I was debating whether to go with 16mm or 8mm film when it comes to shooting family events, and a lot of your videos helped me out. The Bolex 8mm really looks amazing with decent sharpness, and I prefer it over the 16mm. Thanks for all the lovely content!
Surprisingly very sharp for the format . Loves it . Need more on how precisely shoot bolex 16mm esp the lens functions 😆. I’m gathering courage to shoot soon namaste 🙏
I was pleasantly surprised at just how well the images turned out with this tiny format. Don't be shy, jump right in! 16mm really isn't much different than 8mm, just wider (and a bit more expensive). I'll be doing a followup (Part 2) to my 16mm Filmmaking video pretty soon, where I'll cover 100' loads with the Bolex H16 and Krasnogorsk K3. Should be fun.
Thanks mike, i've run my first reel over the weekend so i'm gonna send that off for processing and see what we get and make adjustments for the next reel...thanks for all your help and very helpful videos.
Thank you for for another informative video. It looks like you have everything sorted out as far as Regular 8mm filming and developing go. The purchase of a new splitter is cheap and easy in the grand scheme of things, the round ones from Russia have worked well for me. Your Bolex cameras are nice. I own a P-1 that I absolutely love, one day I hope to buy a H-8. It is also good to know your moviestuff scanner will scan both split and full frame films. Awesome report, at this point you are only limited by your imagination and the amount of film that you have on hand. One thing I have noticed is that if I spool the film reels down to approx. 30', I would get the type of jitter you experienced, but usually not until the end or after the counter had passed 25'. I am almost trained now to check it at that point for jams, interesting that it occurred more at the beginning for you. Rolls that I intentionally I kept to 25' or less have not done this for what it is worth. I use a changing bag and a 12" ruler for light protection accurate measurement :-) ! Thanks again, I Iook forward to the next video !!!
Thanks, Cecil!! I was wondering if having too much film on the spool might be the issue, glad to hear it from you. I'll be coming up with a more accurate measurement tool soon for sure because that was awful. Thanks again for the tip!!
It’s amazing how sharp of an image these cameras can make. ! I have the exact same two cameras lol, mine had an occasional jamming issue even after I lubed it. But when I did use mine I used the internal light meter and compared it to a phone app light meter and it was always spot on!
I recently got a Bolex P1 and I'm excited to shoot some 8mm over the summer. I'm sad there's a lack of color options especially tungsten balanced film but there's a surprisingly large range of black and white film for the format. I might start off with some Foma R100
That's awesome! Yes, I'm with you on the color issue, I really wish there was more options available. Until then, I guess, like you said, we always have our B&W film. BTW, I love the look of Foma stocks (my favorite 35mm B&W is Fomapan 100).
John schwind at International Film Brokers (buy8mmfilm.com) sells both the KAHL UT 18 ASA 50 color reversal film in 25’ spools as well as Kodak Ektachrome 100D. The KAHL sells for about $44 per roll, the 100D is $68 per roll. They are not cheap, but processing through Dwaynes Photo in Parsons Ks is only $12 per roll. This would bring the total cost of the KAHL not much higher than the B&W film if you have it processed. Obviously self processing the B&W brings the cost way down. By the way, I too love the FOMA R100 as well.
Awesome video! Beautiful cameras. Question, when you scan the uncut 8mm film are you taking a resolution hit? just wondering? I think i own one of those Wollensak 1/2" (13mm) F/2.5 W Cine Raptor Lens. I use it for my Pentax Q digital camera!. Really enjoy your channel!
Thanks so much!! That's a great question about resolution and yes, I think you definitely lose out when overscanning that much, if you're going to split it in post. You have to essentially crop and zoom in to get the 8mm frame, whereas you'd do that in the original scan with film already split to 8mm. I may have to try a side by side comparison now :)
Mike, got my 16mm test footage back from FPP. It turned out better than I expected but not as good as I had hoped. Of the 100' roll about half is properly exposed. the other 50% is as you'd expect is under or over exposed but most of it you can see an image. The shots of my dog in the backyard turned out best kinda reminded me of Petey the dog from "The Little Rascals".
AWESOME, Barry! I guarantee you that you'll nail that exposure if you practice. Do you have a way to show your film online? I'd love to take a look at it.
Hey there! It’s me again. So we just gave the B8LA a whirl, it’s incredible even just testing it all out. We did notice it is running pretty slow, as you described yours was initially, too. Any chance you’d ever make a video just detailing how you lubricated the inner workings of yours to get it to run so smooth?? Seems like we have the exact same issue, but it’s in perfect condition otherwise.
Thanks, Andrew!! Not sure when I'll get around to making a video about opening one of these cameras up (though I do need to do it with my Bolex P3). In the meantime, take a look at this older video that someone posted, it helped me get going in my Bolex repair ventures:th-cam.com/video/dqydInB1GCY/w-d-xo.html
Very interesting video on this format. Interesting to see experienced film makers like you talking and experimenting with these cameras. Doing research on this format because the cameras were so inexpensive, getting ready to shoot Foma 100 in my Bolex P1 and 2 as a test for first time today. These two cameras purchased on eBay have big beautiful bright reflex viewfinders. The B8L also a recent purchase viewfinder is so tiny, and recommend you should try the P1 which have reflex zoom lens. Can you explain why you shoot at 24?
Thanks, Geoffrey! I do have a Bolex P3 8mm camera, however it's in desperate need of a complete breakdown. I'm also not a big fan of it's motorized zoom (I like your P1 and P2 much better). Totally agree about the nice, bright viewfinders. Such an extreme difference between them and the tiny, non-reflex ones. My biggest issue has been rotating the turret and forgetting to change the viewfinder's focal length, grrr. I really don't have a great answer as to why I always shoot at 24 FPS. It's probably more psychological than anything. I've always been fascinated by how smooth the motion is compared to 16 and 18 FPS, though honestly, it's really only noticeable in quicker pans/tilts.
Looking very nice! I guess the Sonic 25 from FPP should look great on this format. The Bolex Double 8 cameras are known to be pieces of precision engineering. According to my humble math knowledge, a good set of lenses for this format should be: 5mm (wide angle), 12.5mm (normal) and 37.5mm (telephoto), exactly half of your typical set for 16mm film. As always: thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks so much for your input, it's always appreciated!! I like that lens combination you mentioned. I think I'm pretty close to it with my 5.5mm, 13mm and 36mm. I wish I didn't always forget to change the focal distance on the non-reflex viewfinder when changing lenses :)
@@Filmboy24 Yes, that set is perfect. I read long ago in a filmmaker magazine that Super8 and 8mm are formats of longer focal lengths. I strongly disagree. You always need a wide angle and 5.5mm is perfect for 8mm, that would translate to an 11mm for 16mm film. IMHO smaller formats call for an uncluttered image and your subject should be rather large in the frame. Check classic (SD) tv shows, where the camera operator always zooms like crazy to prevent the actors' face from getting too small. That's framing, not focal length. Just sharing my humble opinion :)
Hi there! Wondering if you have any tips for the limitations of the viewfinder (size, approximating what's actually going through the lens, attachments etc.). Got a B8LA that's in amazing shape, but surprised by how distant/small the viewfinder feels in practice. Anything that helped you ensure great shots?
That's a great question, Andrew. Sadly, I haven't found much of anything at all that helps with the tiny viewfinder. It's quite annoying as you know now. The thing that helps the most is assuring that you measure your focus well. It's easy to compensate for framing that's a little off but focus is impossible to fix. These aren't great "run and gun" type cameras and I've learned that they need a bit of finesse to really get the most out of them. Congrats on your camera by the way!!
