Philip Forrest

These days it would just about affordable to buy (or receive for free) a 35mm minilab like an Agfa DLab, reprogram the transport times and temperatures and develop in whatever one wants. Back around 2011, there were photo shops all over the USA unloading their machines for free. To some extent, this is still the case, and you can still get a minilab for the cost of a truck rental, a couple pizzas (for the 2 friends needed to move the thing safely) and fuel, with a little shopping around. Phil Forrest

TMax 100 in 16mm would blow everything else out of the water for black and white motion picture films. With today's scanning technology, the results would be astoundingly perfect, great dynamic range and essentially grain free. Fun food for thought, but that's all it is for now. One way to reduce grain on 7266 would be to have it developed as negative, in a soup like Diafine but then you're looking at hand developing lengths of 100ft at a time, since that is typically a very small batch developer. Phil Forrest

There is a possibly internet-driven, anecdotal theory out there that the color of the paint of the various Filmo 70 cameras denotes if the camera is 1R or 2R. This is, that if the camera is painted black, then it is 2R and if it is painted light brown or green (military) then it is 1R. I wouldn't go by this because I've seen a KRM (late US military version of the HRM) that was 2R and painted green, as well as a DR which was 2R. I think the customer may have had the option to order the camera according to spec, certainly the military would have. Add to all this the fact that the whole system from the DA on, is largely interchangeable, part-for-part, and someone in the last 90 years could have swapped out or modified the shuttle and the gate. Phil Forrest

Have you secured an attorney to handle this? Or are you just going to try to put a dent in this business the grassroots way, while possibly committing libel? Again, another case for hiring an attorney just to ensure you are making your website above bar. Phil Forrest

Some people just like to tell others what to do, how to do it. Unfortunately, such is the nature of the internet and especially in gear-centric forums. Phil Forrest

Perhaps try Bernie at Super16inc in upstate NY. When I spoke to them a month or so ago, they said they were backlogged with work and weren't accepting any new jobs but to check back in May, FYI. Phil Forrest

Interesting! I have an Eyemax 6in f/4.5 C mount which is fixed focus at infinity. I'm assuming for a gun camera. Simon, do you have any experience with the SOPELEM 10mm f/1.9? I've seen a few of them around and they all seem to be in more of a "parts lens" state than a usable lens. I've read they are the same optic, licensed by Rank Taylor-Hobson who made them for years after Berthiot ceased production of this lens. Phil Forrest

Simon, I agree that no client would pay that much labor for this lens. I'm doing it as a proof of concept and also because I find working on lenses (or almost any mechanical device aside from my diesel Benz in the rain at night) quite meditative and enjoyable. I needed to add that if the blades are to be transplanted as I described in my earlier post, the holes and slots in the aperture carriage need to be widened with a jeweler's file. Only a very small amount is needed and the brass is quite easy to work. Phil Forrest

About 12 years ago I had a Leica 21mm f/3.4 Super Angulon M that had been coated by Focal Point here in the states. They did an incredible job and that was one of the finest, if not THE finest optics I've ever used. The lens body was well worn but the glass was immaculate and beautifully, deeply coated. I'm pretty open to working on lenses with coating marks, but I'm always concerned by the ones that have decades of journalists' shirts grinding away at the front element or even the rear (!) with whatever rodeo or racetrack dust they may be wallowing around in. I don't know what it might take to recoat a lens these days, especially since I'm not going to be having it done on many elements from many lenses, so I don't know of any services here that do this kind of one-off service. Might be good for me to invest in this in the coming years, if it's even possible. Until then, I'm using a hood! Phil Forrest

I recently pulled the trigger on one of these potentially trouble prone lenses. It was bought very cheap, with foggy glass and tight focusing, but an aperture which was working, for the most part. This is the H16RX version, but the construction is essentially the same as the non-RX lens, particularly the aperture assembly, which is what I'm writing about repairing. Last night I set to taking apart the lens to polish the haze off the elements adjacent to the aperture. This is common in old lenses with original lubricants, as over the last 50 or so years, the greases have migrated and outgassed, depositing haze on the elements near the aperture. I've seen this in most older still photo rangefinder lenses, especially Canon and Leica. Anyway, I got the lens down to bits and the aperture block out. I saw the awful "crown" of bent metal which makes up the pivot points in each aperture blade. Getting the lens elements haze free and the focusing helicoid working fine was all good but I still didn't want to have to take this lens apart WHEN, not if, the weak aperture blade pivot points give way. I have quite a few parts lenses available to me, but no Berthiot 10mm samples. I was on the lookout for replacement blades with better construction. First thing I had to find was a lens that opened the aperture in the same direction as the Berthiot, and had the same number of blades, which is six. Turns out I have three of them, one needed repair. I selected two Bell & Howell Comats, both 25mm f/1.9. One is the first version which is almost like a small golf ball, the other is the later version with the finish that looks like the Angenieux lenses which shipped with Filmos. The third donor lens I have is a Lumax but the aperture blades would require a bit more modification over what I describe below. Both of the Comats turned out to have aperture blades which are an exact match pivot-to-pivot. Radius, distance and angle are almost exactly the same. The only issue is about .5mm extra on the inside angle of each aperture blade. These blades are easily cut in order to remove the appropriate amount of metal to create a matching blade to the Berthiot original. If this is not done, the lens' rate of closure does not match the aperture scale due to the subtle S bend in one side of the aperture blade. So far I've cut a few blades and using a 20 microscope, I can see that I got the cuts close enough to discourage tearing. The best option would be a rounded corner cut but this is impossible for me in my home workshop. Once I get the whole lens back together, I'll have an essentially new Berthiot 10mm RX lens, though I'll have spent five hours of labor on it. The opportunity cost of that time spent on this repair is not offset by the cost of a 10mm Switar RX or Cinegon RX, for me, but might be for most out there. That said, since I work on most of my own gear (aside from my REX4) I figure I'm saving money and enjoying the time I spend improving a lens. I thought I'd put this out there for all you with Berthiot 10mm f/1.9 lenses which have non-operational apertures due to their cost cutting. It's a fine optic and with some TLC can really be made to work quite nicely for folks who want an inexpensive C mount wide angle. Phil Forrest

