Philip Forrest

It might be black paint flaking off or the lens element separating a tiny bit from the barrel in which it sits. This happens due to lenses being exposed to high heat; the metal barrels will expand slightly and the glass won't expand at the same rate. Think, leaving the camera bag in a car trunk in the summer. If the lens makes a good image, it's nothing to worry about. The separation that you may be seeing is almost immeasurable. Usually lens elements and groups will be coated with a flat black paint on their edges. When the paint separates, bubbles or completely flakes away, what you can see is the frosted edge of the lens element from the inside. Your lens is probably in otherwise fine condition and even sending it off to Canon probably wouldn't make a difference. Phil Forrest

http://cinetinker.blogspot.com/2014/12/rx-vs-non-rx-lenses.html This is by one of our members here. Phil Forrest

The problem with using an SLR zoom lens on an adapter is that it won't be corrected for the Bolex reflex prism. This will preclude using it at apertures wider than f/4ish. Phil Forrest

Corrected my post after watching the video

Angenieux and Som Berthiot both made a few zoom lenses with the specific formulation for the reflex cameras. Unfortunately, all of them are just as big as, or bigger than the Vario Switars. Phil Forrest

Stick a piece of gaff tape over that slot, you may get a light leak. Phil Forrest

Since you're looking through the lens with closed down aperture, then also looking through the reflex finder, you're not going to be able to see much. You may need to get the camera cleaned, lubed and adjusted, but what you're describing sounds exactly like my REX4. I came to Bolex after working with Filmo 70 series cameras which all use parallax finders, so looking through the lens is a new thing for me, but it's not bad to move the eye over to the Octameter finder I have on the film chamber door of the camera. If you're comfortable doing composition with a parallax finder, definitely get one. I find that the reflex finder is really useful for fine focus then I switch to the Octameter finder for composition. Phil Forrest

Using old third party slip on adapters and shades is probably your best bet. The Switar 25/1.4 takes a 33mm slip on adapter and fits series 5 filters and hoods. Sometimes these things are almost free from local brick and mortar camera shops, if you can get to one. When you get the proper fit, they work really well. Other than that, look around the house for plastic things you can use as shades: 35mm film canisters, pill bottles, etc. Phil Forrest

Hoods may already exist. Which lenses are you wanting to shade? Phil Forrest

Bolex motor is sold. Feel free to make me offers on any other gear in the ad. I'm trying to lighten the collection this year and want to eventually pare it down to "just" three 16mm cameras and a handful of lenses. Currently, I have shelves of this stuff that I'm looking to send along to someone else. Phil Forrest

Watch out running that old film. I've found that old Kodachrome emulsions like to flake inside cameras, leaving the gate to be cleaned judiciously, and leaving the film chamber dusted with tiny emulsion flakes, like a bad form of glitter that has the ability to turn to concrete. The REX 4 should definitely be sent out for service then used. Awesome cameras, nice lenses. All good users. Phil Forrest

I came to 16mm from a career as a still photojournalist, so I get where you're coming form with regard to photography techniques. Regarding aperture, f/5.6 is still f/5.6 etc., no matter what format you shoot. The thing that changes it is the reflex prism of the REX camera. You'll have to compensate by reducing your ISO on your meter. For that Kern zoom lens, find a C.R.I.S. adapter so you can use silver oxide batteries that have a longer life than the horribly expensive Wein cells. If you want, you can build one yourself with a diode to reduce the voltage to the proper level. You can use your K mount lenses on the Bolex, but you're going to want to have a turret lock when you use it. The camera may already have one as it has that big zoom on it. It looks like a C mount cap with a red circle on it and a knob on the back that locates the turret snugly into the body, preventing the weight of heavier lenses from dragging the turret down. You can find a number of K mount or M42 mount to C mount adapters out there but the very best I've ever seen are the old Novoflex ones. Maybe even new Novoflex ones for that matter. I have one for a Nikon F mount to Leica M and it is fantastic. No messing around with registration distance and lens collimation to ensure focus. It is just precise. There is probably a K to C mount adapter made by Asahi or Honeywell. I've seen a Bolex brand M42 to C mount adapter, I think I have one as a matter of fact somewhere... Probably to use old Contax/Praktica SLR lenses. You won't want to use a mask in the filter holder for cropping since it is too far away from the film plane and will probably leave quite diffuse edges. Surely others here with more experience than I have will chime in. Phil Forrest