@@Filmboy24 Thanks so much for sharing that, that’s a great piece of advice. Gotta say, your test footage turned out amazing - gives me hope that some measured planning before rolling will be the trick.
Good stuff. Based on one of your other posts on regular 8 I recently ordered a Kodak Brownie II. One of those purchases where the shipping exceeds cost of the camera ($20) 🙂. Even worse the film splitter is also gonna cost more than the camera…not ordering that til I test the camera.
Thanks!! I know those types of purchases all too well, Dave! Just have to decide if the purchase plus shipping price overall is worth it (which I'm sure you did). Please keep me (us) updated when you run some film through it!!
Will do. My recent first real Lomo loading (K40) was not good so I’ve got to practice that some more before I do any “real” rolls. 🙂 I shot 2 more K40 rolls which give me a chance to improve. On the bright side, although the developing result was terrible (had to just put the roll into a regular film tank), I was able to confirm that manual exposure on my Canon is working! It was funny because there was about 1 sec of footage where the developing result was perfect, great contrast, etc. I replayed that brief glimpse of goodness several times to make me feel better about the spiral loading fiasco 🙂
I'd call that a huge success, Dave! I mean, manual exposure is as (actually more) important as any feature on your camera. Also, trust me when I tell you, I have those spiral (and developing) days often. This film game is so hit or miss most of the time but then again, that's kind of the allure. Keep it going, love hearing about your progress!!
I just re-watched this because I pulled out a few of my small Bolex 8mm cameras - not my H8 ones, but the B, C & D8 series ones - and found that I’m going to have to disassemble one of my my D8L cameras that I recently acquired because it isn’t running at all. I’d like to pick your brain sometime about any tips or tricks you might know regarding the D8L. There’s not much info about these available on TH-cam or on-line, and I don’t have a repair manual. That’s never stopped me before, so I’m sure I’ll be fine.. see you Sunday I hope!
Hey Mike, I'll definitely help you if I can, though it's been a while since I got these running (or used them). There's a video somewhere (I may have it bookmarked) that helped me get going with these, I'll see if I can find it for you. One thing I've noticed is that most of these little Bolex 8mm cameras have very similar builds, which is good as it relates to maintenance. See you Sunday!!
thanks for the advice Mike, very helpful, ive down loaded an app, one thing, my shutter speed is set at 16 frames per second but cant seem to find this speed listed on the app in that way...any idea of the equivalent??...
Wonderful to see my favorite camera working. I didn't want to open it but sent mine to an expert and had it done for me. Negative film is available in 25 foot rolls also so you don't have to spool it yourself, I've done it, it is cheaper a little. Is there some way to. slit and edit in FCP and flip?
Thanks, Michael. Not sure about splitting in FCP as I don't use that, but I know I can easily crop in Vegas Pro. Haven't actually done it yet but it might make for a fun experiment!
The flutter can be caused (and usually is) by the feed, and/or take up spindle. The supply spindle may not be spinning freely (rare but not unheard of) or the take up spindle not slipping as designed (usually the problem) because of not enough, or too much grease between the little clutch disc and the pressure washer. It happened to be multiple times on some of my Bolex P1’s
Thanks, CS! I was kind of thinking it may be the spring loaded "slack" control roller guide that follows the feed reel. When I disassembled it, the spring came off and though I got it back seated properly, I'm not sure it has the right amount of pressure. You can tighten the spring by turning the tabs a couple times, which I didn't do. To simplify, it seems like, as the film exits the feed spool, it just completely compresses the spring roller. I may take it apart again soon and see if that might be it.
How about an update on the regular 8mm cameras. Did you get the flutter (losing loop) issue fixed? I have a total of 10 Bolex regular 8 cameras, with the exception of one (which just needs some TLC) they all are functional. I love the look of the prime lenses, but my favorite go to camera is the P1….Anyway, I just wanted to see what you found. I love your videos, not many of us around that truly love 8mm.
@@csb65536, unfortunately I haven't had time to open it up again yet. It's pretty high on my list of "get it done now". Interestingly enough, I just dug out a Bolex P3 that I had sitting. I can't remember when or where I got it but it suffers from the same slow running issue as the others did. Planning to open it and my D8L together. I'll definitely update when I have something. Thanks, as always!!
Didn’t realize it had need so long since I had ordered a reg 8 camera… the camera appears to have some issues but will find out for sure soon. Anyway, gonna finally run film through it and develop the roll and was wondering what your development time in HC110B for the FPP 100 negative film is. I tried to find that info on your channel but didn’t come across it. Thanks so much for your help.
Hey Dave, I was kind of lost on that too. I bought a 1 gallon package of FPP D-96, which is what they recommend. I processed in this and HC110-B, both for 7 minutes at 67-68° F. Both gave me similar results. I used the D-96, stock (mixed to 1 gallon and used without further dilution). Hope that helps, best of luck!!
@@Filmboy24 Thanks Mike. Funny you should mention the D96. I purchased it shortly after I got the camera but it was purchased from a different store than FPP. Anyway, I mixed it up yesterday and it was super dark brown, even the powder was that color. Apparently the package was not quite airtight for it to oxidize like that. In the past I found D76 would last in the original packaging for years and years.
@@gtrplayer1000 Yeah, I would dispose of that stuff for sure. I'm sure any of the standard developers would work fine. I'd start in the 7 minute range and go from there. I can't imagine a standard developer that would deviate more than a minute either way.
@@Filmboy24 The saga continues 🙂 I loaded up the camera and it is definitely not working properly, motor binds and stalls out when the motor is triggered. I reloaded it a couple of times and same result. So looked around for another option and found an original Brownie (the one I have is a Brownie II) that I’m willing to take a chance on as its under $20, free shipping, the seller says its working, and accepts returns. Of course “working” doesn’t necessarily mean you can run film through it and get images. 🙂 So it’s “hope for the best” time. 🎥
I have one, but don't even know how to use it. Would like to know how to start refurbishing it to it's former glory days first too. It's such a good looking camera.
They really are beautiful cameras, Teng. Whatever you do with it, just take your time and when it comes to taking anything apart, take lots of pictures :)
The quality of the images is amazing. I noticed you did a Hitchcock and had a cameo. Do you know what the film stock is? Is it made by Kodak or where is it sourced from?
Thanks!! Haha, you caught my Hitchcock!! I really wish I knew what stock this is, I bought it from FPP. It's simply labeled as BW100 Black & White Negative Film. I got a 100' spool and just spooled it down. It's cheap enough that way that I'm happy with it, but it really would be nice to know what it is. If I find out, I'll let you know.
hey filmboy24! nice video, very informative, wondering how you safetly cut 25ft off your 100ft supply? I find there is a huge lacking of 25ft reels atm
Thanks, William!! I have a primitive system that basically just uses a screw (that my empty reel sits over) and I wind with my electric screwdriver until the film reaches the edge of my board. Kind of hard to explain, and I'm working on a new system, so I may have to make a video at some point.
Where is the flashing coming from in your footage? Does your camera have a light leak issue? I had something similar in a Yashica 8mm. I fixed it with some black camera tape. Are you using old, recan film stock? Somewhere it's picking up edge fog. I love the overall look of it, however. It looks like it was shot in the 1920s.
I think it has more to do with uneven processing than anything else. It's happened to me on other rolls of B&W stock, with other cameras as well. The nature of home processing sometimes for me.
