16 mm Film Bolex Cameras
Equipment Use Policy
Equipment Access: Access to the Media Center is granted to all students, faculty, and staff with a validated SAIC photo
I.D. card. To assure that equipment will be available when you need it reservations are recommended. Remember to be prompt.
Reservations are held for 30 minutes then deleted. Allow at least 15 minutes to check out equipment. When returning equipment,
wait until your checkout is cleared from the computer or a fine may result.
Fines: The School enforces a strict fine policy designed to allow the maximum number of individuals at the School access to
equipment. Fines are enforced for lateness and equipment abuse. Those who receive a fine will be denied access to equipment
until the fine is paid. Fines are calculated to the minute based on an hourly fine amount. For information about equipment and the
corresponding fine amounts refer to the Fact Sheets available at any of the equipment checkout locations.
Checkout Specifications
Checkout duration
Reservation limit per week
Fine per day
Location of Equipment
Number available
Contents of Kit
Bolex Regular
3 days per checkout (longer checkouts require a special request form and manager approval)
N/A
$25 per day (calculated to the minute on an hourly basis)
112 S. Michigan Media Center
4 total, 3 different types
Daylight spool, rewind key, crank, instructions, light meter, filter holder, eyepiece
Bolex with zoom
Bolex Supreme
Rex-4 Single lens(1:1 drive shaft)
Bolex Rex -4 Rex-5
25 mm lens
Angenieux zoom lens
Magazine cover - must return
Must used heavy duty tripod
3 lenses: 25mm, 75mm, 10mm
Digital light meter with gray card
Has 1:1 drive shaft
Bolex Supreme cont.
• The three lenses are arranged so that when you use the wide angle, the telephoto doesn’t enter into the shot. DO
NOT CHANGE THE POSITION OF THE LENSES • To turn lens, place handle down. Rotate to desired lens. Place handle back to position. When you finish shooting return to original position.
• Two of the lenses have a double handle. One of these can be moved separately to open the iris, while the other remains on the f-stop. Make sure you adjust back before shooting.
• The Supreme kit includes a digital Sekonic Light Meter and a gray card.
Peripherals for Equipment
All cameras contain a day light spool, rewind key, and manual.
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General controls found on all three models
Loading the camera
1. Open the door and place it on a safe surface.
2. Take the unexposed film and place it on the top spool. The film should be coming off the daylight spool in a
clockwise direction.
3. Pull the loop former lever down to close the loop formers. This is the lever in the center
between the two spools. Use the lever to close the loops. If you push the loop former,
you could bend them out of shape.
4. Make sure the pressure plate is closed. The pressure plate is located toward the lens of the camera and
presses the film against the camera “gate” to ensure that the film does not move while being
exposed. 5. Set the camera’s FPS to 24 FPS or slower. Never run the camera on high speed without film. Feed the film
into the first set of sprockets then press and hold the run button and the camera will automatically load the
film. The film should go through the first loop former, the gate, and finally the second loop former
6. Fold a small part of the end of the film over and load the film clockwise onto the take up spool.
7. Push the center button to open the loop formers. Run the camera for a few seconds to make sure the film
is running through the camera properly. Loop formers need to be in the open position in order to shoot.
8. Place lid on the camera. Run the camera until footage counter reads “0”. By doing this, you advance
the film exposed during loading.
These are on the right side
1. The run button is right under the lens turret. When this is pressed, film is pulled through
the camera, exposing it.
2. The run switch is labeled M & P. By pressing M, the camera runs until motor is unwound.
P stands for “pixilation” and allows for single frame shooting. You can also run the camera by pressing
in the switch on the front of the camera.
3. When finished using the camera always run the camera until it stops. Always return it to “Stop” when done.
4. The footage counter displays the amount of film shot in feet. It ranges from 0 to 100.
It will reset automatically when the door is open. The camera needs to be advanced
to “0” before you can shoot to avoid flares and to make sure that you are not shooting on already
exposed film..
5. The Diopter adjusts the viewfinder to your eye’s vision.
6. Close the viewfinder lever(light trap) to prevent stray light from fogging the film. When you are not
filming, make sure you lock it into position.
7. The frame counter is right above the footage counter. The top part counts frames and
returns to zero at 50 frames. The bottom counts in hundredss and returns to zero at 1000 frames.
To reset the frame counter, turn dial until it reaches zero.
