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Good price for Reflex Bolex?


James Wachtel

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Hello,

A good friend of mine recently gave me a Bolex Supreme to test out with some handheld shots. I have to say, I really like the feel of the Bolex and it's simplicity. Granted, it's loud and can only shoot for 27 seconds, but it certainly has it's advantages. The lightweight, easy loading, and no batteries makes it ideal for a couple road trips I'm taking this summer. Which brings me to finding a good price.  I would like to find a solid Rex model with a few prime lenses, or a good zoom lense. Looking on Ebay I saw a few recently serviced Rex 1 models for $800. The Rex 5 then jumps to $2000, no lenses for either. Is the Rex 5 really worth a $1200 increase? Right now, I'm really just trying to gauge what a good solid deal would be. Anyone buy a Rex model within the last couple years? Any replies are appreciated!

Jim 

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I picked up my Rex 4 factory converted to Super 16 with black preset Switar for $800 shipped! That was 4 or 5 years ago when everyone was dumping there film gear I guess. Good deals are out there, just take your time. I would look for something in good physical shape with as much accessories, and then send it off for CLA before even running a roll through it. Always search sold items on eBay for idea of current market price. There are sellers like Calkovsky who buy cheap on eBay and resell for crazy prices.

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A Paillard-Bolex H-16 Reflex in good condition, sans lenses, is worth US$ 400, not more.

An H-16 RX-3/4/5 with bigger magnification finder 500 Dollars maximum. If a technician grants a warranty on a given model, prices up to $ 800 are justified. I put the H-16 along the Bell & Howell Filmo 70 which has a few features less but is way more solidly made and can be oiled without further ado. A Filmo 70-HR, though, takes mag and electric motor and has a frame counter like the Paillard. In dull light the finder inside the Filmo lid is brighter than the Paillard-Bolex reflex one. Matter of practice

Lenses are mostly overpriced or misunderstood. S/he who has an eye for subject and light can make beautiful and sharp pictures with a triplet, that would be the Kern-Paillard Yvar 15-2.8, 16-2.8, 25-2.5, 75-2.8, 100-3.3, 150-4, or the four-elements Kern-Paillard 25-1.8, macro 100-2.8, macro 150-3.3. The Biotar variant six-elements Switar 25-1.4 and 25-1.5 is not completely apochromatically corrected but good enough to deliver images only a trained person discerns from the best lenses. So any Kern-Paillard without warranty should be avoided, if more than $ 300 are asked. On the other hand, a Kinoptik apochromat or a Taylor, Taylor & Hobson Cooke Ivotal can fetch $ 600. In my opinion it’s about knowing what one wants to present to whom and how. Just stay away from objects you have the impression they have been tinkered with. A good indicator for intactness is the presence of caps, hull, depth of field table, filters, and a statement that the focus or iris ring is stiff. That can be healed by a tech, usually with a fresh warranty over a year or two.

Edited by Simon Wyss
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