I bought a Filmo 70-KRM with one of these built into the door. It was placed there by a 3rd party years after the camera was made. Phil Forrest

Be careful with threading anything in there, and try to use a filter or adapter with a brass ring, like B+W or Heliopan. I know that might be a big investment just to take a chance on a filter but if you use aluminum and the thread pitch or depth is wrong, the metals may bind up, nearly permanently. Then you're stuck using destructive methods (hacksaw, files, dremel) to remove the ring and those fine metal chips can scratch the lens as well as get into the focusing helical. Don't give up, just take your time and find the correct adapter to use. The friction-fit series adapters work pretty well as long as you're not hanging anything too heavy off of them. Phil Forrest

If it's a very fine thread, it is just part of the lens construction and not meant to hold a filter in. My C-Mount 50mm, 25mm, and 10mm Schneiders are all like this. The fine threads hold in the beauty ring and the optical cell. I've seen the same on older lenses for still film cameras in various formats. Before manufacturers established a thread pitch standard with standard widths, every company did things their own way and either used slip-on filter/hood adapters or used a proprietary ring to adapt series accessories. I know Schneider made a few of these in the 50s and 60s, and I recently looked at the price of one, from a shop in Hong Kong selling it. I could buy another lens for what he was asking. Good luck in your search. Phil Forrest

This is an 8mm camera and it's either proprietary or D mount. You can only adjust the aperture of this lens, it does not have the ability to adjust focus. You may be able to get one lens element out from the back with a spanner but it may not budge. I'd say clean the front and the back, make sure the aperture moves smoothly then go shoot. Phil Forrest

Good that you got the crank removed and are figuring out the mechanism. I was curious about how this would end up. The Filmo model 70s are made to be fixed. Much easier to work on and more reliable. The motors don't run as long as a 240 but they are way quieter. Really professional cameras that can withstand whatever is thrown at them. I have a 240 around here somewhere I should dust off. Phil Forrest

Was it not made for a press on Series VI adapter? Phil Forrest

That is awesome, Webster! Makes me want to grab a Filmo and blast through a roll at 64f/s. That footage is great and it shows us all how incredibly stable the Filmos are! Phil Forrest

The yellowing is usually only very slight and you won't see it in the images due to the camera accounting for white balance. Repairing it isn't too hard or expensive. It would probably be well worth the cost, unless the lens is cosmetically ugly. The aluminum barrels of these don't age well as they get pitted and dull gray with age. It is a really good lens though as far as its performance. Phil Forrest

Both f/1.4 and f/1.9 Cine-Ektars are very good lenses. Phil Forrest

Angenieux 17-68 Sold. I have an Elmo C-300 Super 8 / DS 8 camera for sale as well. Don't have the DS8 magazine. Camera works but I have never used it for filming. Make me an offer. Make me offers on any of the gear in the first ad as well. Consolidating and moving soonish so i want to cut down on a lot of stuff. Phil Forrest

If you still have the screw and any hardware that goes underneath it, put a very small amount of nail polish on the threads and screw it back in. If it actually broke off and a piece is still stuck in the center shaft, just consider that a parts camera and get another. Phil Forrest

For a smaller tank that is a touch wider than a 5G bucket head over to a car parts store and find one of the round oil drain containers. Mine has a spin-on lid and a hole in the center of what is a weak funnel. This option also has a drain off to the side. Phil Forrest

Angenieux 17-68 is spoken for.