Introduction

The Bolex camera is an impressive and intricate peice of cinematic equipment. There are many many minute details that you need to worry about when you load your film, prepare the camera for filming, during the film shoot itself, and after the film shoot, and proper storage to ensure a long life span for the camera.

Important Terms and Concepts to Know:

This quick guide can not cover all these concepts in depth however when you are preparing for your own film shoot it will be greatly beneficial for you to aquaint yourself greatly with all of these concepts and terms.

  • Pressure Plate
  • Loop Formers
  • Frame Rate
  • I/T
  • Day Light Spool
  • Normal Lens
  • Telephoto Lens
  • Wide Angle Lens
  • Bolex Turret/Bolex Zoom
  • View Finder Switch
  • Diopeter
  • Footage and Exposure Counters
  • Focusing
  • Gate
  • Shutter Disc
  • Rewind Crank
  • Motor Crank

 

Camera Settings and the Variable Shutter System:

The shutter on the Bolex camera is a variable shutter disc. The disc itself is at a 135 degree angle. This creates an effective shutter speed of 1/80th of a second. This effects the way in which you are going to need to meter for the amount of light that is available which in turn effects your f stop setting.

Frame Rate:

Frame rate, or the number of frames per second, is the element that controls the speed at which the film passes in front of the gate. In trun, this setting determines how fast the image appears to be moving on the screen when viewed on a normal projector. Twenty four frames per second is the "normal" frame rate for the Bolex. Images registered at 24 fps will appear to be moving at the pace they would be in the real world. Images registered at 16 fps will appear to be moving at a faster pace because fewer frames were used to register those actions. Likewise, an image capture at 32 fps will appear to be moving much slower than it would naturaly.

Loading the Film:

Loading the film must take place in complete darkness or else the film will become fogged and no clear image will be registered. You will need to make sure that both the pressure plate and the loop formers are engaged and ready to go. Additionaly, you will want to make sure that you have a day light spool on which to thread the film after it has been fed through the loop formers.

Before You Start Your Film Shoot:

Key things to keep in mind when planning your film:

  1. The Bolex has a maximum shot length of 28 seconds when fully cranked. This means that no shot will be able to be any longer than 28 seconds.
  2. Choose your lens wisely. The type of lense you choose affects the style of the image that you will register.
  3. Make sure that you are filming in a location that will either A: provide you with plenty of natural light or B: allow you to add your own additional lighting. Ample lighting is neccessary to register a proper image on your film stock.
  4. Great Planninig leads to great film making. Plan out all of your shots before you get to your location so that you have a good idea of what it is you want to capture. This will make your film shoots more efficient, increase the quality of your films, and make everyone assisting in the process much more willing to help you out again in the future.

 

Want to test your knowledge of the Bolex? Take my Bolex Quiz and find out just how well you know the inner workings of the Bolex 16mm camera!

 

This page was created by Carolyn Ann Wiley and was last updated on 5/2/05