r/16mm

A short documentary exploring mental health through the eyes of ordinary people navigating real-life struggles. Filmed and directed by Will Craig, the documentary gives a voice to those whose stories rarely get told, capturing raw and honest human experiences without actors or scripts.

Please let me know what you think of the documentary. Watch on a big TV for the best viewing experience. Thank you for your time.

There is a Bolex H16 with Pan Cinor 85-2 (the f/2 17mm-85mm version) with the dogleg viewfinder for sale near me for a very good price BUT I have no practical experience with these. I have been searching and trying to find any real practical real world examples of people using them (and not just somebody needing to know how to adjust them etc).

For all practical purposes it seems like fairly similar to using a H16 reflex with the same sort of imperfect slight loss of light. The 6' minimum focus distance seems to be its only real downside (from a lens perspective). As usual searching gets the standard mix of forum posts that go between 'that lens is crap' and 'I used that lens for years in news and documentary work and it was great'.

So I would LOVE to learn about any actual real world experience any of you have with this lens and its viewfinder.

Specifically how easy is it to focus using and just ACTUAL usage.

I know the Reflex is obviously the better choice but this is working, near me, and a great price.

Per the title, I conducted camera tests with two 100ft rolls of 7219. One thing that seemed out of place to me was the absence of the plastic light-tight black bags that Kodak daylight rolls are typically wrapped in after the box is opened.

I currently have the exposed film stored in its packaging, minus the black bags, with black cloth tape sealing the edges for protection. Hopefully, it's safe enough for shipping. I'll make a note to the lab I'm sending the film to about this.

Does anyone suppose this was a manufacturing/packaging mistake, or is this the new standard for all 100ft rolls today? I am curious because the last time I worked with daylight loads was last summer, and every roll I used was wrapped in its own black bag.

Addt'l: the 100ft spools are made of black plastic.

My friend let me borrow a roll of 250D and he forgot to put it in the fridge and has been sitting in his drawer in his room since march. Does anyone know if the roll will be degraded or lost and kind of quality since it’s been out of the fridge for that long?

Looking for a videographer based in the EU (ideally the Balkans) who genuinely shoots 16mm motion picture film. Not Super 8, not digital with a grain pass, not a hybrid that's mostly digital with a few film inserts. Real 16mm.

- June, 2027

- Ohrid, North Macedonia (UNESCO World Heritage site — lake, cliffs, Byzantine architecture)

**Two short films:**

- One pre-wedding portrait piece, the two of us in the landscape around Ohrid (mountains, springs, lake, possibly local horses)

- One wedding-day piece covering selected moments from an Orthodox ceremony in a 5th–6th century church, the wooden boardwalk over the lake at the foot of the cliffs leading to the reception, and the daylight reception itself

- **No after-dark or low-light reception coverage.** We'd rather end the day than push the format into territory it isn't suited for.

**The look**

Stillness, depth, deliberate framing, real attention to light. Not handheld, not zoom-heavy, not montage-with-folk-track. We're aware of what 16mm rewards and what it doesn't, and we're trying to commission a piece that respects the format.

Worth mentioning since it affects how you'd plan the shoot: my partner has worked in front of the camera professionally (modeling, some on-screen), so neither of us freezes when a lens is pointed at us. You won't lose half a roll warming us up. If you have a vision for a shot, we can give you what you need.

**Budget**

€5,000–€10,000 depending on scope, crew, stock count, and travel. Open to discussion. Happy to fund extra rolls or a focus puller if it's the difference between a good film and a great one.

**If you're interested, please include:**

1. Link to 16mm work specifically — separate from any Super 8 or digital reels

2. Camera body and lens(es), and whether you own or rent

3. Where you process and scan (Kodak, Andec, Cinelab, Color City, etc.)

4. Any wedding or narrative work you've shot on film

5. Rough rate or package structure for a 1–2 day shoot with travel to North Macedonia

DM or comment. I'll respond to everyone who shares actual 16mm work — even if it's to say it's not a fit.

Hello everybody, while most technical questions can be answered online through clear and precise tutorials with pictures or videos, I notice I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by nerves to start trying and it kind of blurs my overview. Think in general I have physical and emotional reactions like that with new things, especially if they feel (possibly) important to me.