I was going to say gaff tape around the lid to ensure it's light tight. This leak originated from the lid side of the camera, and if the filter holder was in place, one of the tighter bends in the lid, probably the upper one, would be the place to look for excessive space. Phil Forrest

I've not tried it with a Bolex, but I have with a Filmo. The only problem is the crank should be long, so you can put a smooth amount of torque on the crank. Doing this, you also need a rock steady tripod because if you have any amount of play between the camera and the ground, it will show on film with the camera moving up and down every couple 10 frames. Phil Forrest

If I recall correctly, the Filmo motors all have a viscous clutch. They may need a grease of certain viscosity and lubricity. I'm sure someone with more experience with the 400ft system will chime in. Phil Forrest

Perhaps a lens for an aerial recon camera? Phil Forrest

I'm not a cinematographer, nor do I plan on being one. I'm just a hobbyist with motion picture gear. That said, I come from a career in photojournalism and I'll honestly say that there is no replacement for experience. I was a photographer in the Navy and when I got out, I went to school to get my BA. I didn't learn anything about journalism in college that I didn't already know, but I did gain a great network, and a I minored in history, which was equally enriching, but I digress. While you want to go to school to learn a craft, what needs to happen is to do the craft in order to learn it. This isn't a great time to be getting into college to learn a craft like filmmaking or photography but at the same time, it's a great time for innovation and exploration. You might think about reaching out to whomever you can find just to be a PA, even as an intern, just to begin getting experience. I'm sure others will chime in here, but there is no substitute for the actual experience of flashing a can or magazine of film, or any of the other numerous mistakes you'll make on your journey. Good luck! Phil Forrest

Bernie at super16 in upstate NY does it, but I just talked to them this morning about my REX4 and they aren't taking any new work for a couple months due to a repair backlog. Phil Forrest

Kodak K-100 Turret and Bell & Howell 240 are both spoken for. The rest of the gear is still available, feel free to make a fair offer. Phil Forrest

In my amateur opinion, there are a lot better cameras to use to film with. The best thing the 75 has going for it, is that really snazzy covering. I bought one from a charity shop for a few dollars and it had a 1" Cooke Kinic as well as a 3" Cooke Telekinic. Those are great lenses but the camera, not so much. The mount is not native C, it's actually like a D mount but proprietary, as C mount lenses need an adapter. The camera operated but did so unstably, so it's a source for parts now. If I had a hankering to shoot with that form factor camera, I'd find a Keystone ready to shoot 1R and have fun. Phil Forrest

If you're not averse to tinkering, go to the hardware store and buy a couple different fisheye door peep viewers. You'll need a simple convex/convex element behind the main lens to project the image properly on a film plane but between finding junker fixed focus Wollensaks and a few different size/focal length peep-holes, you'll still be under $50. They aren't as fast as a "real" lens for photography, but fun to play with. I have one of these stuffed into the filter holder of a fixed focus Wollensak 20mm and it resolves an image a little bigger than standard 16mm 4:3. This reminds me, I should get that lens out and play with it more. Phil Forrest

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flange_focal_distance Phil Forrest

Since there is only .174mm difference between the flange focal distance of the large Fuji X mount and the small diameter of C mount, you will not be able to achieve infinity focus unless the adapter has a negative glass element built in to it. Phil Forrest

The c mount flange is held on to the camera with a brass retaining ring, which is actually the c mount itself. The flange is just a cup with tabs that lock into the ring at the back of the lens. When people don't have the right spanner to take the c mount off, or they don't know that it is a part of the lens, they just twist off the QR flange and sell only a partial set, as you have there. You might find the part attached to a Bell & Howell 240, as these were standard kits. Good luck. Phil Forrest

Do yourself, and what you shoot, a favor and send the camera off for service. That sticky shutter button will be taken care of as well as all the other issues you haven't encountered yet. You'll have a baseline of performance for the camera and you'll be able to better tell what is wrong with the camera. Cameras right out of the shipping box from ebay or whatever-other-sight-unseen website very often need service in order to work properly. Think of sending the camera to Simon Wyss who posts here frequently. He's very helpful with advice and though I haven't sent a camera to him, I'd trust him with my REX4 without question. Phil Forrest

Get a multi-pack of various size rubber grommets, slotted for running wires through car bulkheads. Make sure you find a set that has block off grommets as well as those with holes. You should be able to find one that will fit along the long axis of that hole, then trim down the shorter side with a razor blade. Pop it in and you're good to go. I have a few sets of these that I have as go-tos for typewriter repair and they are lifesavers. Hope this helps. Phil Forrest

If you don't want to shell out a lot and don't mind an older form factor, the Gossen Luna Pro series are fantastic. I've been using them for still photography for about 25 years and motion picture hobby stuff for about 2 years. The Luna Pro assumes a 180 degree shutter angle, so it should work for you. They made a version that was shoe mounted for Bolex. I used to own one about 20 years ago and wasn't interested in shooting motion picture, so I gave it to a friend. Now I can't find one that isn't really pricey. I'm still very comfortable using a handheld incident/reflective so the standard Luna Pro with the cine scale works great for both still and MP. Phil Forrest