LOOKING TO BUY: Elmo C-300 (Tri-Filmmatic Camera)

[Gabe Agoado]

I'm looking to buy an Elmo C-300 Tri Filmmatic camera with specifically the Double-Super 8 magazine that can take 100 ft rolls, the side mounted hand grip, and extension for the viewfinder so it can be used with the DS8 Mag. Any additional excessories like other magazine backs, battery pack or case are great.

If you've got one that you'd part with and would like to see go to a good home, I am definitely going to get a lot of use out of it for making extended double exposures in my super-8 movies.

Thanks.

[Nicholas Kovats]

Have you considered a more affordable Bolex Double Super 8 conversion? With a C-Mount or Bolex Bayonet Mount. Lots of third party digital motors available. Solid camera. Metal. No plastic parts. Can be used in combat. Contact Jean-Louise Seguin at bolextech@gmail.com for a quote. The Elmo C300 DS8 prices have gone through the roof.

[Nicholas Kovats]

Internal capacity of 100ft DS8 daylight spool. 400ft magazine optional and would not require conversion.

[Mana]

Except this one!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honeywell-Elmo- ... 7675.l2557

[aj]

Except this one!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honeywell-Elmo- ... 7675.l2557

Did you have it in your watch list you had better bought it!
Curious to go so low with such nice photos. The title isn't really spot on though.

Even with the original external powerpack and its cable.
And the original carry/storage case for the camera with DS-8

[Gabe Agoado]

The larger-bodied Bolex cameras are nice workhorses but they're always clunky to shoot with, heavy and not easy to hand-hold imo. Even with a conversion, I'd think I'd be looking at $400-500 if I get lucky with one off of Ebay. I would much rather pay that kind of money for the C-300, considering that it is sleeker, battery powered, and seems easy to hand-hold with a proper handgrip. Thinking the C-300 might be easier to maintain also, considering the mechanism for film transport is in the magazine and not in the camera. The C-300 is also reflex (I think?) whereas the H8 is not. It also has the added benefit of being able to use other magazines if DS8 ever ceases to be sold.

[sciolist]

The C-300 is also reflex (I think?) whereas the H8 is not.

Early Bolex H8 cameras lacked reflex viewing, but most of the DS8 conversions you'll find we're made to H8 RX cameras, which do offer reflex viewing. It may be unimportant to you, but the H8 RX cameras were offered with a very wide array of accessories as well.

[silverhalide]

Wow, what a cool little camera. I especially like the viewfinder extension for the big mag.

Two thumbs up!

[Mana]

Except this one!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honeywell-Elmo- ... 7675.l2557

Did you have it in your watch list you had better bought it!
Curious to go so low with such nice photos. The title isn't really spot on though.

Even with the original external powerpack and its cable.
And the original carry/storage case for the camera with DS-8

Unfortunately I was was the second highest bidder With a Bolex Rex4 DS8 already wasn't really looking for another DS8. Saw some good deals on some Pathe DS8's a few months ago as well.

[gianni1]

Hey Gabe,

I may have tri-filmmatic and elmo 100' 8mm stuff in boxes somewhere. Which country do you live in at the moment?

Gianni



Gabe Agoado wrote:

I'm looking to buy an Elmo C-300 Tri Filmmatic camera with specifically the Double-Super 8 magazine that can take 100 ft rolls, the side mounted hand grip, and extension for the viewfinder so it can be used with the DS8 Mag. Any additional excessories like other magazine backs, battery pack or case are great.

If you've got one that you'd part with and would like to see go to a good home, I am definitely going to get a lot of use out of it for making extended double exposures in my super-8 movies.

Thanks.

[Gabe Agoado]

Hi, I currently live in the U.S., but I don't mind paying international shipping.

[Nicholas Kovats]

Gabe,

Regarding your comments, i.e. " Thinking the C-300 might be easier to maintain also, considering the mechanism for film transport is in the magazine and not in the camera. The C-300 is also reflex (I think?) whereas the H8 is not. "

Good luck on getting an Elmo C-300 serviced or repaired. There are still a healthy contingency of Bolex technicians around the globe relative to what is now a niche market. There are many examples of Reflex H8. One can even adapt the gorgeous Bolex 13x reflex viewfinder if your budget permits. That is the manufacturing beauty of Bolex. The majority of DS8, R8,R16 and S16 parts, optics, etc are interchangeable. It is easy enough to built out various rigs around the Bolex. Even a top mounted cheese plate for a handle. Or rails for matte boxes.

Are there any long-term C-300 users that can attest to the longevity of the mag based transports relative to a Bolex transport? I suspect the user base is historically small. While not optimal the Bolex friction based shuttle transport just...works. At one point the BBC was utilizing Bolex with big heavy and precise external direct drive motors for their time-lapse documentary series.

Mind you, the C-300 is a fascinating best with multiple transports.

I agree that the Bolex is not a lightweight and does suffer form a sort of thin vertical architecture relative to a nice elongated mass similar to the beautiful ergonomic Eclair ACL. But then again the Bolex significantly predates the ACl by at least 30-40 years and the original 20's design stuck and was built out massively to become the largest manufactured base of 16mm cameras in history. Hence the current density and availability. And there is something about an all metal camera that can be used to drive nails when the film runs out.

[Gabe Agoado]

^ you make a lot of good points and I appreciate all of them. I may get a bolex eventually since i do have a nice c mount zoom lens. The 400 ft mag also seems like a nice option. Would the 400ft mag only work with a Rex-5 or would it work with any of the Rex series?

Anyway, the allure and intrigue of the c-300 is just so interesting to me though. The fact that it was the only one of its' kind ever produced and no other company followed suit for whatever reason. Maybe it is a flawed design, but I like it, and it seems like something that could fix a million problems on set just because it's portable. Leave the bolex on the tripod or on the jib arm, that's where it works amazingly. Give me the c-300 for the hand held stuff and I imagine that would be where it would shine.

[Gabe Agoado]

^You make a lot of good points, and I'm not going to disagree with you that bolex cameras are very good cameras. I may end up getting a bolex eventually, but there is something so intriguing about the design, the portability, and the ease of use of the C-300. It's the same reason I own a Scoopic and not an Arri or an ACL.