Philip Forrest

You pull the lock out with your fingernail. It's a tiny little button that seems like an afterthought on B&H's part. Don't worry about vibrating the Filmo from depressing the shutter button with your finger, it has enough mass that it won't matter as long as your camera is in good condition and everything is properly lubed. For 1R cameras, the DE was first, then DL, then DR. The HL came out shortly after the DL and has the ability to mount a 400ft magazine. It has a motor fitting as well. The HR was concurrent with the DR. The difference between the DL and DR is largely in the turret. The DR has a geared turret to automatically select the correct viewfinder objective matching the taking lens. DE and DL both have to be selected by the user. The HR was also made for the military, called the KRM. Both of these models have a little shutter stabilizer. The door of the HR and KRM are special doors as well, as they have a spacer between the door and the viewfinder to allow for composition with the magazine on. The film alignment gauge is used for precision focusing and composition. The tiny 15x focusing aid can be used only on a tripod and the alignment gauge accounts for errors of parallax between the gauge, the taking lens and the viewfinder. It's really very necessary if you want to do some close-up work. A while back I asked Simon about hanging a reflex 12-120 Angenieux off the front of a Filmo and he recommended against it. I already have a reflex 17-68 and found only through my own experience that he was right, in that the Filmo is a much better camera for shooting small fixed focal lengths off of, not big zooms. That also goes for hanging an SLR lens off the turret. One thing you'll find is that only some adapters for 35mm-C mount will fit on the Filmo due to the turret retaining nut. Many of the adapters won't mount flush and you won't get the lens to seat to infinity or even sit still. The only Filmo I would put a zoom lens or adapted 35mm still lens on would be a 70E as it has no turret and the front plate is very strong in comparison. The 70E doesn't have a port for rewind as the later models do. I haven't used my 400ft mag yet and don't really feel like I want to either. It's just a piece I've collected and will keep in case I have the desire to shoot that much. I really like using the 70DL or 70 DR on a good monopod. It's a really portable way to have a nice kit to walk around with and get some good stable shots. Phil Forrest

I can't, for the life of me, figure out how to remove the main drive spring from a 70 Filmo without it expanding and coming to rest? I've read about a tool to enable this but how would that tool get around the spring to be able to secure it? If the spring is pulled out with the drive mechanism fully wound as per the manual, then it will violently expand once it clears the well where it sits in the chassis. If the drive is removed and the spring unhooked from the center drive shaft then part of it is already at rest and safe but it can't be really cleaned and relubed with graphite that way. I'm looking for the actual tool or part that makes the factory method of servicing the camera possible and safe. Thanks all, Phil Forrest

I'm thinning my herd of photography gear and the first to go is my Eyemo. It's a pre-war 71-A with a 1" Eyemax Anastigmat f/4.5 fixed focus lens. I got this camera hoping to shoot a few minutes of nice silent footage here and there but feeding the beast is just too expensive right now. The lens and it's yellow filter are in excellent condition. The camera is a bit rougher cosmetically but the inside is clean, it's light-tight and it runs great. It has a black chrome key which I think was added recently. I have a nickel plated key from my 70-A I can swap out if someone wanted the period-correct kit. Unfortunately I don't have the grip for the camera. I can send photos of the camera upon request. Asking $200 for the camera and lens. Thanks all, Phil Forrest

With regard to lenses that have a stated T stop but also are fitted with a reflex viewfinder, what should be a corrective factor to account for the prism that is sitting within the optical path? I've seen lenses of the same type, one with, one without a reflex finder and haven't seen any mention of a T stop correction, ie Angenieux12-120. Thanks for answering this curiosity of mine. Phil Forrest

I want to find a Filmo cradle. The thing that the camera could sit on to strengthen the rigidity of the whole unit and make it all more stable on the tripod. I have only seen ad photos of the thing for the most part, but last week I saw one in an eBay ad sitting under a 70-KRM. I don't know what Bell and Howell called this thing nor how many were ever produced. They seem rare as hen's teeth though. So I'm just looking for the name of it so I can do some proper searching online. Thanks all, Phil Forrest

Simon, Thanks for that info. This camera still has 8-64 frames/sec available. I'm still not sure what those rollers are for. The parts in the door are little light housings which project a bit of light through a slit right at the level of the "upper" sprocket holes (the side which is not perforated on 1R film.) I got the magazine takeup sorted out. I needed to stretch the spring since the mag doesn't have a clutch. A fellow member here helped me out with that. Phil Forrest

