i bought a bolex :)

[Bryan Colvin]

I'm interested to see if I use:

KODAK VISION3 250D Color Negative Film 5207/7207

in the bolex

if before I roll that film, If I point my canon 7D and set it to ISO 250 and match aperture, shutter angle/speed settings. do you think that would give me a somewhat accurate "preview" of the film i'm about to shoot?

I will try it out anyway and see what the results are (i'm also using a light meter don't worry). I'm just curious if anyone else knows if that would be a good way to preview your shots before rolling film

 

[Simon Knight]

I have a bolex 16mm and an Arri S16. Technically, yes, you are combining the light meter in the camera with the instantaneous capabilities of digital.. Really, a good light meter will give you the correct exposure which you can then color grade when you get the DI back... Good luck

SK

 

[Bryan Colvin]

i'm mainly thinking about this as I'm more on the directing side. I'd like to allow the DP to do all the light meter work, but if im able to snap a shot and get a decent preview i'd feel more comfortable before rolling. so thanks, i'll try it out

 

[Björn Benckert]

Yes you can.
I did that all the time back when shooting film. same iso same stop and exposure time then you get much more than a hint of what is happening.... I never had a light meter and still dont..

 

[Phil Holland]

I use both a meter and DSLR these days. Works well on Tech Scouts to frame up and quickly make notes on where problems can occur at locations. I'll sometimes pack up my Scarlet with a fast prime and Redvolts too. Depends on the gig.

 

[Robert Hart]

You may already know much more than me on the topic and certainly there be those who are more qualified to comment. Please heed their advice over my own comments. ------- There are Bolexs and Bolexs. I am assuming you have one of the H16 family. Some had a prism-split reflex viewfinder, others didn't. ----------- Lens sets with aperture rings marked for the reflex versions, will overexpose on cameras which do not have the reflex finder. --------- With the cameras now quite old and lens sets that may have become separated from their correct cameras or worse, have become mixed sets, you may end up with some inconsistent results. I understand that the prism split also introduced an optical change to the backfocus of the lenses but that it may not have been such a critical issue except for more meticulous operators. ----- If you do not have a handbook or manual and you encounter a lid or side cover which will not quite fit on without rocking on the body, this is the camera telling you something. The lid consists of two metal layers. The inner layer has several holes in it. These match the small knobs on the various guides and the pressure plate when they have been restored to their correct positions after the film is loaded. If any one is not in its correct position it will hold the lid partially open. However, the novice operator can force the lid closed and successfully turn the lock. The evidence of past errors will be seen as polished fluted bright spots in the black surface of the lid. These should not be taken as the normal operating positions of the guide knobs which all have a matching hole they should fit into. -------- The lever to choose clockwork drive or fully manual drive with a crank handle or electric motor will be found to be stiff or even locked against movement. The large wind-up crank handle should be swung upon, engaged and bought up against spring tension before the select lever is either engaged or disengaged. The wind-up crank may be pulled slightly more against spring tension whilst a baulky select lever is moved. There will be found a spot where the select lever will move easily. If the select lever is moved back into clockwork drive with the spring fully wound and not eased back out of tension, there is a risk of shockloading the mechanism. There will be a solid clack as the spring mechanism is released to engage the film transport. --------- If you choose to film while handwinding the camera with the small removable crank, the mechanical governor should remain selected for best results and you wind against its resistance. If you want the vintage variable exposure effect, then simply allow your winding speed to drop off a little from the governor's resistance. With practice, you can also use this small crank to film reverse motion after first winding some film through with the lens capped. Unless you just want to do it because it can be done, it is much easier to film conventionally and reverse the motion in your digital editor. --------- Enjoy.

 

[Stephen Strangways]

You probably want to set your 7D to ISO 320. According to DXOmark meausurements, ISO 200 is actually 159, and ISO 400 is actually 325. So ISO 320 on the 7D should be a closer match to ISO 250 negative. Then again... you're better off over-exposing it than under-exposing it, so 250 might wind up being perfect!

 

[Ryan De Franco]

I'm with Steven.

Theres not many digital ISO values I trust. Steven thanks very very much for DXOmark

Shooting 100' loads remains the most fun experience I have with cameras. Which lenses did you pick up with the camera? Has it been serviced or checked in a while?

 

[Patrick Tresch]

Shoot tests before production like it is the norm with film.

Prism compensation and
Shutter aperture
Warning: You can still see an image through the viewfinder if the
variable shutter is closed. Some cameras show a triangular warning
signal, but not all. Make sure you variable shutter is opened to the
correct setting when filming.

From : http://www.evergreen.edu/medialoan/aps/docs/aps_BolexH16.pdf

Are also parameters to consider.

Pat

 

[Bryan Colvin]

thanks for the replies.. i have no idea about DXOmark ! now i'm going through their website. good to know DSLR ISO ratings aren't very accurate! i've done stills on film. I have to buy another c-mount lens for my bolex the lens focus ring doesn't work so i'm picking one up soon.

the kind i have is the wind up spring loaded (30 seconds takes lol). it has a preview prism so you can get the idea of the appearance, but you can't see the actual frame while shooting. So i don't need to worry about loss from the prism (just my framing lol). that silly viewfinder on the side makes me laugh, but i'll still have fun learning about using actual film


I'm just getting the itch to shoot something on film since I never have. I grew up with hi8 cameras so i've been video since I was 11. although my dad DID spoil me when i was 15 with a matrox editing card. that was bitchin' back in the day lol.

 

[Mick van Rossum NSC]

Since modern spring driven bolexes have a 133 degree shutter (instead 180) and lose 20% light through the viewfinder, I rate the shutterspeed of a Bolex at 1/80th of a second instead of 1/50th.

 

[Patrick Tresch]

Since modern spring driven bolexes have a 133 degree shutter (instead 180) and lose 20% light through the viewfinder, I rate the shutterspeed of a Bolex at 1/80th of a second instead of 1/50th.

Hello,

It's also written in the Bolex manual.

http://www.evergreen.edu/medialoan/aps/docs/aps_BolexH16.pdf

Page 3



Reflex ViewfindeR
The optical system of the Bolex H-16 reflex cameras utilizes a beam splitter permitting through
the lens viewing at all times free from flicker. The reflex viewfinder enables accurate focusing
and framing, and allows you to estimate the depth of field. The reflex prism deflects 20 - 25%
of the light passing through the lens into the viewfinder system. Only 75 – 80% of the light
reaches the film plane. The actual quality of the light reaching the film is reduced by about
1/2 to 1/3 of an f-stop. To compensate for the light reduction, Bolex has determined that the
effective shutter speed for the H-16 camera is 1/80 of a second rather than the standard 1/65 of
a second. Another compensation for the light loss is the RX lens designed by Bolex with Kern/
Switar. The RX lens is calibrated to pass 1/2 to 1/3 more light than the aperture markings on
the barrel indicates. When using RX lenses with the H-16 camera, the effective shutter speed
is back to 1/65 of a second. APS will provide you with RX lenses (designated after the name
on the barrel of the lens), unless you request otherwise or no RX lenses are available. make
sure you know whether or not the lenses you are checking out are RX or non-RX. (Ask an APS
employee to show you how to check the lens if necessary.) When using non-RX lenses of 50 mm
or less, satisfactory results can be obtained when stopped down to f/8 or smaller.

Pat