Filmo filters?

[Phil_F_NM]

Next month I'm hoping to be shooting our July 4th parade here in Philly from the back seat of one of the classic cars in the parade. It's undoubtedly going to be bright, regardless of the weather. I'll be shooting TriX or DXN, depending upon my mood and if I really feel like doing the developing myself (DXN, no reversal here at the house.) That said, the shutter speed is too low and my film will be 200 ISO. Bell and Howell originally had filters that sat under a snap ring right in front of the shutter. These original parts are surely lost to the ages and if they are still around, probably scratched up so badly as to be only translucent, not optically transparent. Has anyone succeeded in sticking a gel in this little space in the Filmo and gotten good results from it? Gels love to attract dust and while I can deal with a speck on a few frames, I don't want to ruin a day's shooting with a little chamber of dust in front of the film. Yes, I have a blower and I'll be keeping things as clean as possible.
Other than that, I'm thinking of having a new shutter machined with a narrower angle since we no longer have general purpose slow films available or at least not at a cost I can afford. I want to stick to black and white, so no ECN2 50ISO for me.
Thanks all.

Phil Forrest

[David M. Leugers]

Phil

No problem. Find an internal snap-ring (the holes for the pliers are inside of the perimeter) of the right size to fit the camera. Get a gel filter of the type you want and cut out a circle to fit the hole in the camera. I used to have a small plug of round stock of just the right size to use as a template to cut out the gel. Make sure you leave the paper and cardboard covering the gel filter sheet on while you cut it out to avoid any scratches or defects to the gel. Careful work produces the desired results. I have shot film in my Filmo this way for years. Good luck.

[Phil_F_NM]

Thanks for the tips. I got mine all fabbed up with an ND9 filter under a ring I fashioned from a cut faucet washer. None of our local parts stores have real metal snaprings which are both the correct diameter AND appropriately thin. Anyway, it holds the gel just fine.
Have you had any problems with persistent dust hanging on the filter or is it far enough away from the gate that any interference is diffuse?
Thanks again, to all.
Happy fathers day.

Phil Forrest

[David M. Leugers]

Phil

Nice job adapting to make it work. If you have a problem with dust clinging to the filter, try using an anti-static photo brush to gently clear the dust off and prevent more from gathering. I sometimes use a shot from a can of compressed air (like for computers) being careful to just use as little pressure needed to clear the dust. I'd recommend starting from a distance of about a foot and angle the blast so as not to dislodge the filter. I see you used a N9 filter. Such is life with the high speed Tri-X or Double-X film stock shooting outdoors with the Filmo (about 1/40 sec exposure at 24 fps). Have you tried using a green filter like a #11? It will not only drop the film speed two stops turning 200 ASA into 50 ASA but will darken up skin tones and lighten up green foliage. People look better and I think the overall look is pretty cool. Just a thought.
Good luck and keep shooting...

[Phil_F_NM]

I'll try a green filter. I just have to find that stack of gels again. We're changing a bunch of the layout and function of one of the rooms in our house and I'm not sure where I put the gels. Anyway...
Is there a reason that both of my filmos, one is a DR one is a DL, have the numeral 2 engraved next to every lens port in the turret? 1, 2, 3 makes sense but nothing but 2 is confusing.

Phil Forrest