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Filmo Bell & Howell 70 DL


Darrell Smith

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I got drunk on the weekend and impulse bought this Filmo Bell & Howell 70 DL. In hindsight I should have kept waiting until I found the right Super 16mm camera to become available...

 

Anyway, I've been calling some places and I'm having a hell of a time finding 16mm Double Perforated Film on 100' spools.

Any info on the film would be greatly appreciated! (where do get it / brand that offers it)

 

Also I can't seem to find much info on these cameras online, however they are selling at similar prices as the Bolex H16. I bought mine for 130 which was reasonable but lots are going for $500 +.

 

Anyone know why these are selling at similar prices to the Bolex H16?

 

Thanks!

post-65150-0-58383000-1398184235_thumb.jpg

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Because Filmos are really awesome and keep running and running with just a few drops of the special sewing machine oil every so often to keep them going. They are very low maintenance.

 

If that is your model it appears to be a later one as it has the side finder as well as the tiny thru the lens viewer on the other side. (Lens needs to be in the viewing position)

 

Pretty awesome you have the single frame crank too!

 

Are you sure yours requires double perf? Does it have spikey cogs at the top and bottom of the "tunrny-roundy things whose name I have forgotten right now"...Sprockets?

 

Freya

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Heres some good info on the Filmo's!

 

http://www.tfgtransfer.com/filmo-page2.htm

 

Last paragraph lists models that should definitely be able to take single perf film.

The photo you show looks like a later model to me and I suspect should be able to take single perf but I can't tell without seeing inside or the model number! :)

 

Freya

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Heres some good info on the Filmo's!

 

http://www.tfgtransfer.com/filmo-page2.htm

 

Last paragraph lists models that should definitely be able to take single perf film.

The photo you show looks like a later model to me and I suspect should be able to take single perf but I can't tell without seeing inside or the model number! :)

 

Freya

Hey Freya, that's great thanks for the link and the info! I believe you are right and this model does take single perf film. I am receiving the camera later this week in the mail but upon your info it is looking promising. That would make life a lot easier.

 

Here's the info from the ebay seller when I bought it.

 

"Bell & Howell 16mm Filmo movie camera - very vintage. Purchase to use as-is - or buy as a prop, display, set piece or conversation starter.

Includes two lenses in a three turret rotating lens mount, two viewfinder lenses in a turret, plus the winding crank, key and original instruction manual. One lens turret is filled with a blank, another has a Bell & Howell Taylor-Hobson 1 Inch F1.9 lens, the third has a Bausch & Lomb 25mm F2.7 lens. The viewfinder turret has two lenses and a blank, one viewing lens matches the 1" lens, the other viewing lens in the turret does not match the shooting lens and is for a 3" lens.

Runs and appears to work great - but - smells musty when opened or run. The lenses look good - they appear to be free of haze or separation issues. The viewfinder assembly has a general haze, the focusing mechanism works fine. "

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I got drunk on the weekend and impulse bought this Filmo Bell & Howell 70 DL.

 

I bought one of those a long time ago before I was legally able to drink. Yours looks to be in excellent shape.

 

It's a great camera to learn on. Now all you need, if you don't already have one, is a basic light meter.

 

I've moved your post into the Bell & Howell forum where you might find other helpful threads.

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I bought one of those a long time ago before I was legally able to drink. Yours looks to be in excellent shape.

 

It's a great camera to learn on. Now all you need, if you don't already have one, is a basic light meter.

 

I've moved your post into the Bell & Howell forum where you might find other helpful threads.

Thanks Tim, yep I have a light meter. I've been shooting film photography for the past 15 years and lots of super 8, but I've only had the chance to shoot 16mm film twice before because of the cost. Really looking forward to working with this medium more.

 

Thanks for the info and moving the thread to this area. Appreciate the reply

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I got drunk on the weekend and impulse bought this Filmo Bell & Howell 70 DL.

