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Can You Make a Kodak 16mm magazine accept single perf?


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An introduction: Hi!! I'm Elie in Mansfield, Ohio. I'm not a filmmaker, but I have an interest in very old cameras. I recently came upon a number of old double 8 and 16mm cameras and a few super 8's, and, in addition to the working with old still film cameras, I thought I'd try and learn to use some of the 8 and 16 cameras. I'm experimenting with the 8's already, and I want to get the 16 working for a family vacation in a couple months.

 

My question: I was disheartened to see the 16's, which require the Kodak 16 magazine, work with double perf film only. I'd been trying to see if there is some way to modify a magazine 16 to work with single perf only. Google and any other searches keep bringing me back here. I found some posts of people modifying cameras, but no one has mentioned modifying the magazines yet. Has anyone been able to successfully modify a Magazine 16 canister to work with modern 16mm films? Will it work? How are the results? Can you share the instructions?

 

Thanks in advance!

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Do yourself a favor and put the magazine camera on a shelf and admire it. Seriously, finding magazines, reloading them...; not to mention modifying the camera to take single perforation film.

 

Nightmare. The magazine cameras are cheap and plentiful on Ebay for a reason...

 

Besides, modify a camera in a couple of weeks? Not likely.

 

The least expensive route to shoot 100 foot loads would be to find a Bell & Howell 240 like this one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bell-Howell-240-16mm-MOVIE-CAMERA/263647581559?hash=item3d629ed577:g:HzgAAOSw~y9ZCWnx or this one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/BELL-HOWELL-Model-240-Electric-Exposure-Sixteen-16mm-with-Leather-Case-Key/292540983749?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D50998%26meid%3D479cb06596634935b17db31a2cd11072%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D263647581559%26itm%3D292540983749&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

 

The only caveat is the ones with photocell automatic exposure can be non-functional Stick to the manual version and get a light meter.

 

Great, simple camera with a bullet proof film gate and easy to use. (Egads, watch the shipping costs on that site! Crazy...)

 

Just my 2 cents...

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  • 3 weeks later...

Ok. I rethreaded the film that it came with like it is shown in the picture.

 

I am not getting the gate part or the pressure plate part. I see that there is a catch/snag somewhere. I assume this is the part attached to the lid? It appears to be riveted in, not screwed in like the cover. Do you recommend breaking the rivet? How should I reverse it? Or am I looking at the wrong part entirely.

 

Thanks. Highly encouraged by what I’ve done so far.

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Additionally, here's what I've been able to do so far. The canister matches the picture perfectly. For testing purposes, I'm using the film already in the magazine, which is double perf. But this is what the top looks like.

 

 

post-74802-0-28730100-1527367479_thumb.jpg

post-74802-0-55149200-1527367487_thumb.jpg

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Nope! I pulled the gate back and it screwed back on perfectly. Out in the mag and wound it up. Would not move when I released the catch

 

I changed the threading to the threading in the picture above. It DID work with the original, much more convoluted winding. But something is stopping it from moving now.

 

Ideas? Is there an additional modification I am missing?

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I have done what the picture above says many times now, each time with success. Are the perforations catching the camera's claw? When the magazine is closed open it's gate to see if you can see the perfs.

 

Pav

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Sometimes, when inserting the magazine, the sliding gate cover button catches on the edge of the two prongs it is supposed to go inbetween, and moves back some, then, the door won't close. Also, there is a loud click when the lock is set to run.

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Two things. Film goes in front of Both metal things inside the camera, not inbetween them. The, silver one is the pressure plate, the gold one is the spring that pushes on the plate. And then, the little pin on the top edge of the magazine is supposed to be pushed closed, all the way forward. It engages with a slot that gets pulled back by the lock.

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Oh my good lord that did it!! I have a working camera!!!!!!!! I did not realize the closing latch wasn't connecting.

 

Thank you!!!!

 

Now I can get some real single perf film and put it in here. A nice, small 16mm camera I can use for family vacation.

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Actually, I have 2. Now that it works, I was going to get about 5 or 6 more and load them. I bought an old 50ft take up reel for the non magazines so I could measure out the correct size in the dark. But I really wanted this camera to work. It is the smallest 16mm camera I’ve found by far — about the same size as an 8 and it has the dual benefit of being able to hot swap for different film stocks on the go.

 

Admittedly, however, I was so concerned with getting the film magazine working, I completely neglected the focusing lens is quite stiff, so I’m trying to get a little bit of oil down there to loosen it up without getting any on the glass.

 

And now I’m trying to plot out the different film stocks to try and use. I’ve become quite excited about this.

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I don't know if you've said, but what camera are you working with? As far as I know most cameras, like the Bell and Howell, Revere and Keystones require C mount lenses. As long as you can remove the lens from the camera body getting another C mount lens isn't difficult at all.

 

Pav

Edited by Pavan Deep
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