Belay my last. The drive pulley moves correctly. So do these mags wind emulsion out on takeup? Thanks all, Phil Forrest

I received a spring belt for my 70-KRM, hooked it up to my 400ft magzine and much to my surprise, the camera is driving the magazine the wrong way. So, the takeup side winds emulsion out. Add to that, the fact that it feels like it is pulling too much as well. This camera works perfectly using the internal takeup but when a magazine is attached, it always loses the lower loop after about 20 feet. I'm using some 2R white leader for this testing, by the way. Both of the valves in the magazine open fine using the little loading plunger as well as when the camera door keys them open. The velvet is just a tiny bit wrinked but it doesn't drag the film as far as I can tell though a tiny bit of drag over a few hundred frames might affect this I suppose. So I have two issues to take care of: fix the drive pulley to get it turning the correct way, and if the loop problem continues, figure out why. Phil Forrest

The 70-KRM arrived today and is in better condition than I thought it would be in. It pulls a full 22 feet per wind, runs about 55 seconds at 16 frames/sec. It is either a modified 70-H with the shutter and geared turret assembly from a HR/KRM added or it is the latter camera with sprockets for 2R film. The shutter and gate are HR/KRM as they only have one pulldown claw. I bought it knowing that it was modifiied at some point but a few of these modifications are baffling to me. I'm including links to photos of the inside of the camera, the mod to the door inside as well as the 5-pin connector and the plate which reads "Triad Model 619B..." There are two rollers inside which prevent use of a 100ft reel. The camera came with a 50ft reel inside as well as a weird special purpose lens adapter which ads a crosshair reticle between a C mount lens and the camera itself. All of the speeds below 32 frames/sec have been run through and seem really close. The film counter works well and can be reset correctly. I didn't receive any magazines with this camera but I'll be shopping for them later. I do have a question of how the magazine spring belt is looped around the drive wheel on the camera though. http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/475807-2/20190816_160622.jpg http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/475811-2/20190816_160505.jpg http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/475815-2/IMG_20190816_151043479.jpg http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/475819-2/IMG_20190816_151124246.jpg Any insight or tips are always appreciated. Thanks all, Phil Forrest

I just scored yet another Filmo, this time a 70KRM. Camera is complete with the cover plate for the magazine port and the correct door. I have pleny of lenses and viewfinder objectives, but I will be searching for 400ft magazines and all the bits that allow shooting this camera with this much film. I can't find a manual or a list of parts which I'll need to use the bigger magazines. I've read here that the spring motor has enough power to drive the 400ft takeup but I'll be needing a few other parts to make this happen. I'm also hoping to rig up an adjustable speed cordless screwdriver to the motor port so I'm not limited to shooting tethered to a wall by a cord. Any tips for collecting all the pieces of this kit or for using would be awesome. Thanks all, Phil Forrest

I've asked Magna Tech through their eBay page. Haven't gotten a response yet. I can't find International Cinema probably because I don't know their full business name and searching for "International Cinema" gives me way too many results. Thanks! Phil Forrest

I'm looking for Bell and Howell 70D+ parts. Specifically, a pulldown claw shuttle for a 1R camera. One of my Filmos had a slightly bent loop which was binding up the shutter a bit. Other parts I'm looking for are the front plate from a late production 70DR, the plate with the filter cutout in front of the gate. I'll take a whole non working 70DR as well. Thanks all, Phil Forrest

I don't want to step on anyone's toes since I'm the new guy but I take everything I own apart and rebuild just as a hobby (and as what we call self-care in my profession of mental health worker.) So here are my personal tips and observtions regarding these amazing cameras, much of which I'm repeating from other places on this forum. If you have old grease that has dried into a hard mass, it will have to be removed. I'd stay out of the main spring and clockwork because you may slice your body up when that spring unloads.The deepest maintenance you shoud get into is as folows: Let the camera completely wind down. Remove the turret plate and make sure to catch the two or three small pawls that are located around the edge of the chassis and give the turret its notches for lens/lock position. Save the tiny washer that should be under the turret. Unscrew the 4 screws holding the front plate in. Gently remove it while keeping your finger over the shutter release. Here is where it may get difficult because the front plate is steel and the chassis is aluminum, so some galvanic corrosion may have occurred and welded them together over the last 60 years. Once you get that free, you can dunk it in the solvent of your choice if it needs it. Over th last two years, I have restored 5 of these cameras an only one needed the shutter mechanism really cleaned, that was a 70DA. My DR and DL were and are immaculate inside although the outsides show a bit of wear. If you use a solvent on the shutter, make sure it is completely dry then begin dabbing lubeon the moving parts. If you see the lube, you've added too much. Stick the shutter mechanism back in the chassis while negotiating that shutter button and spring that you madure sure didn't fly out when you took it apart. Getting it back in can be a pain but it can be done. Put the little spring loaded pawls be in the chassis then stick the turret plate back on gently and work the awls in one at a time. Screw on the center nut, take out the little cap, add a drop of really high quality oil (I like to use a synthetic oil used for watch repair because it will not polymerize). There is a tiny weep hole near the hole for the manual crank/motor. Add a drop or two there to soak the pad that is inside that housing. Wind it up and go. Phil Forrest

