Vintage Camera Find! - Historic Bell & Howell

[@rolandthomasset1713]

Great video for movie enthusiasts. I’m 95 and still playing with my 8mm beautiful 3 lens turret Bolex cameras . I think real photography is FILM above all. Digital is great but young amateurs should experience fim shooting in still and movies. These cameras are so well designed…Developing comes next ….Editing your movies also is super important and rewarding.

[@curiosity2314]

Very good and I think the people from the past are probably smirking right about now.

[@randytalley7177]

THIS....yes!!! I just found the same camera and await its arrival. A few weeks ago I got an early 1950s Keystone Belmont projector in amazing condition that I've had a blast with. And of course, I thought "hey let's make some of our own movies!" This video was just amazing for many reasons. The history, your narration and for me...that scene loading the camera. THAT WILL BE ME! Thank you so much for this video.

[@totallyfrozen]

Wow! I LOVE this video. Instant sub! I inherited a Bell & Howell 134-TA from my father. I think it’s from the 1950’s so it may have been his or it may have been my grandfather’s. It came with the turret of 3 lenses, a film splicer and a film splitter and the take up reel. I have no idea if it works and the lenses look dirty. Your video showed me the things to look at to see if it works. I assume it does because my dad had been a pro photographer (and my mother a professional model with an agency) for awhile when I was very little. Found a box of about a half dozen 400 foot 8mm movies too. So he had used the camera at some point. I have no projector to watch the films. While I’ve been pretty into taking photo and video for a number of years, I’m nowhere near the professional level of knowledge or skills. So I don’t know if trying to film on the camera then the hassle of getting the reels developed (then how to watch them?) is worth the trouble. I love the look of 8mm film, but…there’s an app for that (cringe). Love your channel, though. So you may inspire me.

[@ConsumerDV]

Hi, I was researching film cameras used for documentaries and came across a story about Jean Rouch, who shot several of his films in the late 1950s on the Filmo 70D, including the acclaimed "Moi, un Noir". At that time "normal" film cameras were bulky and were used mostly locked off on a tripod, so he used a, well, consumer-grade camera to shoot a documentary, and it was one of the first documentaries that had the vérité feel to it. Then I found your website (a nice website, BTW), and then this video. I suggest adding "Filmo 70" to either the title or the description of the video so it would pop in in a search. Anyway, thanks for the whimsicial video, liked it a lot (except the excessive jumpcuts). Subbed!

[@sbrnAK]

I've got a 70-DR, too. Love that sound.

[@zilinhuang8949]

I thought you had a million followers or something cause that’s some quality content but well😮 anyway I’m a subscriber now

[@rothellecooke7425]

Love the Cine 16 from the FPP in the background.... One of my favorite 8mm/16mm film.

[@newretrodave]

Dude this was the most entertaining and in-depth vintage camera overview I've seen. Bravo! Got me hooked for the next one too.

[@TheVintageFilmmaker]

Thanks so much for the kind words man. Please keep the feedback coming and lmk any suggestions you might have for topics, ideas, etc 😀

[@comeradecoyote]