About a year and a half ago I managed to get this Bolex H16 through an auction, made in the 50s. Based on the serial number it seems to be just before their reflex era. It came with three Schneider Kreuznach lenses (16, 25 and 75mm). I always wanted to try 16mm film based on various films I watched (the biggest trigger at the time was Small, Slow But Steady by Miyake Sho based on the autobiography of a deaf professional boxer) and this deal was a good one. Currently have two color films (Orwo/Wolfen NC400) and one BW (Formapan ISO 100). Preferably I'd like to experiment with both.

I have shot videos before (digital on Canos EOS 750D [and iPhone...] and Lomokino - though figuring that one out more still). Have made a documentary (ish) before but stepped away after my (visual anthropology) Master as I wanted to focus on finding and developing (though it felt more like sculpting in mist sometimes towards something I know better how to defend). But as I worked on writing and some other things, the time that's passed just extended and the liminal prolonged. Perhaps deep down there's a fear I got worse and lost my shot - whatever that means - which can work as a paralyzing agent too many a time.

But part of why it took so long - besides proneness to procrastination and a particularly challenging year getting in the way - is that it makes me nervous to really get started. I am not entirely inexperienced. While I am more interested in directing and concepts or ideas, I love experimenting and creative control, and 16mm is of course a very specific choice regarding how to tell a story or share an experience or (more literally) view. I understand why people like Lynch loved digital for its expanded room for experimentation, but the consciousness, particular attentiveness and just analogue touch of shooting on film is a side of my (aspiring) creative being.

So the question I'm posting now is one for general advice on how to start. Can be anything, but mostly awareness of possible blindspots in my preparations, and perhaps some personal approaches to the best way to control your lighting (initially outside, but am also open to inside-filming for a possible follow-up experiment), and what to make complely sure when loading the roll. I know the focus is a bit of a calculation, if you work with this or a similar camera, do you have a specific action, or trick, etc that tends to help you? Separate viewfinder perhaps?

I'm willing to buy more film eventually and am considering an ultra-converted Krasnogorsk-3, but I'm not financially free to the degree I could treat it like digital videos, especially while keeping in mind the inevitable costs of development and scanning the films. Plus I just think it's good to really practice first before I splurge beyond the reasonable. Beginners' (or any) failures are okay, but I'd like to avoid the mistakes that I should have control over.

My idea right now is to (try to) make a short film that's allowed to turn out to be a disappointment, but at the least a success in gaining a conscious experience of making one. Trying to create a concept now that would work with using color, BW (and possibly even some Lomokino) interchangably. Last month I saw Bi Gan's new movie which upped the enthusiasm to try and see what's possible. This would allow me to test and learn more with this project whether the end product turns out pretty or interesting or, well, not.

So, what would you suggest is good for me to keep in mind while I try to jump back into cinema and newly into the world of 16mm film? I'm scared, but I aim to move forward regardless.

DETAILS:

• Camera model: Bolex H16
  • serial number: 116157
• Lenses: 16, 25 and 75 mm
  • Schneider Kreuznach Xenon 1: 1.5 / 25mm
  • Schneider Kreuznach Xenon 1: 1.9 / 16mm
  • Schneider Kreuznach Tele-Xenar 1: 3.8 / 75mm

hello all, i have a canon scoopic16 mm that i just had CLA's and while its great i want one with more high speed shutter options (MN or MS model) because i shoot a lot of motor sports and want to do slow motion.

wondering is the difference to the MS is worth the price jump? i know you get 400 ft mag capability but other than that what am i loosing?

internal filter is pretty important to me but i see many with just the filter holders, is it hard to make your own gel to fit?

am i better off starting to build an EBM even though i wanted my final budget to be $5,000? my other issue is i just need to run and gun a lot and don't know what camera is going to fill my needs, upgrading scoopics seems logical but wow are they expensive, other than being able to use a 400 ft mag is there any huge advantage to the MS over the MN

while i understand the basics , having a almost fully automatic camera is pretty damn clutch for me in the run and gun world but glass is important too

any other models like the scoopic i should look into?

here is the two i have been eyeballing

camera option 1
camera option 2

i understand buying from ebay is mixed, but i am in time crunch to have something better by early June, i do plan to rig this camera with lidar Af and digital tap and in a dream world get V-mount