Hi Samantha, it's been a bit since I did this but I know the oil needs to be applied to the metal (brass) governor rod goes into the bearing. I also placed a drop on the opposite end of the governor arm, Pretty much wherever there's metal spinning on metal.
Well done Miguel. 8mm huh, I saw a little viewer in a thrift store, reels on left and right arms, 4X4 screen,, looked a little cheap. 2 dials 6 $. Good or bad..
Thanks, Pop! That's probably about right for that little viewer but hard to say. Those little viewers are like cameras, some are worth selling a kidney for while other would owe you one :)
How is your experience about the diy cla? Very complicated, not recommended, or learning by doing? I´m asking, cause ordered 3 different bolex, quite cheaply and I´m expecting a lot of work, especially sticky old oil, dirt in the viewfinder, so that blind, etc. etc.
Good question, Steffen. I'd say a good combination of "be very careful" and "learn by doing". A good, general rule of thumb I live by is, less oil is more. I never oil gears (teeth) and usually always oil spindles (or where their rotation meets, like a bearing). Lots of Q-tips and toothpicks and the highest percentage of isopropyl alcohol you can find (I use 99%) for cleaning gunk. I have not yet ventured into the viewfinder area, so let me know how it goes if you do. I'm getting ready to take apart a Bolex P3 I bought a couple years ago that doesn't run. Might make a video if it goes well :) Good luck!!
I have a D8L in excellent condition, but it jams up when I try to use it with a cable release. Somehow the film pressure plate goes askew and I have to open it and wiggle it back into position. No problem with a pistol grip though.
That seems quite odd. It almost seems like the cable release might not be extending far enough and is "stuttering" gate area. Might explain why the pistol grip works fine. I'd try another cable release or add a drop of oil to the plunger on the one you have. Best of luck!
I hope to get one some day. Right now I’m waiting for a hopefully working 155 S8 model Bolex. Unrelated but I had a B&H 414-PD break on me while I was winding it! I’m guessing the spring got unhooked or something and ZING! The crank span back really fast and that’s all she wrote for that one! (And my thumb for the next couple hours) it wasn’t a TOTAL loss because I had got a hand grip and a case which will be occupied by my other 414P model but I’ll have to deal with not having the Electric Eye feature. Have you ever have a camera go bad on you like that?
Well that stinks! I can't say that I've ever had one do that, however I've gotten one or two that seemed to already be there. I guess that's the unfortunate reality of dabbling in these antiquated electronics :(
@@Filmboy24 but this was a spring powered one. I noticed it sounded a little off compared to the other non electric eye model I had. not to mention the zoom in feature that’s powered also by the spring motor didn’t work either. So something was about to go wrong with it…I only had the thing for a day too…oh well I can’t wait to get a Bolex regular 8 camera since I can trust that brand since the fine folks of Switzerland really really put care in their products.
@@Filmboy24 it’s 7 months later and as of 3/23/22 I have purchased a P1 model Bolex regular 8! BTW I will later this week also look at a Yashica reg 8 camera someone on eBay keeps calling it a “Bolex killer” I am also interested in Canon/Emdeko/Fujica aka Fuji film/Zeiss ikon/emuig regular 8 cameras. The cool thing is I can probably get most of those under 50 bucks!
@@oldradiosnphonographs It's so crazy that you mention Yashica cameras, I was just about to shoot with my Yashica Super-40 super 8 camera. Planning to do a video about it soon!! Yashica made such a great, eclectic mix of cameras. I shot a roll of single-8 yesterday in my Fujica Z2 and I'll be attempting the processing of that roll soon too. Love the Fujica cameras, very solid!! You're absolutely right about the cost, all of these cameras are usually within the budgets of most of us.
Hey Mitch, unfortunately I'm not comfortable working on other people's cameras. I'm getting ready to try and get my P3 working properly though and I may document that. I know they're very similar cameras.
can you turn between both lenses in the B8 with the handle attached? I have a D8L with handle which looks great and it's out of the way, but the older handle for the B8 looks like blocking the path of the turning lens.
That's a great question and I probably should have mentioned it in the video. No, you cannot rotate the lens turret with the handle attached on the B8L.
Hi everyone! I recently bought a D8L, but I can't find any information about the viewfinder.. Is the image that will be printed on the film the one inside the smallest rectangle in the center of the viewfinder or does it also extend to the four corners? Or maybe the frame will have imprinted the whole image inside the viewfinder? Mike I love your channel, it's amazing what you do. All your tips are golden for someone like me who was born in the digital age and does not have direct acquaintances with other analog users. Thank you!! Greetings from Italy
Thank you, Andrea, really appreciate it! Those little frames inside the viewfinder are the TV safe viewing areas. They really don't apply much today as most televisions are wide screen. Use that little viewfinder as more of a guide than an absolute, as it's non-reflex. Your resulting image will be close to all four corners in your viewfinder but won't be exact. You have a great little camera there, that takes excellent pictures, have fun with it!!
hi, i've recently purchased a Bolex Paillard B8 from a second hand shop (uk), all seems in working order, i've loaded a colour negative film and want to shoot but not sure of how to set up the distance, f stop etc...i dont have a light meter...is there a way to shoot without a light meter..??...sorry oif that sounds dumb...am new to this....do yo have a film of how to do these basics..??...thanks.
Hi Doug, well, it's probably a little more involved than I can explain here but the basics are pretty easy. The first thing I would do, if you have a smart phone is download a free light meter app (there are many). You simply enter your film's speed, your camera's shutter speed, point it at the subject you want to film and it should give you an F-stop reading. Set that F-stop on your lens and shoot. If your subject has both lights and darks, take a reading on both and split the difference. There is obviously more to it, but that should definitely get you on the right track. If you're a little unsure, it's always best to over-expose rather than under. I don't have a video of this yet but I may put one together.
Two questions: 1. Do you have a recommended light meter app for iPhones? I ask since I might be inheriting a B8L soon. 2. Do you know if the fps dial on a Bolex B8L is moved in fixed steps or whether it’s continuous?
There are so many light meter apps, it's hard to say but I like (and use) the Lumu app. It's free and works great for me. The fps dial on the B8L does not have lock positions and is free turning.
Another comment I thought to ask you since you've have the experience of taken apart your cameras and lubing them, I wanted to ask how to go about this. I have discovered trying to shoot my P2 yesterday with film that the film was getting stuck and wouldn't run through properly. It ran fine without, but doesn't seem to have enough power to spin on when pulling film through. I transferred that film to my P1 giving extra leader for the exposed/fogged film and started 2 feet in, shot some single frame animation title and a fade in and out with the F1 camera running fine (thank goodness). The P2 though I want to try give lubrication, does one go through the film compartment and remove the plate at the back? Is it correct that you don't have to remove the face of the camera to gain access to the spring and gears. I read elsewhere in comments that you only put oil on the bearings and no where else, and will take that advice.
Hi Geoffrey, yes, you can get to most everything through the film compartment and there should be no need to remove the front. I have not taken apart any of the "P" series cameras, though I understand they're similar. I will probably be attempting my P3 breakdown sometime in the near future. When I do, I'll take plenty of photos. You definitely want to make sure not to use an excessive amount of oil. A single drop is almost too much in most places and I found myself wiping a little with my fingers afterward. Also, you are correct, only use oil on "shafts" not gears. Anywhere there might be a bearing or location where a shaft is rubbing/turning. Usually, this is only a couple spots.
