Remembering the 16mm Bolex

Otello Diotallevi, now retired, started working with Bolex as a technician 46 years ago because of the employment security that came with working at an established company. Bolex’s 16mm and Super 16mm format cameras were cornerstones of the market, used in everything from TV news to documentaries. The job of a Bolex technician was watchmaker’s work: these precision cameras needed the perfect amount of tension on the springs of the speed regulator in order to function properly. “I assembled hundreds of cameras,” remembers Diotallevi. “We were asked to do things properly. The goal was to satisfy the client as long as we could.”
By JOHN ZIENTEK
Teaser: "Bolex" (English subtitles) from Alexandre Favre on Vimeo.