Edwin Feliu

I bought a Nikon R8 Super from Super 8 Arena. I love it but am having focusing issues. The test roll came back so blurry that shapes couldn't be recognized. This baffles me, since I usually use the distance scale. The lab believes it's the diopter, but I usually don't depend on what I see in the viewfinder. Any ideas? I'll shoot another test roll hoping it's only user error.

Jean-Louis, I'm interested. Can you give me a quote and send pictures to edwincito@yahoo.com?

I already have the 12.5 Kern.

I ended up buying a Bolex reflex and a Scoopic. I love both, but lean toward the former. Then again, I believe in different cameras for different situations. I like the handheld features of the Scoopic (something I like about Super 8 cameras) and its autoexposure; and I like the interchangeability of lenses in the Bolex. I also like that the Bolex makes me be more deliberate. The Scoopic I bought, however, doesn't show the meter needle and I'm forced to use it on autoexposure only. That said, I would have rarely used the manual settings.

Jonas Mekas on film school.

I took Will's advice and decided on a Scoopic. I found one within budget that's film tested. I really like the engineering and think it's a good fit, but I will also keep shooting the Bolex, which I like very much. I see myself shooting even more film.

I found out how to do it with this YouTube video:

Thanks all. I think the reflex Bolex is the way to go when the time is right. I considered a Scoopic but am mystified by the battery: I found none on eBay.

That's sound advice, and I needed it. I do like to try different cameras, and maybe reflex is the way to go. But then I would need the lenses, as you pointed out. I do keep in mind that Jonas Mekas did amazing things with his Bolex, and so did Brakhage and Warhol. Probably what would help me, though, would be to find good lenses. My best score so far is a Lytar, which I think is a lovely lens. Maybe I should also consider an Angeniux. Thanks, Dom.

I have a Bolex H16 and considered a Krasnogorsk 3, but that seems a step down, though this one is near mint. I also considered a Filmo DA. What would be a step up? My budget would be $800 or so. I know this has been covered before, so apologies for the redundancy.

Jon, I shot a few 8mm films that were very overexposed. However, I, too, found this worked to my advantage because the images that were correctly exposed drifted in and out dreamily. One of these films was jumpy because of a gate problem, but that, too, worked to my advantage because it made the footage edgy. I edited both movies into a single film that I liked. BTW I would love to see what you shot. Would you email it to edwincito@yahoo.com?

Will, I always have a light meter with me, but I made a rookie mistake: I forgot to factor in the shutter speed. Somehow, I thought that using 500 speed film meant I had a 500 shutter speed, whereas it seems to be more like 60. I have trouble figuring out that blunder, but somehow think it's related to shooting my Rolleicord.

Obviously must be film-tested. Shoot me an email at edwincito@yahoo.com or message me.

Daniel, that's an extraordinary photo!

Luigi, thanks! I did indeed put it in the wrong position, not fully flush with the opening. It's the first time it happened. Some of the turret holes fall into place more strongly than others. I imagine wear is to blame.

Will, kind words. I'm so excited about Bolex that I ordered three more lenses and am looking for another camera of a different make, despite not having one good film to show for my efforts. 16mm is a whole different animal altogether. By seating the lens, I meant not fully lining it up with the shutter. Maybe it's a common mistake for beginners.

Brian, very interesting! Thank you. So far, I've used a 15mm and 25mm, with the former being my favorite. Wanting to test new things, I have a Som Berthiot Pan Cinor 20-60mm on the way.

Thanks, guys. I made one more mistake recently: I dropped it. The film cover opened and a lens hood was bent. I was mortified, but remembered reading here that one could drop a Bolex and carry on merrily--something like that. I'll find out soon if that's the case when I get the film from the lab. I shoot Super 8 and Standard 8, and love all these formats. But shooting with the Bolex seems more challenging, and despite these setbacks, I'm determined to make good films with it. What has helped me lately is sticking to one lens: that has simplified things somewhat.

With my Bolex H16. The first film was overexposed; the next was ruined because the lens was not in the taking position; this last film had a sort of hood obstructing the image, which I imagine is due to the lens not being seated properly. I take comfort in the thought that others have gone through the same things. In fact, I like the challenge, and hopefully the next will be the one. My hunch is that I need to spend more time getting to know the Bolex. Any opinions are welcome.

I received a Macro Switar and noticed the picture is blurry in the viewfinder although it has an infinity mark. I later noticed it was for an H8.

Disregard: I Googled it.

Thanks, Simon. What is the "taking" lens?

I suspect this has been covered before, so I'm happy to receive a link. I don't know my Bolex very well but would like to superimpose footage. Can anybody help?

I took Roger's advice and bought a Minolta 601-XL with built-in intervalometer. Not sure how it works, though. I assume increasing the intervals makes for slower time lapses. I think this was a good way around the issue.

Dom, thanks for the input. Glad to know it's not the camera. What I received is a scan that shows the bottom half and upper half of frames when played. Strangely, another scan in a different format with a different camera had the same problem. I'm stumped.