That is correct, with regular (Double 8) film, since it's double perf, you can spool directly from the supply reel to your new feed reel for your camera. The only thing you need to be mindful of is the emulsion in or out. In most cases (with the exception of loading an 8mm magazine), you will just keep the emulsion in, the way it's originally supplied.
In regard to your transport issue with your DLA I have a feeling that it COULD BE the take up spool giving you the problem by not maintaining the necessary small amount of loop after the film comes out of the gate. The film would not go through freely through the gate. Then again, it’s just a thought. Check that out closely and see if the take up action is working correctly which is not necessarily easy to fix but I think you are capable of doing it. I love these cameras but the main motor can suffer from inaction over time.
Hi Roland, thanks so much for your wisdom! You may be onto something here. I was kind of wondering if by chance I got the little tension spring on too loose at the area where the film travels just before entering the gate. On my B8L, the spring didn't come loose, so the tension arm was re-installed with the spring in place by the factory. With my D8L, it fell off and I had to figure it out. Thinking there might not be enough tension and the pulldown claw is pulling the film too tight. Grrrr, time to open it back up. Thanks again!
hello Mike , i got a D8L like that in the video, however the motor is dead, I was wondering if you know anyone in the USA selling spare motors. I guess if there are sellers with extra motors it would be easier and cheaper to buy and ship just the motor, instead of buying other Bolex to take the motor out. any info would be appreciated, have a nice evening ! R.
Hi Ramiro, are you sure the motor is dead? Most of the time on these old Bolex 8mm cameras, the motor is just a little stuck due to lack of oil. This causes them to either barely run or not run at all. Both of mine would barely run until I opened them up and oiled the metal moving parts, now they run great at all speeds.
@@Filmboy24 Yes Mike, I m sure is dead, I dismantle the camera and took the motor out, I can move it with my two fingers about a whole turn clockwise, it has no internal tension, i guess it means the spring is broken. I have been told that on a working motor you can not turn the motor with two fingers. Then im totally convinced the spring is dead. Thanks for your quick reply!
Hey Frank, well, I don't have any B&H 8mm cameras but that certainly doesn't sound like the norm. If I were to venture a guess, I'd say it's begging for a bit of lube. Let me know if you ever shoot any film through it.
@@OskarFilms yeah, that's a rough one. In my not so professional opinion, it sure sounds like a lube issue to me. It also doesn't look like it would be all that complicated to remove that cover plate (if you dare). As I'm sure you know, if you do oil it up, less is always more. I use a tiny bit at both ends of the speed governor or "drive shaft" and a tiny bit anywhere there might be a bearing (which in the case of the Bolex, is at the end of the speed governor shaft). Never use any oil directly on any gears. Let me know if you decide to try and take it apart.
I just purchased "BOLEX K2 AUTOMATIC", and I'm looking up for its footage, but so far only one video and it has a lot of dust on it, so im not sure how my footage will look like. If you have any experience with this particular camera, please do share it. Also, why are you not drinking your tea/coffee? It's getting cold, sitting away from you : D
The K2 is a great looking little Bolex but unfortunately I've never had one in my hands. I will say this, make sure to always clean out the little gate area with a little compressed air or a blower brush, with the camera upside down. This helps a lot with getting any unwanted hair and dust out of the film's path. Might want to wipe down the film compartment as well, then gently blow it out. You know, I sometimes go rambling on so much that I forget my coffee is even sitting there 🤣
@@Filmboy24 haha thank you! Well I meant the footage I found online has a lot of dust on in, but I will definitely now try to clean it up carefully and yeah, upside down is a good way to let the dust come out and not deeper inside, thanks
Well I now got my Bolex P1, but it has a problem. I cannot get the camera to operate it’s like the release is frozen. (Possibly due to old grease) I also think I could kickstart it if I get a backwind crank? I only have the camera, I don’t have the backwind, lens hood, eyepiece, or pistol grip for it either. I’m afraid to crank it in fear I’m gonna break something worse in it.
That's very common with these old Bolex spring wound cameras. It more than likely needs a couple drops of oil inside. It's not terribly hard to do by yourself but you do have to be careful, as you have to take it apart. Unfortunately, no amount of cranking or back winding will get it running permanently, it has to be opened. Just curious, did the seller mention that it didn't run?
@@oldradiosnphonographs Grrrrr, that's so aggravating!! You might consider sending it back. If you got it on Ebay, they're pretty good at protecting buyers.
@@Filmboy24 either somebody dropped it. It was packed good enough so I don’t think the issue was caused by the shipper. One of my many classic “Batting 1000” moments.
I like your channel a lot but I think you should improve the sound quality. I don't know where it comes from but the sound of your voice is saturated and difficult to understand. This may be the microphone or setting on your sound recorder.
Thanks and yes, you are correct, my last 2 videos are audio nightmares. I was troubleshooting the issue for the last 2 days until you and one other person mentioned the microphone. Yep, the battery in my lapel mic was completely dead (didn't move the needle in the slightest). Thanks so much for mentioning microphone, I really appreciate it!!
@@Filmboy24 You are welcome. I have a question. Is there a small processing tank available for those small double 8 rolls? Could it fit in a standard Patterson 35 mm tank with a modified or 3d printed spool. Looks like it's not that much longer than a 36 pauses roll?
@@johannes914 Good question but they will not fit in a Paterson tank as is. The standard Paterson reels will hold about 5' of film and these rolls are about 25' long. In addition to the Lomo 50' processing tank that was designed to hold film lengths up to 15 meters (about 50'), there is also a smaller one designed to hold 10 meter lengths (about 33'). They're a little pricey out of the gate but if you plan on developing a bit, they're well worth it in the long run.
I took my B8l into school today to show my kids (I'm a primary school teacher) and they loved it! They kept on calling it a video camera😁
Haha, I love that!! Thank you for sharing it with your students!
These are some fine cameras. I also have a D8L, B8L, B8, L8 and a Rex H8 all working and been CLA:) Thanks for posting this. 🥰😍🤩
Thank you! I love Bolex cameras, sounds like you have a nice collection.
I have a question where can i buy more film for the B8L
I was debating whether to go with 16mm or 8mm film when it comes to shooting family events, and a lot of your videos helped me out. The Bolex 8mm really looks amazing with decent sharpness, and I prefer it over the 16mm. Thanks for all the lovely content!
Awesome, thanks so much!!
The 8mm are more fun and to work with and easy to take with you. I have both the 16mm is heavy.
You're a camera magician!
Tah-Dah!!
Surprisingly very sharp for the format . Loves it . Need more on how precisely shoot bolex 16mm esp the lens functions 😆. I’m gathering courage to shoot soon namaste 🙏
I was pleasantly surprised at just how well the images turned out with this tiny format.
Don't be shy, jump right in! 16mm really isn't much different than 8mm, just wider (and a bit more expensive). I'll be doing a followup (Part 2) to my 16mm Filmmaking video pretty soon, where I'll cover 100' loads with the Bolex H16 and Krasnogorsk K3. Should be fun.
I love how sharp these lenses are.. Love the grain in the tree and leaf seen! Also love the selfie 😄
Thanks, Nasser!!
Thanks mike, i've run my first reel over the weekend so i'm gonna send that off for processing and see what we get and make adjustments for the next reel...thanks for all your help and very helpful videos.
My pleasure, Doug!! Let me know how it turns out.
Really enjoyed that , like your presentation style . Thanks for sharing this . Ray
Thanks so much, Ray!!
Thank you for for another informative video. It looks like you have everything sorted out as far as Regular 8mm filming and developing go. The purchase of a new splitter is cheap and easy in the grand scheme of things, the round ones from Russia have worked well for me.