My apologies if this has been covered previously on the forum, I did a bit of searching and couldn't find an answer to my question: is there any guideline regarding development of reversal stock as negative? What should I expect from developing fresh black and white reversal as far as contrast? I know using only a reversal developer and skipping the fashing and bleaching will yield very high contrast. Specifically, I have a bunch of 7266 that I want to process as negative. I've been a still photographer for about 30 years and I'm very comfortable using standard black and white chemistry. I prefer using HC-110 which is a pretty high energy developer that was developed for newsprint, so it's pretty high contrast and predictable with dilution. Further down the line, if I expose reversal with the intention of using it as negative, is there a recommendation for what ISO I rate the film at? Thanks all, Phil Forrest

John, I'm in Philadelphia and would love to talk old Kodak optics with you. I have a bit of a collection going and have had all of them apart for cleaning and lubrication. Phil Forrest

Those filters are snap-in. If your lens was gummed up, the little wire tension ring in between the filter and lens barrel may also be sticky. The filter hood has a key in it that fits into a notch in the lens barrel. This is because the hood has a rectangular cut out and the key is to keep it properly oriented with the axis of the gate. Only the Ektar lenses offered thread-in filters prior to the 1950s if I recall correctly. Be careful, you could wind up going down the road of collecting all these great old lenses, especially the Ektars, most of which are top notch performers and happen to have quite a bit of rare-earth glass in them. All of my Ektars are yellowed from the thorium content. Phil Forrest

Did you ever get this c mount nut removed? If not, take it to a really good bike shop, tell them it's valuable and not to mess up any of the parts. You could also try heating the turret plate with a torch and applying ice to the brass ring. Just a little heat, enough to burn you if you touched the plate bare handed. The colder you can get that brass ring, the better. Phil Forrest

Yes, I know there are no curtains, I'm just using the terminology of still cameras which I've used for thirty years. I've had all my Filmos completely apart and overhauled them. I need to find a shutter blade shaft from a wrinkled or jammed shutter then use that as the base for my mod. I love using the Kodak stocks mostly because my student discount makes film almost affordable but also because I love the look of 5222/7222. I've been using it in Nikons and a Leica for maybe fifteen years. Aside from Tri X 35mm still film, the bulk loaded 5222 is all I shoot. And it's cheap! I could just buy a Bolex too... but I don't want to open that can of worms. Thanks! Phil Forrest

Hello, it's my first post here but I've lurked for about a year now. I love the Filmo 70 series and because of a few generous friends, and a charity shop, I now have four of them. A 70A, E, DL and DR. I only shoot silent so I'm limited to a relatively slow shutter speed. I currently have a 2 stop green gel behind the lens in my DL and a 2 stop ND gel in my DR. I would really love to not have to use filtration though but since Eastman 7222 and 7266 are both high speed, I am still limited to f/11-f/22 here in the summer sun. So, has anyone ever changed the shutter angle of the Filmo to effectively cut the exposure? To do this, the angle would probably have to be equally decreased at both curtain open and close, instead of just one side, which would be easier but lead to uneven exposure. I would love to take on this project and I'm hoping someone out there has either successfully made it happen or got far in their attempt. If we could only get Kodak to produce a 50 ISO stock! Thanks all, Phil Forrest

Which Filmo VF? 16mm or 8mm? If you're speaking of the 16mm 70 series, does it have the turret type with objectives (70DR, 70DL), the fixed viewfinder with drum-switchable diopters (70DA) or the fixed viewfinder with no diopter nor adjustment? I modified the turret in my 70DL to match the focal length of my 2.5" Kodak Anastigmat by notching the thin brass foil that forms the mask. You could either widen the mask with a keyhole file (there is plenty of room) or make the vertical axis shorter using some amazing flat, black tape then switching out the objective itself to match the lens FL. Phil Forrest