Most of us can't remember our first experience of the magic of movies... But if you're a film-maker you'll very likely have vivid recollections of your own first movie creation. Your ecstatic grin as you saw those early images flickering onto the screen. And a short time before that life-changing experience, you'll no doubt have spent alot of time shopping for your first movie camera.
Mine was a neat little Bolex B8. Knowing nothing of cine cameras, my brother and I spent the whole afternoon in a small camera shop in Guildford, picking the brains of the amazingly patient shop assistant. (Not like today when they know next to nothing about cameras !) I had budgeted for £20 for both camera and projector, and was tempted by the magazine ads for cheap New equipment that was beginning to be imported to Britain... this was the early 1960s. But we were so impressed by the sheer quality of the secondhand Bolex for 21 guineas, that I spent all my pocket-money savings on it and managed to borrow the remainder from my brother. So no cinema-visits for a while !
Still no film to put into the camera, but my father luckily came to the rescue. Every shot was carefully planned... a family outing to the Isle of Wight I remember. Then the long wait for Agfa to do their bit. And I can still feel the excitement hearing that plop as the 8mm film landed on the door-mat. (Somehow video misses out on this one !) Then slowly unwinding the reel to see all those microscopic images for the first time. It was to be another long wait until I'd managed to borrow (I confess) more money for the projector...which one ? I'll tell you in another post...
I never regretted, though, the financial outlay on the camera.
And when the family saw my first film come alive in a darkened living room, I think we all had that grin across our faces.
The picture shows a Bolex B8L. This is similar in appearance to my first movie camera, but the B8 doesn't sport a variable shutter or light-meter... I remember I used to set the aperture from the instructions that came with the film. And I couldn't afford a posh Bolex pistol-grip like this, I eventually got a cheapo one from Boots.