Your Bolex cameras are nice. I own a P-1 that I absolutely love, one day I hope to buy a H-8. It is also good to know your moviestuff scanner will scan both split and full frame films. Awesome report, at this point you are only limited by your imagination and the amount of film that you have on hand.
One thing I have noticed is that if I spool the film reels down to approx. 30', I would get the type of jitter you experienced, but usually not until the end or after the counter had passed 25'. I am almost trained now to check it at that point for jams, interesting that it occurred more at the beginning for you. Rolls that I intentionally I kept to 25' or less have not done this for what it is worth. I use a changing bag and a 12" ruler for light protection accurate measurement :-) !
Thanks again, I Iook forward to the next video !!!
Thanks, Cecil!! I was wondering if having too much film on the spool might be the issue, glad to hear it from you. I'll be coming up with a more accurate measurement tool soon for sure because that was awful.
Thanks again for the tip!!
It’s amazing how sharp of an image these cameras can make. ! I have the exact same two cameras lol, mine had an occasional jamming issue even after I lubed it. But when I did use mine I used the internal light meter and compared it to a phone app light meter and it was always spot on!
Thanks Alex, I was wondering how well the internal meters in these things would be. Probably make my life so much easier, haha
@@Filmboy24 yea I suspect that the meters sensor stays in good shape since there “parked position” is always in the dark
@@alexinnewwest1860 I'll be giving them a test drive soon, hopefully they're as accurate as yours.
This is going to be my first 8mm I’m excited and nervous cause I know nothing about these cameras
I recently got a Bolex P1 and I'm excited to shoot some 8mm over the summer. I'm sad there's a lack of color options especially tungsten balanced film but there's a surprisingly large range of black and white film for the format. I might start off with some Foma R100
That's awesome! Yes, I'm with you on the color issue, I really wish there was more options available. Until then, I guess, like you said, we always have our B&W film. BTW, I love the look of Foma stocks (my favorite 35mm B&W is Fomapan 100).
John schwind at International Film Brokers (buy8mmfilm.com) sells both the KAHL UT 18 ASA 50 color reversal film in 25’ spools as well as Kodak Ektachrome 100D. The KAHL sells for about $44 per roll, the 100D is $68 per roll. They are not cheap, but processing through Dwaynes Photo in Parsons Ks is only $12 per roll. This would bring the total cost of the KAHL not much higher than the B&W film if you have it processed. Obviously self processing the B&W brings the cost way down. By the way, I too love the FOMA R100 as well.
Awesome video! Beautiful cameras. Question, when you scan the uncut 8mm film are you taking a resolution hit? just wondering? I think i own one of those Wollensak 1/2" (13mm) F/2.5 W Cine Raptor Lens. I use it for my Pentax Q digital camera!. Really enjoy your channel!
Thanks so much!!
That's a great question about resolution and yes, I think you definitely lose out when overscanning that much, if you're going to split it in post. You have to essentially crop and zoom in to get the 8mm frame, whereas you'd do that in the original scan with film already split to 8mm. I may have to try a side by side comparison now :)
Mike, got my 16mm test footage back from FPP. It turned out better than I expected but not as good as I had hoped. Of the 100' roll about half is properly exposed. the other 50% is as you'd expect is under or over exposed but most of it you can see an image. The shots of my dog in the backyard turned out best kinda reminded me of Petey the dog from "The Little Rascals".
AWESOME, Barry! I guarantee you that you'll nail that exposure if you practice. Do you have a way to show your film online? I'd love to take a look at it.
@@Filmboy24 I've got it on Adobe Premier I'll see what I can do
@@barrysteinlage6888 Sounds good!
@@Filmboy24 Downloaded it to my Facebook page for all the world to see... Or at least my friends
@@barrysteinlage6888 If you're able to make it viewable to all, I'd love to see it.
Hey there! It’s me again. So we just gave the B8LA a whirl, it’s incredible even just testing it all out. We did notice it is running pretty slow, as you described yours was initially, too. Any chance you’d ever make a video just detailing how you lubricated the inner workings of yours to get it to run so smooth?? Seems like we have the exact same issue, but it’s in perfect condition otherwise.
Thanks, Andrew!! Not sure when I'll get around to making a video about opening one of these cameras up (though I do need to do it with my Bolex P3). In the meantime, take a look at this older video that someone posted, it helped me get going in my Bolex repair ventures:th-cam.com/video/dqydInB1GCY/w-d-xo.html
@@Filmboy24 Thanks!!
Very interesting video on this format. Interesting to see experienced film makers like you talking and experimenting with these cameras. Doing research on this format because the cameras were so inexpensive, getting ready to shoot Foma 100 in my Bolex P1 and 2 as a test for first time today. These two cameras purchased on eBay have big beautiful bright reflex viewfinders. The B8L also a recent purchase viewfinder is so tiny, and recommend you should try the P1 which have reflex zoom lens. Can you explain why you shoot at 24?
Thanks, Geoffrey!
I do have a Bolex P3 8mm camera, however it's in desperate need of a complete breakdown. I'm also not a big fan of it's motorized zoom (I like your P1 and P2 much better). Totally agree about the nice, bright viewfinders. Such an extreme difference between them and the tiny, non-reflex ones. My biggest issue has been rotating the turret and forgetting to change the viewfinder's focal length, grrr.
I really don't have a great answer as to why I always shoot at 24 FPS. It's probably more psychological than anything. I've always been fascinated by how smooth the motion is compared to 16 and 18 FPS, though honestly, it's really only noticeable in quicker pans/tilts.
Looking very nice! I guess the Sonic 25 from FPP should look great on this format. The Bolex Double 8 cameras are known to be pieces of precision engineering. According to my humble math knowledge, a good set of lenses for this format should be: 5mm (wide angle), 12.5mm (normal) and 37.5mm (telephoto), exactly half of your typical set for 16mm film. As always: thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks so much for your input, it's always appreciated!!
I like that lens combination you mentioned. I think I'm pretty close to it with my 5.5mm, 13mm and 36mm. I wish I didn't always forget to change the focal distance on the non-reflex viewfinder when changing lenses :)
@@Filmboy24 Yes, that set is perfect. I read long ago in a filmmaker magazine that Super8 and 8mm are formats of longer focal lengths. I strongly disagree. You always need a wide angle and 5.5mm is perfect for 8mm, that would translate to an 11mm for 16mm film. IMHO smaller formats call for an uncluttered image and your subject should be rather large in the frame. Check classic (SD) tv shows, where the camera operator always zooms like crazy to prevent the actors' face from getting too small. That's framing, not focal length. Just sharing my humble opinion :)
@@truefilm6991 Thanks again so much for your insight! Really appreciate it!
@@Filmboy24 No prob. Always learning myself.
Hi there! Wondering if you have any tips for the limitations of the viewfinder (size, approximating what's actually going through the lens, attachments etc.). Got a B8LA that's in amazing shape, but surprised by how distant/small the viewfinder feels in practice. Anything that helped you ensure great shots?
That's a great question, Andrew. Sadly, I haven't found much of anything at all that helps with the tiny viewfinder. It's quite annoying as you know now. The thing that helps the most is assuring that you measure your focus well. It's easy to compensate for framing that's a little off but focus is impossible to fix. These aren't great "run and gun" type cameras and I've learned that they need a bit of finesse to really get the most out of them. Congrats on your camera by the way!!