The filmo's are really nice. When paired with a good set of Cooke Anastigmats, or Angeniuex lenses, they can really perform at a high level. The old rotten leather can sometimes be recovered with leather conditioner, like mink oil and neatsfoot oil. But if it's gone orange and crumbly, it usually just needs to be replaced. But if you are looking with something with rock steady image registration, there's a couple other cameras worth keeping your eyes peeled. The Keystone A-12 Criterion, and A-15 Newport deluxe have really good registration for portable handheld cameras. The A-15 also tends to come with a director's parallax compensating viewfinder. Earlier models in the family have double perf 16 film and sprockets which makes for a steadier image, but 2R film is harder to come by these days. Also worth looking for on the more professional end, is the Mitchell Pro-16, which was the 16mm version of the famed Mitchell standard camera. (The camera that would kick out the Bell and Howell 2709, and would reign throughout the golden age of Hollywood.) The pro 16 has a couple of really nice features. It has a rackover mechanism which allows you to focus through the lens, and rack over to film. It has a 4 lens turret with lenses that have gearing for use with a follow focus accessory. (The mount however is the same as the B&H 2709. However, the lenses are rare and expensive, if you can find a camera with a complete set of cooke anastigmats, or Baush & Lomb Baltars, grab it. Otherwise you'll need a C mount adapter.) It has 400' and 1200' magazines for cores or daylight spools, which are abundant and cheap, especially around Hollywood. It has interchangeable motors, with two drive shafts, so you can get high speed, or constant speed (24FPS) motors, or even hand crank it if you were ambitious. They also had a parallax compensating director's viewfinder, which could sync with the aforementioned follow focus attachment. And there was even a blimp offered, which means you could use it with sound recording equipment. And of course a variable area shutter so you can get different shutter speeds. And a veeder for frame counting. The main downside is their expense, (They've retained their value quite well) lens mount, and almost all are 2R 16mm film, which is hard to come by. (Currently only Kodak vision 500T is available in 2R 400' loads. I'd really love Tri-x or Plus-x.) On the flip side they're the most capable, and most steady professional 16mm cameras. (Most were made from 1930-ish to 1960, in Black, White, or Hammertone Grey. Often they can be found with an accessory case.) A little rarer, and a little less aesthetically pleasing, is the Maurer pro 16 (Sometimes misspelled Mauer). They're as capable as the Mitchell 16, and had many of the same features. (It was the one serious contemporary competitor to the Mitchell 16.) They had animation, constant speed, variable speed, AC and DC motors, as well as optional hand cranks. They had a built in veeder, frame counter, variable area shutter etc. They had a parallax compensating director's viewfinder with an internal lens for wide angle lenses. It also is of the rackover type, but with a variable magnification lens turret to permit proper composition and focusing with wide, normal, and telephoto lenses. It had a normal 3 port c-mount lens turret. They had gear driven (unlike the belt driven mitchell or bell & howell) magazines in 400' or 1200' which could take cores or daylight spools (but the 400' mags seem to be the most common). And it has an eccentric cam and follower type pulldown claw, which gave it image registration comparable to the Mitchells. They're less common, but tend to be as cheap as $100 due to their obscurity. (Though fully kitted out camera sets can be had for $1000-1500). And since they're 1R cameras, they can take every film available in 16mm right now, and c mount meaning they can take most available 16mm lenses without adapters. (however, the blimp, and mattebox are very rare and hard to come by, and these only come in industrial crinkle coat grey, since they were made from 1947 to 1960.) Anywho, as a fellow vintage enthusiast and film photographer/cinematographer, feel free to reach out if you need any help or info.

[@TheVintageFilmmaker]

Holy smokes! Thanks for this generous resource of info. I'll be sure to check out everything you mentioned, some of which I never hear of! I've been stupid busy with free-lance video work lately trying to pay the bills I've temporarily had to put off getting my hands on more vintage gear at the moment and creating new content, but I promise more is on the way and I'll let you know as soon as it's up! In the meantime, I'm glad to hear from folks like you! Thanks again!!! :D

[@Dangoldmedia]

This is incredible!! Would love to hear you on the FPP podcast talking to Michael and co.

[@blossombaytalks]

So glad I’ve stumbled across this channel

[@davejohnson8371]

Great video and nice finds. My grandfather was a chief design engineer at B&H from the late 20’s to the early 50s.. I grew up with that smell of old film cases. I still have a 70, and an early 30s Projector.

[@matty_mash]

I’m a film student in London right now and because of covid we weren’t allowed to handle with physical film for our motion picture cameras (since we all would have a practice and touching and sharing isn’t exactly the safest to school standard) so I went and bought a 16mm biked camera’s and wanted to find KZbin videos on how to use it and found your channel. Absolutely love your videos, got yourself a new subscriber!

