Bolex H16 Reflex, general questions.

[Wouter_001]

Hey Guys,

I'm new to this forums and my native language isn't english so excuse my bad grammer please .
I've recently got my hands on a Bolex H16 Reflex RX-5 camera, it was my grandpa's, he passed away last week.

Its a nice looking machine but i got no clue on the worth or how to use it. A buddy of mine searched ebay and found out that they were listed between 400-1200 dollars... 8O

I've got a lot to remember my grandfather by, and could use the money since i got a baby on the way with my girlfriend.

Could you guys inform me a little bit on the general worth of the machine? I've uploaded 2 pictures. It had 3 lenses attached to the machine, brand xenon, 1:20/50 & 1:1.8/10. a separate zoomlens 1:1.8/12.5-75. It had all the manuals still in the original box.

What do the numbers on the lenses mean? Any information would be appreciated a lot!

Thanks in advance guys.

Regards,

Wouter

[Mmechanic]

Wouter, you have a fine camera with nice lenses. The German Schneider Xenon are very good products. With movie lenses you have the indication of the focal length in millimeters, so there is the 50 mm as a moderate telephoto lens, the 10 mm as a wide-angle lens, and the variable focal length or zoom lens of 12.5 through 75 mm.

The relative figures such as 1:1.8 stand for the geometrical openings of lenses computed against the focal length. They mean that the iris diameter at full opening is, for example, 1.8 times smaller than 10 mm, 5.55 mm in this case. The internationally standardized lens stops are 1:√1, 1:√2, 1:√4, 1:√8, 1:√16, and so on. Usually they are noted 1:1.000, 1:1.414, 1:2.000, 1:2.828, 1:4.000, 1:5.657, 1:8.000, and so forth or 1, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, 32, 45.

Each time you move the iris diaphragm from one stop to the next you increase or decrease the intensity of light reaching the film by 100 percent. From f/4 to f/2.8 you double it, from f/5.6 to f/8 you cut it in half.

Your Paillard-Bolex H 16 Reflex-2 is about $400 worth today. I recommend that you have it serviced by a trained technician or Bolex International in Switzerland. The mechanism needs a cleaning and fresh lubrication. If you have the impression that the lens focusing and diaphragm rings are stiff to move, they most likely would profit from relubrication, too.

[granfer]

And don't apologize for your English grammar, either. It is excellent..... better than most Englishmen born in the last 25 years.

[Wouter_001]

Hey Mmechanic and Granfer,

Thanks for replying to my topic. Your information has proven to be very handy in my quest to sell the machine.

I've contacted a local antique dealer who tryed to buy the camera for 80€, a deal if not for you guys i would have taken for sure. When he realised i wasnt selling yet, he advised me to sell the lenses and camera seperately on ebay. The lenses seem to be the more valueable items..

Im gonna wait a bit with selling though, learning about the machine was fun, i might have found a new hobby

How do you guys feel about selling seperate?

Regards,

Wouter

[Mmechanic]

To make sure that we are on the right way would you please look at the lenses and tell if they are marked RX or something like that?
They should because the Paillard-Bolex H reflex viewfinder system demands specially built lenses in focal lengths shorter than 50 mm.

If they are Reflex lenses it would be a pity to tear the ensemble apart. You’d later have to search special lenses for the camera again.
Forget the dealer, you are the film man.

Only for the sake of my soul: know that filming can be an expensive hobby. You may want to have a good tripod, a projector, a viewer, editing gear. The film itself and processing cost also. 16mm, on the other hand, is a semi-professional format which means you can sell pictures worldwide in case you have shots of something interesting. Your camera accepts the Paillard-Bolex MCE-17 electric motor for extended shots. Which direction in cinematography are you taking?