@@Filmboy24 Thanks so much for sharing that, that’s a great piece of advice. Gotta say, your test footage turned out amazing - gives me hope that some measured planning before rolling will be the trick.
@@andrewkuhar1189 My pleasure! Thanks so much to you as well, my friend!!
Good stuff. Based on one of your other posts on regular 8 I recently ordered a Kodak Brownie II. One of those purchases where the shipping exceeds cost of the camera ($20) 🙂. Even worse the film splitter is also gonna cost more than the camera…not ordering that til I test the camera.
Thanks!! I know those types of purchases all too well, Dave! Just have to decide if the purchase plus shipping price overall is worth it (which I'm sure you did). Please keep me (us) updated when you run some film through it!!
Will do. My recent first real Lomo loading (K40) was not good so I’ve got to practice that some more before I do any “real” rolls. 🙂 I shot 2 more K40 rolls which give me a chance to improve. On the bright side, although the developing result was terrible (had to just put the roll into a regular film tank), I was able to confirm that manual exposure on my Canon is working! It was funny because there was about 1 sec of footage where the developing result was perfect, great contrast, etc. I replayed that brief glimpse of goodness several times to make me feel better about the spiral loading fiasco 🙂
I'd call that a huge success, Dave! I mean, manual exposure is as (actually more) important as any feature on your camera. Also, trust me when I tell you, I have those spiral (and developing) days often. This film game is so hit or miss most of the time but then again, that's kind of the allure. Keep it going, love hearing about your progress!!
I just re-watched this because I pulled out a few of my small Bolex 8mm cameras - not my H8 ones, but the B, C & D8 series ones - and found that I’m going to have to disassemble one of my my D8L cameras that I recently acquired because it isn’t running at all. I’d like to pick your brain sometime about any tips or tricks you might know regarding the D8L. There’s not much info about these available on TH-cam or on-line, and I don’t have a repair manual. That’s never stopped me before, so I’m sure I’ll be fine.. see you Sunday I hope!
Hey Mike, I'll definitely help you if I can, though it's been a while since I got these running (or used them). There's a video somewhere (I may have it bookmarked) that helped me get going with these, I'll see if I can find it for you. One thing I've noticed is that most of these little Bolex 8mm cameras have very similar builds, which is good as it relates to maintenance. See you Sunday!!
thanks for the advice Mike, very helpful, ive down loaded an app, one thing, my shutter speed is set at 16 frames per second but cant seem to find this speed listed on the app in that way...any idea of the equivalent??...
Wonderful to see my favorite camera working. I didn't want to open it but sent mine to an expert and had it done for me. Negative film is available in 25 foot rolls also so you don't have to spool it yourself, I've done it, it is cheaper a little. Is there some way to. slit and edit in FCP and flip?
Thanks, Michael. Not sure about splitting in FCP as I don't use that, but I know I can easily crop in Vegas Pro. Haven't actually done it yet but it might make for a fun experiment!
The flutter can be caused (and usually is) by the feed, and/or take up spindle. The supply spindle may not be spinning freely (rare but not unheard of) or the take up spindle not slipping as designed (usually the problem) because of not enough, or too much grease between the little clutch disc and the pressure washer. It happened to be multiple times on some of my Bolex P1’s
Thanks, CS! I was kind of thinking it may be the spring loaded "slack" control roller guide that follows the feed reel. When I disassembled it, the spring came off and though I got it back seated properly, I'm not sure it has the right amount of pressure. You can tighten the spring by turning the tabs a couple times, which I didn't do. To simplify, it seems like, as the film exits the feed spool, it just completely compresses the spring roller. I may take it apart again soon and see if that might be it.
Definitely worth looking into
How about an update on the regular 8mm cameras. Did you get the flutter (losing loop) issue fixed? I have a total of 10 Bolex regular 8 cameras, with the exception of one (which just needs some TLC) they all are functional. I love the look of the prime lenses, but my favorite go to camera is the P1….Anyway, I just wanted to see what you found. I love your videos, not many of us around that truly love 8mm.
@@csb65536, unfortunately I haven't had time to open it up again yet. It's pretty high on my list of "get it done now". Interestingly enough, I just dug out a Bolex P3 that I had sitting. I can't remember when or where I got it but it suffers from the same slow running issue as the others did. Planning to open it and my D8L together. I'll definitely update when I have something. Thanks, as always!!
Didn’t realize it had need so long since I had ordered a reg 8 camera… the camera appears to have some issues but will find out for sure soon. Anyway, gonna finally run film through it and develop the roll and was wondering what your development time in HC110B for the FPP 100 negative film is. I tried to find that info on your channel but didn’t come across it. Thanks so much for your help.
Hey Dave, I was kind of lost on that too. I bought a 1 gallon package of FPP D-96, which is what they recommend. I processed in this and HC110-B, both for 7 minutes at 67-68° F. Both gave me similar results. I used the D-96, stock (mixed to 1 gallon and used without further dilution). Hope that helps, best of luck!!
@@Filmboy24 Thanks Mike. Funny you should mention the D96. I purchased it shortly after I got the camera but it was purchased from a different store than FPP. Anyway, I mixed it up yesterday and it was super dark brown, even the powder was that color. Apparently the package was not quite airtight for it to oxidize like that. In the past I found D76 would last in the original packaging for years and years.
@@gtrplayer1000 Yeah, I would dispose of that stuff for sure. I'm sure any of the standard developers would work fine. I'd start in the 7 minute range and go from there. I can't imagine a standard developer that would deviate more than a minute either way.
@@Filmboy24 The saga continues 🙂 I loaded up the camera and it is definitely not working properly, motor binds and stalls out when the motor is triggered. I reloaded it a couple of times and same result. So looked around for another option and found an original Brownie (the one I have is a Brownie II) that I’m willing to take a chance on as its under $20, free shipping, the seller says its working, and accepts returns. Of course “working” doesn’t necessarily mean you can run film through it and get images. 🙂 So it’s “hope for the best” time. 🎥
@@gtrplayer1000 I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed for you on the Brownie!!
I have one, but don't even know how to use it. Would like to know how to start refurbishing it to it's former glory days first too. It's such a good looking camera.
They really are beautiful cameras, Teng. Whatever you do with it, just take your time and when it comes to taking anything apart, take lots of pictures :)
The quality of the images is amazing. I noticed you did a Hitchcock and had a cameo. Do you know what the film stock is? Is it made by Kodak or where is it sourced from?
Thanks!! Haha, you caught my Hitchcock!!
I really wish I knew what stock this is, I bought it from FPP. It's simply labeled as BW100 Black & White Negative Film. I got a 100' spool and just spooled it down. It's cheap enough that way that I'm happy with it, but it really would be nice to know what it is. If I find out, I'll let you know.
hey filmboy24! nice video, very informative, wondering how you safetly cut 25ft off your 100ft supply? I find there is a huge lacking of 25ft reels atm
Thanks, William!! I have a primitive system that basically just uses a screw (that my empty reel sits over) and I wind with my electric screwdriver until the film reaches the edge of my board. Kind of hard to explain, and I'm working on a new system, so I may have to make a video at some point.
Just picked up a B8, needs a CLA but I'm excited to shoot it!
Good luck, Chris! Be careful, this is addicting :)
Where is the flashing coming from in your footage? Does your camera have a light leak issue? I had something similar in a Yashica 8mm. I fixed it with some black camera tape. Are you using old, recan film stock? Somewhere it's picking up edge fog. I love the overall look of it, however. It looks like it was shot in the 1920s.