[@opittoni]

I love this story, so great

[@TheVintageFilmmaker]

Thank you so much!!! :D

[@uslines]

I had a couple of regular 8mm b&h cameras. Exactly the same but smaller.

[@oldradiosnphonographs]

And 9:48 was what I had to do to get my 70HR model going! What a relief.

[@lostinthecrypt]

Glad I found this channel

[@TheVintageFilmmaker]

I'm glad too!!! Thanks for the comment 🙏🙏🙏

[@milandoersam]

When I saw this I just thought you are like an older version of me. I´m a vintage entusiast. I collect typewriters vintage cameras and lots of other old stuff. It´s cool to see that I´m not the only person to be fascinated by these things here on KZbin. Thank you for making these Videos. Greetings from Germany. Ps: Exuse me if am made some typos :-)

[@CatSnuggs]

Can’t wait for the next episode! Excellent video!

[@curiobill]

What a wonderful and wonderfully made video! Please make some more videos on other functioning vintage items! Many thanks!!!

[@TheVintageFilmmaker]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Your feedback means the world to me. And I'll try to sneak in more vintage items as I can! Thanks again!

[@sclogse1]

Having left a comment just now on your rack over video, this gives me hope about my father's sized camera. And I already have sewing machine oil...

[@UncommonSense1776]

I’ve got a pair of these cameras one with a three lens turret and one with a Angenieux reflex zoom lens, yep you can look through the lens. Also, have a pair of 400’ magazines and motors for use on one of them. Good luck on your adventures in 16mm!

[@TheVintageFilmmaker]

Thanks Joe! And dude! That sounds like quite the setup! Quite jealous lol I have been waiting for the right opportunity to get myself one of those reflex Angenieuxs, so I'll let you know if I wind up picking one up too :D

[@BurnsNYC1]

I have an external for 400 film rolls. But when I remove it, the camera has no back cover, the 100 foot rolls would be exposed. Obviously it would be nice to shoot 100 rolls without the 400 external but I can't lest massive light leaks. I can't find a back cover online. Any insight? Thanks

[@UncommonSense1776]

@@BurnsNYC1 it appears that there is a cover plate on eBay currently, look for the seller “kinemaman” . It’s listed as a “Bell & Howell 16mm Filmo Series 70 400' Magazine Port cover Nice condition”

[@BurnsNYC1]

@@UncommonSense1776 I saw a cover for the 400 foot roll, which was $90! (I need it, too, but not paying that right now). But I don't see the plate for actual camera

[@UncommonSense1776]

@@BurnsNYC1 That is the cover that goes on the camera body. The 400' mags don't have covers, as far as I know. $90 is a bit steep, but if you need it... Make an offer on it. It's probably a fairly rare part to come across. Good luck.

[@kelliematthews8537]

This kept me entertained and engaged!

[@TheVintageFilmmaker]

Thanks Kellie!!! You are a treasure 😍

[@JamesPero]

Wow! What a find!

[@TheVintageFilmmaker]

I know right??? I thought so too!

[@Recordology]

These videos are absolutely top level masterpieces! Great job! I love the reference to Martin and OSA!!!!!!

[@Segatari]

Didn’t expect to find you here!

[@itskylefortherecord]

Entertaining and informative!Transported me to another era! I’m so happy you got your camera to work as well 🤘🏼Looking forward to the vintage audio episode 😉🤓

[@TheVintageFilmmaker]

OF COURSE! FYI I might need some help with that audio episode ; )

[@strangemovies]

Great Video, Thanks.

[@TheVintageFilmmaker]

Thank you for watching!!!

[@strangemovies]

Can you recommend a digital transfer place under $50 for 3 minutes.

[@arthurk99]

I just acquired one of these and it has THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM yours had. I just got the backwind knob and my logic was the same as yours. The first try didn't work but I am letting the lube set in it for a day or two and will try it again. Thanks for all the background on the camera too! Liked and subscribed.

