Page 10 - RD_2019-09

The intermittent movement with pressure plate and cover removed, reveals again that Paillard
Bolex has created a new simple and ingenious design for the H16 Reflex. Two lateral guide
springs hold the film accurately in the film channel. The pull down claw is lightly spring loaded
against the film. It is driven up and down by a rotating pin on the driving gear. When the heel of
the claw reaches a sprocket hole at the top of the stroke it drops into the hole and forces the film
down exactly one frame. Then, on the return stroke it rides out of the hole - still resting on the
film, until it engages the next hole and the cycle is repeated, acting rather like a pawl and ratchet
system. The fine precision of this simple movement produces rock ready pictures even at 64 f.p.s..
The disadvantage of the system is that the film
cannot be driven in reverse - until Bolex added a
second pawl like claw that instantly engages the
film the moment the driving gear is reversed,
pushing the film back up through the gate - in
reverse. At the same time the forward movement
claw is retracted clear of the film. Truly ingenious.

Should the claw miss a sprocket hole on changing
from reverse to forward, a small eccentrically
mounted sprocket will engage the film and re-
form the correct sized bottom loop. I have never
seen this idea used in cameras before - projectors
yes, but not cameras.

Believe me the movement is light but robust. It
will do a lifetimes work and still produce a rock
steady picture.

Left: The reflex prism is hinged to
lift right up for easy cleaning, and
a new improved filter holder was
supplied to fit the larger filter
slot. A filter holder with or with-
out a filter m ust always be insert-
ed to prevent fogging through the
slot.
The remote trig-
ger release at-
tachment with a
long cable release
was ideal for
Above: Another feature of the Reflex was a built-in
shooting titles and
fading shutter, used for in-camera fades, dissolves and single frame ani-
exposure control. From the locked fully open position mation.
shown, the lever is pulled out and set for exposure
1
control on the /2 or 1 stop calibrations, or it can be
Every camera
evenly lowered all the way (with the camera running) to
has a small crank handle supplied for winding the
obtain a fade out. The reverse applies for a fade in. An film in a forward or reverse direction. This allows
automatic RX fader attachment was available to do the dissolves, fades and superimposed titles to be
job automatically. Directly behind the shutter control accurately done in the camera. The spring motor
lever was a new one frame per turn motor drive shaft.
must be disengaged when using the crank handle.
10 REEL DEALS June 2020