I think it has more to do with uneven processing than anything else. It's happened to me on other rolls of B&W stock, with other cameras as well. The nature of home processing sometimes for me.
Jesus, this is a really perfect scan! How did you do that?
Thank you, Steffen! I scan everything myself on my RetroScan Universal.
Quick question where did you put the lubricant in oil on the inside? I believe you said specific spots, which spots?
Hi Samantha, it's been a bit since I did this but I know the oil needs to be applied to the metal (brass) governor rod goes into the bearing. I also placed a drop on the opposite end of the governor arm, Pretty much wherever there's metal spinning on metal.
Well done Miguel. 8mm huh, I saw a little viewer in a thrift store, reels on left and right arms, 4X4 screen,, looked a little cheap. 2 dials 6 $. Good or bad..
Thanks, Pop! That's probably about right for that little viewer but hard to say. Those little viewers are like cameras, some are worth selling a kidney for while other would owe you one :)
My dad's Bolex! :D
How is your experience about the diy cla? Very complicated, not recommended, or learning by doing? I´m asking, cause ordered 3 different bolex, quite cheaply and I´m expecting a lot of work, especially sticky old oil, dirt in the viewfinder, so that blind, etc. etc.
Good question, Steffen. I'd say a good combination of "be very careful" and "learn by doing". A good, general rule of thumb I live by is, less oil is more. I never oil gears (teeth) and usually always oil spindles (or where their rotation meets, like a bearing). Lots of Q-tips and toothpicks and the highest percentage of isopropyl alcohol you can find (I use 99%) for cleaning gunk. I have not yet ventured into the viewfinder area, so let me know how it goes if you do.
I'm getting ready to take apart a Bolex P3 I bought a couple years ago that doesn't run. Might make a video if it goes well :)
Good luck!!
I have a D8L in excellent condition, but it jams up when I try to use it with a cable release. Somehow the film pressure plate goes askew and I have to open it and wiggle it back into position. No problem with a pistol grip though.
That seems quite odd. It almost seems like the cable release might not be extending far enough and is "stuttering" gate area. Might explain why the pistol grip works fine. I'd try another cable release or add a drop of oil to the plunger on the one you have. Best of luck!
will do Mike.....cheers for now...
I hope to get one some day. Right now I’m waiting for a hopefully working 155 S8 model Bolex. Unrelated but I had a B&H 414-PD break on me while I was winding it! I’m guessing the spring got unhooked or something and ZING! The crank span back really fast and that’s all she wrote for that one! (And my thumb for the next couple hours) it wasn’t a TOTAL loss because I had got a hand grip and a case which will be occupied by my other 414P model but I’ll have to deal with not having the Electric Eye feature. Have you ever have a camera go bad on you like that?
Well that stinks! I can't say that I've ever had one do that, however I've gotten one or two that seemed to already be there. I guess that's the unfortunate reality of dabbling in these antiquated electronics :(
@@Filmboy24 but this was a spring powered one. I noticed it sounded a little off compared to the other non electric eye model I had. not to mention the zoom in feature that’s powered also by the spring motor didn’t work either. So something was about to go wrong with it…I only had the thing for a day too…oh well I can’t wait to get a Bolex regular 8 camera since I can trust that brand since the fine folks of Switzerland really really put care in their products.
@@oldradiosnphonographs Yes, there really is nothing like a Swiss made Bolex!!
@@Filmboy24 it’s 7 months later and as of 3/23/22 I have purchased a P1 model Bolex regular 8! BTW I will later this week also look at a Yashica reg 8 camera someone on eBay keeps calling it a “Bolex killer” I am also interested in Canon/Emdeko/Fujica aka Fuji film/Zeiss ikon/emuig regular 8 cameras. The cool thing is I can probably get most of those under 50 bucks!
@@oldradiosnphonographs It's so crazy that you mention Yashica cameras, I was just about to shoot with my Yashica Super-40 super 8 camera. Planning to do a video about it soon!! Yashica made such a great, eclectic mix of cameras.
I shot a roll of single-8 yesterday in my Fujica Z2 and I'll be attempting the processing of that roll soon too. Love the Fujica cameras, very solid!!
You're absolutely right about the cost, all of these cameras are usually within the budgets of most of us.
Would consider preforming a CLA on a P2? Compensated of course.
Hey Mitch, unfortunately I'm not comfortable working on other people's cameras. I'm getting ready to try and get my P3 working properly though and I may document that. I know they're very similar cameras.
can you turn between both lenses in the B8 with the handle attached? I have a D8L with handle which looks great and it's out of the way, but the older handle for the B8 looks like blocking the path of the turning lens.
That's a great question and I probably should have mentioned it in the video. No, you cannot rotate the lens turret with the handle attached on the B8L.
@@Filmboy24many thanks. I will probably leave my B8 without handle, as this is more compact anyway. If I want a handle, and confort, I have the D8L
Hi everyone! I recently bought a D8L, but I can't find any information about the viewfinder.. Is the image that will be printed on the film the one inside the smallest rectangle in the center of the viewfinder or does it also extend to the four corners? Or maybe the frame will have imprinted the whole image inside the viewfinder?
Mike I love your channel, it's amazing what you do. All your tips are golden for someone like me who was born in the digital age and does not have direct acquaintances with other analog users.
Thank you!! Greetings from Italy
Thank you, Andrea, really appreciate it! Those little frames inside the viewfinder are the TV safe viewing areas. They really don't apply much today as most televisions are wide screen. Use that little viewfinder as more of a guide than an absolute, as it's non-reflex. Your resulting image will be close to all four corners in your viewfinder but won't be exact. You have a great little camera there, that takes excellent pictures, have fun with it!!
hi, i've recently purchased a Bolex Paillard B8 from a second hand shop (uk), all seems in working order, i've loaded a colour negative film and want to shoot but not sure of how to set up the distance, f stop etc...i dont have a light meter...is there a way to shoot without a light meter..??...sorry oif that sounds dumb...am new to this....do yo have a film of how to do these basics..??...thanks.
Hi Doug, well, it's probably a little more involved than I can explain here but the basics are pretty easy. The first thing I would do, if you have a smart phone is download a free light meter app (there are many). You simply enter your film's speed, your camera's shutter speed, point it at the subject you want to film and it should give you an F-stop reading. Set that F-stop on your lens and shoot. If your subject has both lights and darks, take a reading on both and split the difference.
There is obviously more to it, but that should definitely get you on the right track. If you're a little unsure, it's always best to over-expose rather than under.
I don't have a video of this yet but I may put one together.
Two questions:
1. Do you have a recommended light meter app for iPhones? I ask since I might be inheriting a B8L soon.
2. Do you know if the fps dial on a Bolex B8L is moved in fixed steps or whether it’s continuous?
There are so many light meter apps, it's hard to say but I like (and use) the Lumu app. It's free and works great for me.
The fps dial on the B8L does not have lock positions and is free turning.
hi Mike, I think 16 frames per second works out to 1/30th as a shutter speed..??
Hey Doug, that depends on your camera’s shutter angle but most of the time you’re pretty safe with 1/30th at 16 fps.
Another comment I thought to ask you since you've have the experience of taken apart your cameras and lubing them, I wanted to ask how to go about this. I have discovered trying to shoot my P2 yesterday with film that the film was getting stuck and wouldn't run through properly. It ran fine without, but doesn't seem to have enough power to spin on when pulling film through. I transferred that film to my P1 giving extra leader for the exposed/fogged film and started 2 feet in, shot some single frame animation title and a fade in and out with the F1 camera running fine (thank goodness). The P2 though I want to try give lubrication, does one go through the film compartment and remove the plate at the back? Is it correct that you don't have to remove the face of the camera to gain access to the spring and gears. I read elsewhere in comments that you only put oil on the bearings and no where else, and will take that advice.