8. The 8-to-1 shaft is the backwind shaft, which is used to rewind the film for dissolves, multiple exposures,
and hand cranking. You must close the variable shutter before backwinding. 9. The 1-to-1 shaft is for an electric motor attachment.
10. The variable shutter is open when in the up position. When it is down, it is closed and, on most Bolexes, a
red triangle is visible in the viewfinder. The variable shutter adjusts for 1/2 or a full stop.
11. The “frame per second” dial (FPS) adjusts the speed of the camera. The speed you select affects
your exposure. 12, and16 frames per second are used to create fast motion effects, 18 FPS is the old
standard for silent films and 24 FPS is for “normal” speed,
32, 48 and 64 FPS are for slow motion. Remember that changing the frames/second FPS,
changes the shutter speed. Compensate for this when you take the light reading with the light meter.
12. The instantaneous/time switch is right next to the frames per second (FPS) dial. When the
switch is on “I”, the shutter will remain open for as long as the run switch is held. When
shooting normal, leave it at “I”.
viewfinder lever(light trap)
1
3
loop former
lever
The 1-to-1 shaft
loop formers
closed
frame counter
The Diopter
The instantaneous/
time switch
4
The 8-to-1 shaft
footage counter
loop formers
closed
Pressure Plate
closed
7
loop formers
opened
variable shutter
frame per second” dial
(FPS)
loop former
lever
The run button
loop formers
opened
M & P switch
3
3
To film
1.
2.
3.
4.
Making Dissolves
Measure the light with an incident lightmeter. 1/80 of a second is the shutter speed for 24 FPS.
Set the f-stop and Focus on the lens.
Wind the camera until it stops. Be careful not to overcrank - doing so will result damaged the camera.
While looking through the viewfinder, point the camera at your subject and press shutter buttton. The
camera will continue to advance as long as the shutter button is pressed and will stop when the camera wind
is up. You have about 30 seconds on each fully cranked wind.
1. Before you shoot, take note of the frame counter so you will know how far back you will have to re-wind
the film
2. Run the camera. As you run the camera, you will slowly close the variable shutter until it is fully
closed. Once the variable shutter is closed, stop the camera.
3. Keep the variable shutter closed.
4. Disengage the motor by placing the camera from “Mot” to “0” and pull the run switch back to “M”.
5. Insert the backwind crank into the 8-to-1 shaft and turn counterclockwise. Keeping and eye on the frame
counter, backwind the film to the frame where you started shooting.
6. Turn the run switch back to stop, and the lever back to “Mot”.
7. Prepare to shoot your next shot. When you’re ready to shoot, run the camera. As the camera runs you
Unloading
1. Make sure footage is all shot
2. Open lid and place in safe, clean spot.
3. Press spool ejector button. This is in between the two spools towards the back of the camera.
4. Remove spool and secure end tab with tape. Be careful not to drop it and let it unwind.
5. Return lid.
will slowly open the variable shutter. Try to open the variable shutter at the same speed you closed the
variable shutter in your first shot.
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Making Double exposures
1.
Before you shoot, check frame counter to see how far you have to go back.
2. Film first exposure with the f/stop closed 1 stop.
3. Check the frame counter after your shot to see how long to run second exposure.
4. Close variable shutter. If you don’t, you’ll ruin your shot.
5. Disangage the motor by placing the camera from “Mot” to “0” and the run switch to “M”.
6. Insert the backwind crank into the 8-to-1 shaft and turn in counter-clockwise direction.
Make sure to watch the frame counter to see where you started.
7. Turn the run switch back to “stop” and the lever back to “0”.
8. Open the variable shutter.
5
4
2,3,7
1
1
6
6
5 and 7
4
1
5
5
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Important Notes:
•The shutter speed when single framing is 1/40 of a second
•Other shutter speeds for other frame rates:
12 FPS - 1/40
18 FPS - 1/60
24 FPS - 1/80
32 FPS - 1/140
48 FPS - 1/160
64 FPS – 1/280
Things to Remember : SAFETY
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Do not get this camera wet.
Do not take this camera to the beach .
Only use specialized cleansing cloths to clean the lenses.
Do not force the preset locks, squeeze together the two pieces to move.
Run down the motor before storage, but do not run faster than 24fps without film loaded.
If anything gets stuck, DO NOT FORCE IT, bring it back to the Media Center immediately.
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