Conversion of H8 Rex 4 to Ultra 8

[BrentPowers]

Who can transform a Rex 4 regular 8mm Bolex into an Ultra 8? I am thinking of going in this direction in conjunction with my delving into lomokino. I want to use both. Hand crank and 24 fps in a wide screen experimental film. I am all thumbs when it comes to things mechanical. I had thought to convert my Rex 4 into DS8 but I've got a couple of perfectly fine Super 8 cameras, don't need more. Besides, there is indeed something sweet about 8mm, and then the added scope of ultra 8 is amazing. Say, tell, share. Anyone.

[wado1942]

Well, if the examples on their site are any indicator, you'll get better quality and value for the money out of any-8 over the Lomokino any way.

[BrentPowers]

Yes, I know. I see possibilities, however, way beyond the sort of home movie stuff they present there. It is a toy, of course, but an interesting one. I figure to go in the direction of Tcherkossky with the device, adding overlays of real time footage in Ultra 8, if it doesn't amount to a huge investment getting Rex 4 fitted up for it. . I'm trying everything right now, going about it like I've just discovered how to use a movie camera but don't know anything about it. With iMovie, I am quite surpised at what I get with some pretty unpromising stuff. Film texture, grain, surface scratches. The sense of film as film. As I've said elsewhere, it is like the sudden appearance of brushwork in painting. Nothing really new here, of course, but new to me, so WTF.

[Nicholas Kovats]

Brent,

That would be Jean-Louis Seguin in Montreal regarding your
potential interest in converting your Bolex Rex4 H8 to
UltraPan8 2.8 using Regular 8 film.

You can contact him at bolextech@gmail.com.

[BrentPowers]

m'man!

[BrentPowers]

Well, the guy got back, most friendly. Bit too steep for me right now ($500 for the conversion, $900 for a freshly fitted Rex 4; not bad, really, but I don't have that kind of change presently). Think I'll try out the Lomokino system and see where it goes. Seems kind of fun, certainly cheap. As I say, I am more and more drawn to very primitive tek. I like a hand cranked camera. Or the idea of it, anyways. Can't say I'm thrilled with what others have done with it so far. i think it could go much, much further with more editing, color correction, overlays, etc. We shall see.

[BrentPowers]

Well, Lomokino is out for me: I can't load the frikkin camera! After ruining 3 rolls of 35mm I have decided that for all its simplicity, the thing is rather cheesey in its manufacture and quite ugly to work with. Of course, I'm not that fond of cameras to begin with. I only use them in order to gather material to edit and reshape. That's why I don't mind sticking a TV lense on a Rex 4: what I got was quite interesting and made for a fairly decent little flick.

I have several cameras now, still trying to decide which I'll keep, which I'll put back up on the Bay. The Bolex units are cumbersome but venerable, and I do rather enjoy lugging them around. I ALMOST like them as tools, especially the Rex 5. However, the one I'll probably end up keeping is the little P1 for its portability and rather sexy look. I also have a Beaulieu 4008 ZM II which I'm pretty sure I will sell due to the cost of retrofitting it, unless I find some money in the basement. Well, wth the sale of three of the others I could pay the $500 for refurbishing and new power supply but ... well, we'll see. I may end up shooting with a box stuck with a pin.