Oil and B&H Filmo cameras

Rodney Pellegrini · August 30, 2006

Hello all,

I'm wondering how often a Bell & Howell Filmo camera should be oiled. I suspect that like everything else, it depends on use, but humor me :) Do you put oil in your camera every 1,000 feet of film or something like that?

Secondly, and most importantly, I have no idea what type and brand of oil I should put in my Filmo, nor where to buy it, or what the ballpark cost of a bottle is. Nor the standard volume per bottle.

Any and all info you could provide would be much appreciated. I'm new at this (new student), and want to take proper care of my equipment. The local photo shop seems to know very little outside still photography, and they're pushing the digital stuff with passion.

Thanks in advance,

Rod

David Venhaus · August 30, 2006

According to the instruction manual for the B+H Eyemo (which has similar mechanism), one drop of oil in each hole about every 3500 feet and every 1000 feet for the front hole. Oil if the camera has been stored and unused for several weeks. The manual says to use only B+H camera oil but since they don't make that any more you must use a high-grade fine-oil as a replacement. People have recommened watch oil as the best replacement, like for a wind-up wrist watch, but it is sort of expensive. Watch and jewelry repair shops might have it for sale. Next down the list would be sewing machine oil, which is inexpensive and usually easy to find.

Dale Crisp · August 30, 2006

Hello all,

I'm wondering how often a Bell & Howell Filmo camera should be oiled. I suspect that like everything else, it depends on use, but humor me :) Do you put oil in your camera every 1,000 feet of film or something like that?

Secondly, and most importantly, I have no idea what type and brand of oil I should put in my Filmo, nor where to buy it, or what the ballpark cost of a bottle is. Nor the standard volume per bottle.

Any and all info you could provide would be much appreciated. I'm new at this (new student), and want to take proper care of my equipment. The local photo shop seems to know very little outside still photography, and they're pushing the digital stuff with passion.

Thanks in advance,

Rod

I have found that clock oil works fine. It is highly refined and does not migrate throughout the mechanism. You can find it at clock shops and it is fairly inexpensive. Available in tubes with a precision oiler for $2-$3.

Robert Hughes · August 30, 2006

I've always used sewing machine oil on my Filmos' oil holes, to good effect even in Minnesota winters. If you have a dry "shrieking shutter" mechanism (I've seen that on a few Filmos over the years) you should use a grease on the shutter slider.