Mister X

You may want to contact Guy Bodart, first, on how long it may be for him to do the conversion. I've sent him my RX-5 for conversion to Super16, several months ago, but have not received it back, yet. He may have a backlog of work to finish due to an illness. Fortunately, I've gotten an RX-1 to work with, that was already converted by him.

Presently, Roger Sharland, (first-camera @ eBay), is offering a Bolex RX-5 body, with a starting bid of US$599.99. He's checked it out and serviced it, too. I'd recommend him as a reputable dealer. The item number is 7509062224. And, Clive Tobin occasionally offers his equipment on eBay and has combined a shipment from an eBay sale with other items from his catalog for me.

Try here: http://www.intervalometers.com/pdfs/2003-bolexb8.pdf Or, if you have the Bolex D8L, try: http://www.intervalometers.com/pdfs/2003-bolexd8l.pdf

Photosonics appears to me to be the best product. The company is still in business, has super 16 conversions, and can service your camera, (if things go wrong). And, with a c-mount, one might use the same reflex lenses on one's Bolex RX-5. I've been looking at them, (with thoughts of capturing some swift fencing movements on film), and see them occasionally listed upon eBay, (Caveat Emptor). Check out: http://www.cameraguild.com/php/phorum/read...f=1&i=117&t=117Photosonics

I own one with serial no. 1065. For a description, see: http://www.bolexequipment.com/UnderwaterHousings.htm

Anyone else, here, experience the "Labyrinth" at Expo 67? When the National Film Board of Canada tried breaking out of the little box, (epitomized by 4:3 frames), the grand experiment was the construction of a theatre to fit the film's content, often accomplished by the use of multiple projectors. Something happening on one screen might move to another screen, rather than use editing or reframe the shot to capture the movement. The process was not without its flaws and a more "seamless" approach was sought; thus, IMAX was developed. The problem with IMAX is that it is theatrical in its scope, (not cheap, not easily broadcast, and not as affordable to the general public as those little boxes).

"Red velvet curtains," (punaista samettia verho)?

When I first saw $7,000 being bandied about as the budget for "Primer," I thought that "something's wrong here." How does one make a feature film for under $10,000? I got a quick lesson on how the "budget" was calculated upon what was spent in its "production" costs and how this did not necessarily include "post-production" costs; hence, the budgets for "El Mariachi," (1992), and "Primer," (2004), were $7,000. If using very cheap film and making a "screener copy," (before someone else spends money upon it), entitles one to say the film's budget was only $7,000, I figure that it won't be too long a wait to hear of zero-budget features made with borrowed DV cameras and tapes left by Santa.

If the serial number is around 107,000, you undoubtedly have an 8:1 shaft. Tobin says that he's planning on making a TXM-26B motor available around the beginning of March, which can be used for either 1:1 shafts or 8:1 shafts. I have only seen "winding handles" offered a few times during the past year on eBay, by themselves. You could buy a new replacement from Bolex, in Switzerland, for about US$70, (probably what a repair shop is using as an estimate); but, any old Bolex H-16, (before serial number 186925), could be used. You might find an old Bolex, (serial number 100,400 or less), which is only good for parts, for less than US$50, on eBay. Be careful that you order a "winding handle," (rather than a "backwind crank" or "backwind handle," which only moves the film backwards), for winding up the spring motor.

Check out the Library here. There's a manual for the Bolex EBM , as well as Arri equipment. What are you looking for? There's lots of different Bolex manuals.

I'm not aware if their Vario-Switar lens conversions might offer C-mounts or cameflex mounts suitable for the ACL, but you might ask JK Camera.

I've also recently purchased an Eclair NPR and have been thinking over the same questions. As I see it, Ultra 16 is something like Betamax. It allows you to use both single and double perf films, maintains the same center of frame whether standard 16mm or Ultra 16, and allows you to use almost any 16mm lens without much worry of vignetting. The problem is that Super 16, (like VHS), has become the dominant system; so, you pay more, (and submit to the Super 16 conformity), or suffer the consequences of looking for post-production facilities that will accept a "non-standard" format. Recently, Guy Bodart at Cameraspro asked me to reconsider my request to convert my Bolex RX-5, suggesting a Super 16 conversion rather than to Ultra 16. I've accepted his advice on this. And, remember that a Super 16 conversion of film magazines can be costly, too. However, I still think that Ultra 16 does have some advantages. For example, I've also acquired a Bolex RX-1 with an underwater housing, (which uses gears to control a preset Switar 10mm lens, the HAMAR product code). Can this lens be used for Super 16? I'm not sure, but I'll also do a test with my converted Bolex RX-5. And, I want to explore this further by adding a Century 6mm adapter onto this Switar lens. Ultra 16, a 6mm lens adapter, and a CC30R filter behind the lens might offer an extraordinary "fish-eye" view. Having two MOS cameras with lenses that can be interchanged with a sync-sound camera should also be a real advantage; but, I'm inclined to convert a NPR or an ACL to Super 16, rather than Ultra 16, (for more practical post-production reasons).

The Bolex "400 Ft. Magazine" manual recommends using a darkroom for loading the 400' magazine. The alternative would be to load the magazines in the darkroom, (or changing bag), in advance, and to feed a loop of film thru the camera manually. You can get both the EBM and "400 Ft. Magazine" manuals from www.mugjoint.com for US$19 plus postage.

The Kern (Switar) lenses marked with RX can be used on both reflex and non-reflex Bolex cameras; and, with focal lengths of 50mm or less, Bolex reflex cameras should use lenses marked with either RX or DV. The AR marking on Kern lenses indicates an "Anti-Reflection" coating on the lens. As for the Eclair ACL, I don't have that information.

To quote from Andrew Alden's "Bolex Bible": "All the originally specified Kern lenses for the reflex H16s are usuable on Super 16, with the exception of the 10mm Switar wide-angle lens and the 86, 86EE and 86OE zoom lenses. The POE 16 to 100 zoom lens can be used with restrictions on the short focal length of the range, the PTL can show 'port-holing' effects at focal lengths less than 25mm. The MC and PTL lenses may, however, be modified to give a useable zoom range from 14.5mm to 115mm. The Aspheron is still useable, its focal length becomes 7.5mm when used on Super 16."