Herb Montes

The first one with the MP-4 would be best to go even though it doesn't have any lights. The column is at least 2" square on mine and very sturdy. Mine came with a universal camera mount (1/4"-20 thread) but the carraige can be adapted to any kind of mount you can have built. The other stands seem to have thinner columns and may not be sturdy enough to hold a Bolex, especially if you put an animation drive on the camera.

Yes, it was a 16mm but he wanted a 9.5mm model which are harder to get so he had his modified. He showed it to me. The newer Pathe PR/BTL could take electric motors as well as 400' magazines.

True, that's the name on the camera, a "Webo Super 16". It's about circa 1950's or so and is not Super16mm. I don't even know if these cameras can be converted to Super 16mm because of the pelicle. I do know of one American owner who had his converted to 9.5mm. This camera does have a lot of the features of a reflex Bolex but cannot disengage the spring drive.

Pathe Reflex

Looking at this film I see some scenes have a slight vignetting in the corners of the frame. It looks like it was shot with a Super 16mm converted Bolex and the lens did not cover the whole frame. It is a very good film though dark in places.

There is a Bolex rackover made for non-reflex H models. It attaches to the tripod mount and it works by sliding the whole camera over so that the top focus finder can be used to lineup and focus the lens moved into the upper position. There is a picture of the rackover on this page: http://www.bolexcollector.com/accessories/misc50.html I've seen these show up once in a while on eBay though you might ask dealers like Chambless if they have one.

The link works, you can try to copy and paste it in the URL window of your browser. Otherwise you can go to my DA page: http://hmontes.deviantart.com/ Click on the link to my gallery and chose the "Scraps" in the Categories pulldown on the left of the next page. You'll see pictures of my stop motion animation setup. For filming off a wall a good solid tripod or mount is needed. In the pictures you'll see the Quikset pedestal I use. It has a gearhead and would work with your setup. This one cost me about $500 including the head from eBay. I got my MP-4 stand from a fellow filmmaker at a camera show. I have seen them there selling cheap. There are several on eBAy right now including this one which is like mine: 260055327903 As for lights I don't show them in my scraps gallery but I use PAR lights with barndoors on tripod stands. I got them off eBay for a cheap price.

I can give a lot of advice here having built my own animation setups for years. I don't reccommend a tripod, you need something more solid. My first animation stand was built out of 1" slotted angle iron and was strong enough to support an elephant. But now I use a Polaroid MP-4 copystand which I bought very cheap. The tall column allows for moving the camera up and down for various filming fields. You would probably want to get an animation motor for your camera. Here is a picture of my Rex4 in my deviantART scraps gallery (it was modified to use a 400' magazine) with a Stevens animation motor. http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/308911...;qh=sort%3Atime

I did this once with a Beaulieu which had a power rewind. I cut a disc out of black posterboard to fit my lens hood and then cut a quarter segment out of it. I filmed four different scenes with the opening at different angles rewinding between scenes. I got an interesting effect when I rotated the lens hood during one scene causing the open segment to sweep over and overlap the adjacent scene in the frame. You can make such a mask less fuzzy by shooting with more light and closing the aperture to increase the depth of field.

No, it looks like a modification done to accommodate a lens commonly found at that time (the 1930's). The lens on it now is a Russian one I got recently. I haven't been able to find any information about the company that made this particular model. The mechanism is definitely a DeVry since I also have several Abel Traffic cam mechanisms made by DeVry that have interchangeable parts with this camera.

When I changed Internet Service Providers recently I hadn't gotten around to putting back up the site about my old 35mm movie camera, until now. Here it is again: http://www.hmontes.com/Sites/cine35mm.htm

I have a 35mm camera that was built with a DeVry mechanism and it uses the same kind of crank. I have been thinking of reverse engineering the crank and putting drawings up on the web so anyone can make their own (I make a living as a technical drafter).

My personal favorite is the later model Kodak Pageant.

I also recently acquired a two lens version so my collection now has three of them. And it came with a more clearer manual than the previous one I had. In fact the manual covers all three models. If I can find the time I can scan this manual to send to anyome who needs it. I have yet to shoot film with these cameras since I have so many others to film with (3 Bolexes and 2 K100s).

The focusing ring on my Pan Cinor came loose once. I simply used a jeweler screwdriver to tighten the very tiny screws on the ring.

I bought my 35mm upright Moviola from a guy in California who services them. When I get home tonight I can try to find his number so you can give him a call. Also I have a Moviola manual for mine I bought from an online source. It has servicing and parts information. I got it from: http://www.hollywoodmanuals.com/ You can contact them to see if they have one for your model.

Sounds like you may have this model. From 1930 and a very basic camera. http://members.chello.nl/a.wichmann2/keystonea2.jpg If you find you like shooting 16mm you may want to get a later model like an A-9 or A-12 which show up on eBay quite often. I still have my old A-9.

