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Topic: Bolex M8?
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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted August 07, 2007 09:48 AM
The Bolex M8 is a superb machine, certainly one of the best standard 8mm machines ever made. It was designed and built to the legendary Bolex quality and precision, when their equipment was still all metal construction. Fitted with the Paillard HI-FI lens, there is probably no finer standard machine out there. I don't know if you can still get the 500 watt lamps for these machines or not, but the lamphouse is pretty big, so it may be quite possible to convert to low voltage halogen lighting.
Another superb Bolex projector is the 18-5, which was the successor to the M8, much smaller, but brighter, with low voltage halogen lighting. A real jewel.
[ August 07, 2007, 02:18 PM: Message edited by: Paul Adsett ]
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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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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted August 09, 2007 08:54 AM
Jim, Bolex equipment both 16mm and 8mm has earned a reputation second to none in terms of design and precision manufacture. I do not have an M8 but I do posess the later 18-5 which was first manufactured in the late 50's. You only have to look at this machine to recognize it's Bolex pedigree. The finish on the parts must be 5 microinches! Everything shines on this machine, and it runs as quiet as a mouse with just a gentle purr. That's what precision manufacturing gets you - a very quiet machine with a rock steady picture. And Bolex cameras are the same way, the standard 8mm ones all being fitted with the superb Kern Switar and Yvar lenses. I have lots of film that I shot on Bolex 8mm cameras, and they are all razor sharp- better than anything I ever got off super 8 cameras.
Unfortunately when super 8 came along, Bolex started using plastics and the quality was nowhere near what they had acheived with their standard 8mm equipment.
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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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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted August 11, 2007 03:27 PM
How right you are Trev. Kodak makes the best film in the World, but equipment wise (with a few rare exceptions) they left a lot to be desired. The Kodak super 8 'Tatty Pack' film charger has been a pain from day one. How much better Super 8 could have been if they had just gone with double super 8 roll film or standardised on a single 8 system (like Fujii). As it is, I have always thought that super 8 was a backward step in many ways. Nothing that super 8 acheived could not have been done on standard 8, and look at all the gorgeous standard 8 cameras around like the Bolex H8 or the Bell& Howell Viceroy triple turret, that will run forever. Plus standard 8 perforations are not nearly as prone to damage. Not that a 50% increase in picture area is not a great idea, but Kodak ruined the S8 system with their lousy camera cartridge design.
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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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Trev
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