Budget 70DR

Post by **Roel** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 10:35 am

Well, thanks to you guys my already not so small collection of camera's just expanded with a B&H 70DR! :lol: (many thanks also from the wife..)

Can't wait to get my hands on it. Probably will take some time since it has to be shipped from the land down under.

Will be my first 16mm filming. This should be fun!! Think I will start with some B&W reversal film. Or maybe K40 while i still can. Anybody know what K40 processing in Switserland costs?

Thanks and greetz from Holland

Post by **Afwasborstel** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 2:20 pm

Anybody know what K40 processing in Switserland costs?

According to http://www.super8.nl U should insert 10 euro in the envelope and send it to Switserland. Let me know what your expierences are..

Post by **steve hyde** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 9:39 pm

audadvnc wrote:This is a good thread. Lots of information about the Filmo, but a significant amount of misinformation also. I'll come back with a studied reply to these in a later posting.

I started a B&H 70 page on the Super8 Wiki a year or so ago. Please feel free to add to it:

http://super8wiki.com/index.php/Bell_and_Howell_70

I know it's not a Super 8 camera, but I haven't seen an equivalent Wiki for cameras like this and it seemed the right thing to do...

Thanks for the Wiki! Let us know where we are misinformed....

Steve

Post by **studiocarter** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 10:40 pm

Post by **studiocarter** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 4:04 pm

Yep, I downloaded that manual and it is the same as the one I have, only theirs stops at page 33 and mine goes on with more.
Ahh, part 2 stops just in front of all the tables at the end.

Post by **studiocarter** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 6:32 pm

that's not very good. It said it wasn't resized but I can't read it. My source is 4X that one on line.
Does anyone want to host these pages?

Post by **studiocarter** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 6:45 pm

The above page was downloaded, save image as, and printed out in two sizes. Half page, going sideways as shown, didn't look very clear. Full page size, roated, was readable, just not really clear, but useable. It was enhanced automatically in my image editing software. Even so, a larger image with more pixels to start with makes a much easier image to print, and it can be smaller.

Post by **studiocarter** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 2:56 pm

Right click, save picture(s) as, rename by adding dot jpeg to make the downloaded image an image :!: :?:
Load "top" in Paint, increase the bitmap, copy the other one, paste it onto the first and drag it to fit together, reduce the bitmap to fit, save as,
open in your printing program and print at whatever size you want.
It should be pretty clear now.

Edit: I just did that and it worked. The downloaded image has the same resolution as my first 300dpi scan. Side by side at the same enlargement the pixels match one image to the other, first scan and downloaded picture are the same now.

Post by **studiocarter** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 5:19 pm

As a test, a print on photo glossy paper, 4" x 6", was tried. However, I goofed. Layout was set on 1/4 or 4 up so it printed at 1/4 the sheet. :oops: I could read it with a magnifier! :lol:
Doing it again, using my first scan, the print was great at full size, 4" x6", only slightly larger than the book. It makes a nice reference, pocket sized table.

Post by **flatwood** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 12:20 am

Nice work studiocarter. Thanks for going to all that trouble. Easy to ready, thanks.

As far as my DR is concerned, I scored a cheep takeup reel on ebay and Im trying for one of those lens that Nigel suggested as it makes the most sense.

Post by **Afwasborstel** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 6:13 pm

About this takeup reel...Do U wind the film back and does it stay in the camera? Or do u take it out with the film? And use the empty top reel again as takeup reel?

Post by **audadvnc** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:03 pm

With any 100' 16mm daylight loads, the film comes on a 100' daylight loadable spool. You have another daylight spool on the takeup spindle and run film through the camera onto the takeup spool, which you send into the lab for processing. You then take the empty spool off the feel spindle and place it on the takup spool for your next 100' roll.

Post by **steve hyde** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:24 pm

EDIT: looks like Robert beat me to it...

...A slight distinction in terminology here - "take up reels" are for projectors, moviolas etc. The spools in DR cameras are called "day light spools". Ask your lab for some and they will give you as many as you want for free...at least my lab does.. All you need is one spare daylight spool to get started - then you constantly cycle through them the same way we do with medium format cameras etc.

...My DR is working well, but I do have some pilot errors to report :oops:
Well I guess they aren't really errors since they are test rolls. I learned that one has to be careful to make sure the pressure foot is completely pressed against the film before shooting - on one roll mine was not. This obviously results in soft focus and other visual problems. While shooting I could hear that something inside did not sound quite right, but I assumed the sound was dry gears and figured I'd just grease it up before the next roll and did. When I got the roll back from the lab it became clear the problem was not having the pressure foot all the way down.

I guess the take-home message is to have a changing bag on hand so that you can get inside your camera to feel around when film starts sounding like it is running amuck..... or just make sure you push the pressure plate all the way down...:oops:

Steve

Post by **flatwood** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:41 pm

steve hyde wrote:...A slight distinction in terminology here - "take up reels" are for projectors, moviolas etc. ...

Thanks. My analog recording studio background is showing again!!!

Good tip about the pressure foot too. Yall are giving me a major advantage when I shoot my first roll.

Post by **audadvnc** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 11:11 pm

steve hyde wrote:ort :oops:
Well I guess they aren't really errors since they are test rolls. I learned that one has to be careful to make sure the pressure foot is completely pressed against the film before shooting - on one roll mine was not. This obviously results in soft focus and other visual problems. While shooting I could hear that something inside did not sound quite right, but I assumed the sound was dry gears and figured I'd just grease it up before the next roll and did. When I got the roll back from the lab it became clear the problem was not having the pressure foot all the way down.

Filmo and Eyemo cameras are also finicky about the loop lengths, moreso than the autofeed Bolexes. Make sure you have the proper sized loops, that the pressure foot is fully seated, the pulldown claw engages and the film lines up on the feed and takeup sprockets. It sounds like a lot to remember, but you do all that checking while loading the film and eventually get a quick feel for when it's right or not. Practise with a roll of exposed film, first out in the open, then in a changing bag, until you can get it without panicking.