I have a 16 UE I bought from Olex but have mostly shot Fomapan through it. And he did give me an adapter plug to run it off an AC adapter so I can shoot single frames on my animation stand. I don't use it much now that I have my Bolex. It does use a lot of AA cells to operate so an external battery pack would be a good idea. There is a connector on the bottom of the motor pack you can hook up an external battery to but it is a non-standard plug. The picture quality is comparable to any good consumer 16mm like a K-3.

The rusting and pitting showing in some of the close-up pictures give an indication the camera may not have been taken care of. That's the chances you take when buying cameras from eBay. Sellers can claim they know nothing of cameras and sell them with no guarantee which releases them from any liability. For something like a Bolex I would rather buy from a reliable dealer or another filmmaker who took care of his gear. I got my Rex5 from a member at the Filmshooting forum and he says it was serviced in Germany before he sold it so me. In the past I did buy a good Bolex M5 off eBay and was lucky with the purchase since it came with a nice Pan Cinor 85 reflex zoom. Good deals are hard to find lately but if you ask questions and know what you are looking for you might get lucky. I have come across Bolexes at a local camera show and I inspect them carefully if I decide to want to buy one. One thing I do is wind it up and run it while holding the camera to my ear. I try to listen for smooth running mechanism. Also check the insides, look for wear and any corrosion. Remove the lens and check the gate. Investing in a good camera is like buying a car. A Bolex is a good investment for a versatile 16mm camera but there is so much junk out there you have to be careful.

It's not really a reflex finder but a focus finder which allows you to focus through a lens when it is positioned in the top position. To clean that prism you should be able to rotate the turret out of the way and get to the screws which hold the prism assembly and pull it out from the front. My "Bolex Bible" identifies the serial number on your camera as being made around 1959. So yours might have the single perf sprockets. The side finder you have is normally supplied with the H16T and H16M models. Yours is probably the H16T which is a simplified version of the H16S, a standard model from the late 1950's to the mid 1960's.

My first Bolex was like yours, I think it could only run double-perf film. It's an early model late-40's or early 50's, have to check the serial number in my copy of the Bolex Bible. As for your lenses, don't use the Comiscar, it's a tv lens. The others look like a Berthiot and a B&H. You should try to find some Yvars or Switars for your camera. My Rex5 came with Schneiders and those work fine too. I did buy a top focusing finder on eBay, though it was for a 16mm Bolex I use it on my H8.

The area of 16mm film is more than Super 8mm so you would use more chemicals if that is what you're asking. When it come to lab services costs can be a bit more. It does also depends on what you want to do on film. Any effort in filmmaking is going to cost money in equipment and material.

I'm not familair with that video camera but you can learn scene composition and editing with one. But there is nothing like the thrill of shooting on film and seeing it projected. I started in regular 8mm a long time ago and the first films I made were simple animations. As I grew confident in making short films I moved up to Super 8mm and eventually 16mm. When it comes to being able to produce animation, special effects and such the Bolex will give you more "bang for the buck". They are still plentiful and on eBay a decent reflex model will run anywhere from $500 to $1,500. And 16mm, specifically Super 16, has been used to make feature films after being blown-up to 35mm. You can learn by lurking on this forum and asking questions. But there is nothing like learning by picking up a movie camera and shooting film. Olex is correct in Russian pin registered cameras need to be modified to use the B&H perforated filmstock used in movie cameras. When I got my Rodina I had the pins modified but it was part of the purchase. When you make a decision to spend a lot of money on a camera it's always good to get customer feedback on a seller. Olex is one I would trust along with Rafael whom I bought my Rodina from.

I did buy a Konvas 35mm camera for only $500. It came with two lenses and no motor, just a handcrank. It has a 200 foot magazine. I was going to adapt an animation motor to it. One of other 35mm cameras I have has a DeVry mechanism in it and can take 100 foot loads. I recently purchased a bunch of 35mm short ends for around 5 to 10 cents per foot of color negative. They are around 200 foot lengths. Because I'm an animator I don't need long film runs. Though the largest capacity 35mm camera I have is a Russian made Rodina which holds 400 feet. And for around $1,400 it was a good buy for pin-registration. You can process 35mm at home if you can find the Russian made Lomo spiral tank. They made one that could take 100 foot loads. There is also the Arkay/G3 rewind tank that can process 100 feet of 35mm and 16mm but it's not as easy to use. I did see a couple of Arkay tanks at a camera show for around $40 each. Lomo tanks are a bit harder to find but I have seen them on eBay. But if you just want to get started in filmmaking then 16mm may be a better start for you.

For that price you can get an old DeVry. The cheapest I got a fully functional 35mm movie camera for was $500.