 

The union of alcohol and ebay has spawned far uglier children I'm sure..

 

Anyone know why these are selling at similar prices to the Bolex H16?

 

These days it's all about the lenses, you can often find camera bodies alone for peanuts. Certain Bolex models command a higher premium but Filmo bodies don't seem all that valuable. There's always someone asking ridiculous prices on a buy-it-now basis, but checking out completed auctions will give you a better idea of actual value. Filmos are superbly built though, better than a Bolex in some ways, just not reflex which tends to put a lot of people off.

 

The lenses you bought should be quite nice, the only thing is they're both 1" focal lengths (or 25mm in metric) so if you get hooked you might need to get drunk again and invest in some C-mounts.. B) The original set-up would normally have been 10mm wide angle, 25mm normal and 75mm telephoto lenses (or 1/2", 1" and 3"). You already have the 75mm (3") viewfinder lens.

 

If you need a manual, you can find one here:

http://www.apecity.com/manuals/pdf/bell_and_howell_filmo_70-dl_-s_and_-h.pdf

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So my camera arrived today and runs great accept for the crank.

 

When I use the crank it doesn't lock. I tried the lock button by the trigger but no dice.

 

Here's a video showing what's happening. Could be just a busted spring but thought I'd post it anyway.

 

Enjoy the mild hand acting...

 

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The lenses you bought should be quite nice, the only thing is they're both 1" focal lengths (or 25mm in metric) so if you get hooked you might need to get drunk again and invest in some C-mounts.. B) The original set-up would normally have been 10mm wide angle, 25mm normal and 75mm telephoto lenses (or 1/2", 1" and 3"). You already have the 75mm (3") viewfinder lens.

 

If you need a manual, you can find one here:

http://www.apecity.com/manuals/pdf/bell_and_howell_filmo_70-dl_-s_and_-h.pdf

 

I think it's far more likely that a normal set up of lenses would be a 25mm for normal, a 50mm and a 75mm. (1", 2" and 3")

 

A 10mm lens would have been amazingly rare and you almost never see them for sale in c-mount and they are Bolex lenses when you do see them.

 

A 16mm for wide angle would have been far more normal but is still incredibly rare.

 

I don't think the original side finder for the Bell and Howell even had a setting wider than 16mm.

Assuming it even had a setting for 16mm!

 

Freya

Edited by Freya Black
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So my camera arrived today and runs great accept for the crank.

 

When I use the crank it doesn't lock. I tried the lock button by the trigger but no dice.

 

Here's a video showing what's happening. Could be just a busted spring but thought I'd post it anyway.

 

Enjoy the mild hand acting...

 

Looks like it is locked! It should only be running when you press the run button but I can't see the run button in your video.

 

The lock button is usually a slider if I remember correctly so if you are just trying to push it that could be the problem.

 

Freya

Edited by Freya Black
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I think it's far more likely that a normal set up of lenses would be a 25mm for normal, a 50mm and a 75mm. (1", 2" and 3")

 

A 10mm lens would have been amazingly rare and you almost never see them for sale in c-mount and they are Bolex lenses when you do see them.

 

A 16mm for wide angle would have been far more normal but is still incredibly rare.

 

I don't think the original side finder for the Bell and Howell even had a setting wider than 16mm.

Assuming it even had a setting for 16mm!

 

Freya

 

Yeah you're right Freya, before the 50s I think 15mm was about as wide as lenses went for 16mm cameras. I was thinking of the classic Angenieux line-up from about 1954 on, with their newly designed retro-focus 10mm as the wide angle. Bell and Howell had been supplying Taylor Hobson lenses on their Filmos until the retro-focus thing happened, then they swapped to Angenieux. But you can find other 10mm (or thereabouts) cine C-mounts from slightly later by Som Berthiot, Schneider, Elgeet, Nikkon etc as well as the non-RX 10mm Kern Switar. All retro-focus derivatives of course.

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