questions about Bolex H8 and Film

Post by **Chewbaccaelnino** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 4:56 am

I purchased a 8mm Bolex H8 and now i need to replace a crank and an eyecup, can anyone tell me if the crank is nessescary to to film , it looks like i can use a screw driver to crank it then it should run right? alos im looking for film i dont really need good film i just need cheap film the is okay and i need to find a place to deveope the film , and how that whole process works and how much it costs. thanks sorry im so clueless.

Post by **studiocarter** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 3:16 pm

Hi, and welcome to regular8mm filmmaking.
e-bay is the best bet for getting a crank. A new eye cup costs $22. so look for one in auction. You are going to need to purchase, as I have just sent in my own order for one, a special bushing. The H8 cameras used a spool that was different from the Kodak spools. The hole in the center of the Kodak spools is larger; the bushing makes the shaft engage the Kodak spools properly. New 100 foot loads of Regular 8mm film are put onto Kodak daylight spools. If you do not have a Bolex 100 foot spool for takeup of film you might consider getting two bushings.
Film comes from one place in the US: http://members.aol.com/Super8mm/JohnSchwind.html/
He supplies it to everyone else.
Now, the crank goes onto the little fitting above the "I-T" lever and not into the film speed center of the dial slot screw head. That will just take it apart.
The crank for a P1 is thinner and different.
I have an extra H8, with a crank, and some other things that I'd like to get rid of all together. It is so old that it has an external frame counter, missing a little thing and it does not count anymore. That'll go on ebay someday or you can e-mail me if you want another.
The crank is nothing more than a hollow cylinder with a slot cut in the end of it.

Michael

Post by **Chewbaccaelnino** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 11:21 pm

awesome thanks man, can the H8 take 25 foot spools, because those 100ft are pretty expensive considering ill probably mess them up. But i found some
of the fopamn (?) B&W film, 100ft spools for 18$ each i think i migh tgo for that deal.

Post by **marc** » Thu Jan 16, 2003 5:34 am

with regards to the holes being of different sizes, I thought the only problem with that was the fact that john schwind puts his100' black and white on 16 millimeter spools which have a square slot for the shaft as apposed to the reg. 8mm 100 foot spools that have round holes. I have only shot his cinechrome 25 on the 25 ft rolls so I cannot say for certain what his 100 ft. rolls are like first hand. The 25 ft. spools I had no problems with.

Post by **studiocarter** » Thu Jan 16, 2003 3:17 pm

Yes the H8 will shoot 25 foot spools, Yes the 100 foot spools have the square hole and not the round one like in a 25 foot spool.
I sent for 3 Fomapan 25 foot spools to use in my B8 restored camera(s). The H8 saves me a lot on 4 rolls in one as a 100 foot spool. I have two waiting in the frig for the sleeve. It shot one earlier without the sleeve; there was some breathing of the film that may have been caused by the lack of the sleeve. The spool does not fit properly without it. My rewind reel has the round hole. Fomapan R8 does not come on a 100 foot spool; only double S8. So, I use Cine-X. The saveings is $5 over 4x25' Fomapan and $13 over 4 rolls of Cine-X.
My old H8 will not be able to use the backwinding crank as the external single frame counter is broken and the thing will not backwind. So, If you want to purchase it... email me.

Michael

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 17, 2003 6:25 am

The square holes are indicative of a 16mm 100'spool. But I think that the black and white film that john schwind offers is the only one that has the 16mm spool as far as I know. I think that the cinechrome and cinecolor on the 100 foot spools come with the reg. 8mm holes.

Post by **studiocarter** » Fri Jan 17, 2003 11:22 pm

That would be nice, however, if he does it for that, why not for B & W film, too? No matter.

The instruction book called, For perfect pictures...paillard H. has been scanned at 150dpi, made into a web for page turning, and zipped into the manuals directory. It is for old models and the booklet is in pretty rough shape, all taped up. It just goes to show how popular Bolex cameras are. There is another one coming that has the complete picture with the red callouts intact.
Look in ftp manuals here. ftp://ftp.filmshooting.com/upload/manuals/

It is called H8.1.zip because another version is in hand.

Michael

Post by **studiocarter** » Wed Jan 22, 2003 6:51 pm

My check was returned. No bushing available, call Chambless, I did and sent the money to him. Waiting...

Alternatly, one could take a H8 and a Kodak spool to a machinist and have one custom made, then sell copies...

Post by **H8rex** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 2:41 pm

The last bushing is now in my possesion. Chambles sent it to me. He was going to send it out to a machinest to have copies made for future sales.

Anyone know of a machinest it the Bristol area?

Michael Carter

A8 · Post by A8 » Fri Feb 07, 2003 9:33 pm

Hi, this may be of use to someone....try http://www.bolex.co.uk

Post by **monobath** » Sat Feb 08, 2003 7:09 am

For the absolute best in machining services for photographers, I heartily recommend Steve Grimes at http://www.skgrimes.com/

I'm certain that Mr. Grimes is up to the simple task of making bushings to fit a Kodak 100' spool onto a Bolex H8 spindle. He has done far more demanding custom lens work for me in the past. Top quality and truly professional results, every time.

Filmshooting

questions about Bolex H8 and Film

questions about Bolex H8 and Film

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