Bolex H8 RX4 DS8 Video Tap

[Guest Glenn Brady]

I?m attempting to fit a video tap to the viewfinder eyepiece of my Bolex H8 RX4 DS8 camera using a Taiwanese-made Mintron MTV-33K9HN CCD camera. The adapter supplied with the camera is designed to secure the camera + lens assembly to the 10x viewfinder eyepiece of a Bolex H16 RX4/5 camera and won?t fit the shorter 10x eyepiece on the H8 RX4. Are there off-the-shelf adapters that would be suitable? The 8mm f/1.3 lens supplied produces a DS8 image that fills only a small part of the screen area of the Marshall V-LCD4-Pro monitor to which the camera signal is input. Are there longer lenses ? ones that may provide sufficient magnification to produce a screen-filling image with DS8 - made to suit the CS-mount Mintron camera? (The Mintron factory has advised they do not manufacture these lenses, and, although the barrel is inscribed ?Japan,? the manufacturer isn?t identified.)

[Jean-Louis Seguin]

I?m attempting to fit a video tap to the viewfinder eyepiece of my Bolex H8 RX4 DS8 camera using a Taiwanese-made Mintron MTV-33K9HN CCD camera. The adapter supplied with the camera is designed to secure the camera + lens assembly to the 10x viewfinder eyepiece of a Bolex H16 RX4/5 camera and won?t fit the shorter 10x eyepiece on the H8 RX4. Are there off-the-shelf adapters that would be suitable? The 8mm f/1.3 lens supplied produces a DS8 image that fills only a small part of the screen area of the Marshall V-LCD4-Pro monitor to which the camera signal is input. Are there longer lenses ? ones that may provide sufficient magnification to produce a screen-filling image with DS8 - made to suit the CS-mount Mintron camera? (The Mintron factory has advised they do not manufacture these lenses, and, although the barrel is inscribed ?Japan,? the manufacturer isn?t identified.)

 

 

I think you will need to have the adapter re-machined or get a whole new adapter made, if you want it to be secure.

 

You'll also need to switch the lens to a 10mm or maybe 12mm to increase the image size.

These lenses are easily available from a variety of sources.

 

Cheers,

Jean-Louis

[Guest Glenn Brady]

I think you will need to have the adapter re-machined or get a whole new adapter made, if you want it to be secure.

 

You'll also need to switch the lens to a 10mm or maybe 12mm to increase the image size.

These lenses are easily available from a variety of sources.

 

Cheers,

Jean-Louis

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

I'd envisioned a lens that would double the magnification, but maybe I could adapt a zoom lens to make the system usable with both 16mm and R8/DS8 cameras. Are the lenses you indicate "are easily available from a variety of sources" those intended primarily for use in CCTV systems? Could you identify a suitable lens and its supplier? I'd hoped someone would have attempted this before me so that I wouldn't have to purchase a lens (or lenses) that may prove incompatible.

 

Best regards,

Glenn

[Jean-Louis Seguin]

Thanks for your reply.

 

I'd envisioned a lens that would double the magnification, but maybe I could adapt a zoom lens to make the system usable with both 16mm and R8/DS8 cameras. Are the lenses you indicate "are easily available from a variety of sources" those intended primarily for use in CCTV systems? Could you identify a suitable lens and its supplier? I'd hoped someone would have attempted this before me so that I wouldn't have to purchase a lens (or lenses) that may prove incompatible.

 

Best regards,

Glenn

 

 

Hi Glenn,

 

Yes the CCTV lenses. They are not expensive at all.

A zoom lens usually can't focus close enough for the viewfinder's image. Plus it's bulkier.

In the past, I have purchased lenses from this eBay store: MOTechnology with satisfaction.

 

In my experience, the H8RX-DS8 has a viewfinder image slightly smaller than an H16 RX 10x.

Does the 8mm lens you currently have fill the screen nicely on a H16RX 10x?

If so, then a 10mm lens on your Mintron should work good on the DS8.

It will definitely give you a bigger image.

But you may get even better results with a 12mm if you're willing to experiment.

You may also need to put shims between the lens and your CCD camera to get proper focus.

 

Cheers,

Jean-Louis

[Guest Glenn Brady]

Does the 8mm lens you currently have fill the screen nicely on a H16RX 10x?

 

Unfortunately, I don't have an H16 RX currently. The image produced by the 8mm lens (when fitted to the 10x viewfinder of the H8 RX4 DS8 camera) is very small, occupying only the center portion of the LCD monitor. In my view, a lens providing twice the magnification of the 8mm lens still wouldn't fill the monitor screen.

 

Thanks for sharing your expertise.

[Felix Schuster]

Super inspiring, thanks guys!

Its a pretty old topic, but since a lot of people shoot Bolex, it think its still pretty interesting for a lot of people.

 

I'm trying to build a video tap for my H16 REX5. Do you think I could use for example a Mintron MK-2321C? Which lens should I use to cover the Bolex Viewfinder with a 1/3 CCD sensor?