Hi Geoffrey, yes, you can get to most everything through the film compartment and there should be no need to remove the front. I have not taken apart any of the "P" series cameras, though I understand they're similar. I will probably be attempting my P3 breakdown sometime in the near future. When I do, I'll take plenty of photos.
You definitely want to make sure not to use an excessive amount of oil. A single drop is almost too much in most places and I found myself wiping a little with my fingers afterward. Also, you are correct, only use oil on "shafts" not gears. Anywhere there might be a bearing or location where a shaft is rubbing/turning. Usually, this is only a couple spots.
When you spool down, you spool directly on the reel you’ll use in the camera ? No need to re-spool it first ?
That is correct, with regular (Double 8) film, since it's double perf, you can spool directly from the supply reel to your new feed reel for your camera. The only thing you need to be mindful of is the emulsion in or out. In most cases (with the exception of loading an 8mm magazine), you will just keep the emulsion in, the way it's originally supplied.
In regard to your transport issue with your DLA I have a feeling that it COULD BE the take up spool giving you the problem by not maintaining the necessary small amount of loop after the film comes out of the gate. The film would not go through freely through the gate. Then again, it’s just a thought. Check that out closely and see if the take up action is working correctly which is not necessarily easy to fix but I think you are capable of doing it. I love these cameras but the main motor can suffer from inaction over time.
Hi Roland, thanks so much for your wisdom! You may be onto something here. I was kind of wondering if by chance I got the little tension spring on too loose at the area where the film travels just before entering the gate. On my B8L, the spring didn't come loose, so the tension arm was re-installed with the spring in place by the factory. With my D8L, it fell off and I had to figure it out. Thinking there might not be enough tension and the pulldown claw is pulling the film too tight. Grrrr, time to open it back up. Thanks again!
hello Mike , i got a D8L like that in the video, however the motor is dead, I was wondering if you know anyone in the USA selling spare motors. I guess if there are sellers with extra motors it would be easier and cheaper to buy and ship just the motor, instead of buying other Bolex to take the motor out. any info would be appreciated, have a nice evening ! R.
Hi Ramiro, are you sure the motor is dead? Most of the time on these old Bolex 8mm cameras, the motor is just a little stuck due to lack of oil. This causes them to either barely run or not run at all. Both of mine would barely run until I opened them up and oiled the metal moving parts, now they run great at all speeds.
@@Filmboy24 Yes Mike, I m sure is dead, I dismantle the camera and took the motor out, I can move it with my two fingers about a whole turn clockwise, it has no internal tension, i guess it means the spring is broken. I have been told that on a working motor you can not turn the motor with two fingers. Then im totally convinced the spring is dead. Thanks for your quick reply!
@@R.C19668 My pleasure! Yes, sounds dead to me too. Best of luck!!
I was recently gifted a Bell & Howell 8mm camera from the late 1950s. It's in great condition but the shutter sounds scratchy. Is this normal?
Hey Frank, well, I don't have any B&H 8mm cameras but that certainly doesn't sound like the norm. If I were to venture a guess, I'd say it's begging for a bit of lube. Let me know if you ever shoot any film through it.
@@Filmboy24 Here is what the camera sounds like and what its inside looks like: th-cam.com/video/03fMlRh6IWo/w-d-xo.html
@@OskarFilms yeah, that's a rough one. In my not so professional opinion, it sure sounds like a lube issue to me. It also doesn't look like it would be all that complicated to remove that cover plate (if you dare). As I'm sure you know, if you do oil it up, less is always more. I use a tiny bit at both ends of the speed governor or "drive shaft" and a tiny bit anywhere there might be a bearing (which in the case of the Bolex, is at the end of the speed governor shaft). Never use any oil directly on any gears. Let me know if you decide to try and take it apart.
I just purchased "BOLEX K2 AUTOMATIC", and I'm looking up for its footage, but so far only one video and it has a lot of dust on it, so im not sure how my footage will look like. If you have any experience with this particular camera, please do share it.
Also, why are you not drinking your tea/coffee? It's getting cold, sitting away from you : D
The K2 is a great looking little Bolex but unfortunately I've never had one in my hands. I will say this, make sure to always clean out the little gate area with a little compressed air or a blower brush, with the camera upside down. This helps a lot with getting any unwanted hair and dust out of the film's path. Might want to wipe down the film compartment as well, then gently blow it out.
You know, I sometimes go rambling on so much that I forget my coffee is even sitting there 🤣
@@Filmboy24 haha thank you! Well I meant the footage I found online has a lot of dust on in, but I will definitely now try to clean it up carefully and yeah, upside down is a good way to let the dust come out and not deeper inside, thanks
@@DethronerX Haha, I gotcha. I have to be spoon fed sometimes 😜
Well I now got my Bolex P1, but it has a problem. I cannot get the camera to operate it’s like the release is frozen. (Possibly due to old grease) I also think I could kickstart it if I get a backwind crank? I only have the camera, I don’t have the backwind, lens hood, eyepiece, or pistol grip for it either. I’m afraid to crank it in fear I’m gonna break something worse in it.
That's very common with these old Bolex spring wound cameras. It more than likely needs a couple drops of oil inside. It's not terribly hard to do by yourself but you do have to be careful, as you have to take it apart. Unfortunately, no amount of cranking or back winding will get it running permanently, it has to be opened.
Just curious, did the seller mention that it didn't run?
@@Filmboy24 nope. Seller said “fully tested and works properly” and to top it off the seller was a camera shop!
@@Filmboy24 I let the seller know it has a problem and the trigger is stuck even in “unlock” mode. I hope to get some of my money refunded.
@@oldradiosnphonographs Grrrrr, that's so aggravating!! You might consider sending it back. If you got it on Ebay, they're pretty good at protecting buyers.
@@Filmboy24 either somebody dropped it. It was packed good enough so I don’t think the issue was caused by the shipper. One of my many classic “Batting 1000” moments.
How do you develop your own film?
Either you have the mic gain too high or you have a low battery in your mic. It sounds distorted.
As I'm sure you saw from my other post, it was my mic battery. You saved me, thanks again!!!!!
I like your channel a lot but I think you should improve the sound quality. I don't know where it comes from but the sound of your voice is saturated and difficult to understand. This may be the microphone or setting on your sound recorder.
Thanks and yes, you are correct, my last 2 videos are audio nightmares. I was troubleshooting the issue for the last 2 days until you and one other person mentioned the microphone. Yep, the battery in my lapel mic was completely dead (didn't move the needle in the slightest). Thanks so much for mentioning microphone, I really appreciate it!!
@@Filmboy24 You are welcome. I have a question. Is there a small processing tank available for those small double 8 rolls? Could it fit in a standard Patterson 35 mm tank with a modified or 3d printed spool. Looks like it's not that much longer than a 36 pauses roll?
@@johannes914 Good question but they will not fit in a Paterson tank as is. The standard Paterson reels will hold about 5' of film and these rolls are about 25' long. In addition to the Lomo 50' processing tank that was designed to hold film lengths up to 15 meters (about 50'), there is also a smaller one designed to hold 10 meter lengths (about 33'). They're a little pricey out of the gate but if you plan on developing a bit, they're well worth it in the long run.
@@Filmboy24 Thank you very much for your answer. I will check on eBay.