Bolex D8L service instructions
Moderator: Andreas Wideroe
- cameratech
- Posts: 78
- Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2011 1:07 pm
- Real name: Dom Jaeger
Bolex D8L service instructions
Hi all,
I've just finished writing up a little online guide for servicing a Bolex D8L, which might also be useful for the other pocket Bolex models, since they share the same mechanics. I've tried to keep it simple, so anyone with a few basic tools can follow the procedure. Because they were so well-made and designed, a little work can usually bring them back to great condition. It's not a completely thorough service guide, but should still be helpful I hope.
Any feed-back would be appreciated (especially if I've got something wrong, Jean-Louis!). Also if anyone has suggestions for another service guide they'd like to see, let me know. 16mm cameras are generally too complex for this kind of thing, but I figure if someone screws up their little 8mm camera they won't try and sue me.
Here's the link:
http://cinetinker.blogspot.com.au/
I've just finished writing up a little online guide for servicing a Bolex D8L, which might also be useful for the other pocket Bolex models, since they share the same mechanics. I've tried to keep it simple, so anyone with a few basic tools can follow the procedure. Because they were so well-made and designed, a little work can usually bring them back to great condition. It's not a completely thorough service guide, but should still be helpful I hope.
Any feed-back would be appreciated (especially if I've got something wrong, Jean-Louis!). Also if anyone has suggestions for another service guide they'd like to see, let me know. 16mm cameras are generally too complex for this kind of thing, but I figure if someone screws up their little 8mm camera they won't try and sue me.
Here's the link:
http://cinetinker.blogspot.com.au/
Dom Jaeger
Camera/lens technician
Cameraquip, Melbourne
Camera/lens technician
Cameraquip, Melbourne
Re: Bolex D8L service instructions
Wow. That's very easy to understand. Good photos to illustrate the process. Thanks.
Wade
Re: Bolex D8L service instructions
Just had a quick glance. Great work Dom!
Cheers,
Jean-Louis
Cheers,
Jean-Louis
Jean-Louis Seguin
Motion Picture Camera Technician
Montreal, Canada
Motion Picture Camera Technician
Montreal, Canada
- Nicholas Kovats
- Posts: 772
- Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2006 7:21 pm
- Real name: Nicholas Kovats
- Location: Toronto, Canada
Re: Bolex D8L service instructions
This is a beautiful document, Don! Thank you for providing this "open-source'd" labour of love. I would love to see one of these tiny precision jewels converted to the UltraPan8 format albeit with parallax viewing. God job!
Nicholas Kovats
Shoot film! facebook.com/UltraPan8WidescreenFilm
Shoot film! facebook.com/UltraPan8WidescreenFilm
- cameratech
- Posts: 78
- Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2011 1:07 pm
- Real name: Dom Jaeger
Re: Bolex D8L service instructions
Thanks for the feedback kind sirs!
Here's hoping standard 8 film survives a bit longer, as the cameras will certainly be around for a long time.
Unless someone has a particular request I might do a service guide for the Beaulieu MR8 next.
Here's hoping standard 8 film survives a bit longer, as the cameras will certainly be around for a long time.
Unless someone has a particular request I might do a service guide for the Beaulieu MR8 next.
Dom Jaeger
Camera/lens technician
Cameraquip, Melbourne
Camera/lens technician
Cameraquip, Melbourne
-
- Senior member
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- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2010 1:00 am
- Real name: Carl Looper
Re: Bolex D8L service instructions
Great work Dom. Well put together and that camera you have in the staring role is so cute. I'd never seen one before.
Carl
Carl
Carl Looper
http://artistfilmworkshop.org/
http://artistfilmworkshop.org/
- MIKI-814
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- Real name: Miguel
- Location: BILBAO, Basque Country, EU
- Contact:
Re: Bolex D8L service instructions
Thank you very much indeed! Great photos also. We need more of this for our cameras!
Re: Bolex D8L service instructions
Great instructions! I have one question. Do you have to remove the front plate with the turret to get the spring motor out?
- cameratech
- Posts: 78
- Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2011 1:07 pm
- Real name: Dom Jaeger
Re: Bolex D8L service instructions
Yes it won't come out otherwise.BAC wrote:Great instructions! I have one question. Do you have to remove the front plate with the turret to get the spring motor out?
Dom Jaeger
Camera/lens technician
Cameraquip, Melbourne
Camera/lens technician
Cameraquip, Melbourne
Re: Bolex D8L service instructions
Great tutorial and much appreciated . I picked up a Bolex D8L on eBay that appears to have been well taken care of , stored carefully , so the motor purrs along nicely , no grinding or clunking sounds . The real test will be running film through it. But if I need to clean/lubricate it , now I know how !
These Bolex cameras (and other brands of high-end 8mm cameras) take some amazingly high quality images. I hope someone keeps supplying the standard 8mm film for many years to come.
The standard 8mm film is hard to find , but I have a stupid question: theoretically WHY wouldn't we expect that standard 8mm film could continue as long as 16mm continues and as long as someone (Wittner , etc.) maintain the machines to perforate 8mm sprocket holes (and of course the machines to slit the 16mm-wide film into two halves) ?cameratech wrote: Here's hoping standard 8 film survives a bit longer, as the cameras will certainly be around for a long time.
These Bolex cameras (and other brands of high-end 8mm cameras) take some amazingly high quality images. I hope someone keeps supplying the standard 8mm film for many years to come.