8mm Forum: Bolex M8 8mm 1950's Projectors?

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Topic: Bolex M8 8mm 1950's Projectors?

Tom A. Pennock
Master Film Handler

Posts: 250
From: Battle Creek, MI. USA
Registered: Apr 2004

posted February 27, 2009 01:39 AM

I just bought a couple of these off e-bay. I just wondered how many other people have this Bolex model on here? I like this projector because of it's retro look. I probably will just display it and sometimes show the family home movies on it from the 1960's. I just had to have a couple of these. Can these be fixed easily? Or is service a problem?

Thank's for any and all information about these Bolex projectors. This really was the Rolls Royce of 8mm projectors in the 1950's.

Best, Tom

P.S. I did read that the earlier models had an olive green color to them. My units are both silver ones.

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Claus Harding
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1149
From: Washington DC
Registered: Oct 2006

posted February 27, 2009 11:43 AM

Tom,

I have one of those in the (post '56) silver color. They are beautiful industrial designs as well as very well-built projectors. The motor is beefy and the overall feel is of great solidity.
This may be the website you have already seen, but here they show the serial numbers so you can see when yours were built:
http://www.bolexcollector.com/projectors/m8.html

The M8 has one feature you should know about so you don't think it's a defect:
If you run the variable speed control down to very low settings, the motor will start to run in a stuttering fashion to warn you to turn the speed up a bit as the cooling is getting insufficient. Just turn it up a bit and it runs normally again.

Rewind is a belt you sling around a capstan in front and around a pulley on the payout arm.

It is not a quiet projector; it sounds like a giant hairdryer, getting louder the faster it goes, but somehow with that machine, to me, it's just part of its charm.

The fixed lens with it is of good quality, but is not very wide to compensate for the less-than-enormous light output, so the picture won't be large. You should use this one in a completely darkened room for best results.

I don't know about repairs, but oiling points on the unit are clearly marked in red, so if you get the little oil pipette with one of the machines, it makes oiling simple.

Congratulations on getting a pair of fine M8s; let us know how they are when you get them.

Claus.

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"Why are there shots of deserts in a scene that's supposed to take place in Belgium during the winter?" (Review of 'Battle of the Bulge'.)

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Barry Johnson
Master Film Handler

Posts: 358
From: United Kingdom
Registered: Jul 2003

posted February 28, 2009 08:17 AM

Fix them? They practically never go wrong as examples of the oldest M8R's are still operational-I keep bidding on them but always get outbid! One day perhaps one will be added to my collection.

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Standard8 rules!!

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Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted February 28, 2009 03:54 PM

Claus,
Thanks for that great Bolex link, I had no idea that web site existed and have spent the past 2 hours enjoying it. I really like the section on the Bolex advertisements, and I particular like this one! [Roll Eyes]

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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj

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