[@TheVintageFilmmaker]

AWESOME! I'm so glad you were able to get some value out of my shenanigans lol Perhaps this is a more common issue than expected. Thanks for the like and subscribe!!! Means a lot🙏

[@felix4553]

I am 18 and I just made my largest purchase ever of 273 dollars australian for an RCA vhs camcorder from I can only assume from the early to mid 90's, seller also has no idea if it works and doesn't have the charger, I can only hope my situation is even an inkling like yours sir

[@MLG_s3npa1]

How does this have only 600 views? The production quality is immense! Hi from scandinavia! 👋

[@TheVintageFilmmaker]

WOW! Hello to you in Scandinavia! And THANKS so much. You're very kind and I really appreciate it 🙏

[@denny5519]

Thoroughly enjoyed viewing, learning and laughing. Very interesting. Mineral oil? Hmmmm.... Might be something better these days! Job well done. Can't wait for the next serial!

[@spikeboydell]

Hey Andy, came here from ‘Ungated’! Love this. Great story and beautifully filmed. Hope the B&H test roll worked?

[@TheVintageFilmmaker]

Hey Spike! Thanks for taking the time to view my stuff!!! And in answer to your question, the roll did work out beyond my expectations. I actually made 2 more videos for my channel that go into the experience, should you be curious :D

[@miniracersus]

You should get a 16mm film projector!

[@lunaticdesign7526]

This was really cool. Can't wait to see what you shot.

[@TheVintageFilmmaker]

Thanks Chris!!! I'll let you know 😃

[@NasserAlhameli]

Thank you ❤ for the great well put video! I found 70D and its black🤔.. May be double perf. I can convert it to single. Do you see big defrance between 70D and DR? Cuz the D is good for my budget

[@oldradiosnphonographs]

Awesome video! I got a Filmo 70HR and a Bolex H16 supreme from the 1950s I’m really excited to use! (After I gather the viewfinders, lenses, back winders, filters, cases and other missing parts I need which will be a gradual process since my budget is quite low) UPDATE: I got it but it appears I’m suffering from the same issue with the shutter where it won’t go. I’ve been oiling like a madman and am patiently waiting for a back wind crank and hopefully it remedies my issue. (Probably won’t because Murphy’s law)

[@babaofett2165]

Thanks for the hand crank tip. I recently bought a frozen 70DR that came with a crank. I put in the crank, gave it a firm push and the camera was off to the races. Do you have any tips on cleaning the viewfinder tube? The rear part where you look through is clean as are the finder tubes, but the image is a bit hazy. Thanks again.

[@TheVintageFilmmaker]

Awesome! Glad it helped. I have a feeling this was something a lot of old filmmakers knew about back in the day :D Thanks for the comment!!

[@CinemaGatesPictures]

My studio makes silent films in black and white. too bad we are in a digital age now!

[@TheVintageFilmmaker]

lol I know right? Good thing there are people like us who love old movies and are trying to keep film history alive

[@alexandrebissoli7452]

Bom dia. Muito legal seu video. TEnho uma camera filmadora desse modelo, aproximadamente 1930 a 1935, ganhei de um tio. É possivel comprar ou adquirir o manual dela Bell e Howell 70 16mm e também rolos do filme com carretel? Moro no Brasil. Abraço.

[@BurnsNYC1]

I have same camera but with an external 400 foot film roll holder. If I take it off, however, my camera has not back cover and the 100 foot rolls would be exposed. Would you know how to find a back cover? Can't find one

[@TheVintageFilmmaker]

Hey G.T. Thanks for the comment! Unfortunately I do not have experience with the models that take 400 ft rolls. However, you may consider asking the guys at film photography project, or if they don't know perhaps the guys at cinemagear.com might be able to help? Otherwise, ebay is the place I wind up finding pretty much everything lol. Hope you're able to find a solution!

[@BurnsNYC1]

@@TheVintageFilmmaker I actually did find a solution, thank you and keep up the good work!

[@BigBiscuit23]

is your model a 24fps version? How can you tell, as I just bought one and want to make sure its 24fps