and the cool tip about that book. !5 pounds post payed? Martin Luther would be proud bibles are soo cheap now. I have included pictures this time to illustrate the issue. The Matte box mounts OK, but just seems off center. If this is the correct position for it, it will make making mattes a little harder. Thanks for time

Based on advise from forum members, I just picked up a bolex matte box. I bought it off e-bay, and it did not come with any of the mattes, or instructions. When I mounted it in what appears to be a logical position, the taking lens is not centered in the Matte box. Is this normal, or did I do it wrong? Also, can I make my own mattes? Thanks Andrew

Thanks Nicholas

Hi everyone, What is a reasonable price to pay for a bolex 100 foot take up spool for a h8 or h16. I can't find on in North America, and there is a local junk man who has a lot of bolex stuff. I don't want to step into his layer uninformed..... Thanks, AP

Thanks Tim, if I strike out on an open market source, I'll get back to you. Ap '

Hi All, I read the earlier thread about an adapter that allows h16 spools to be used on a h8.I've fired off a few email to no avail. If someone can provide me with an example or knows were I can buy some, I can get a few copies machined. ( I would rather just buy them, if possible-machining is a hassle) Cheers, AP

Hi All, I am considering buying a Bolex matte box, and was thinking about how my existing filters (tiffen and Cokin) will work with it. Will I have to get specific bolex compatable filters, or can I use these generic ones, with out modifying the matte box? Thanks AP