For Sale: Pathé "Professional Reflex-16 AT/BTL" 16mm Camera - good working condition, tested with film

Mark Eastman · December 28, 2021

I have one of these (arcane) French Pathé 16mm cameras for sale in good working condition (if you need a spare.)

Asking $425 +shipping

More photos in the eBay listing here:
http://ebay.us/Bp0LXz?cmpnId=5338273189

Mid 1960s Pathé “Professional PR-16 AT/BTL” 16mm spring drive camera in mechanically good working order with some visible cosmetic wear in the paint finish. Tested with film and results look good. Includes a Taylor-Hobson 1 inch 25mm f1.9 lens with shade/filter holder, both in very good condition.

Uses current single perf 100ft daylight spools of 16mm film (AKA: B wind or camera wind).

This Pathé AT/BTL is the later M60 style aluminum-magnesium alloy body in a light grayish green paint finish. It has many advanced features for its time including:
• Reflex viewing with no exposure compensation needed
• Shutter speeds from 8fps to 80fps, single frame, bulb exposure
• Variable shutter (fader)
• Backwind lever for in-camera dissolves or double exposures,
• Accepts external 200ft or 400ft Pathé film magazines (not included.)
• Built-in 1:1 drive coupler for an external electric motor (not included.)

The interior film chamber and film gate have recently been cleaned and the camera tested with a fresh roll of Kodak Tri-X 7266 reversal film. A scratch test was done with the first 10ft of the film stock to check where scratches may be occurring in the mechanism. Besides the auto threading at the front of the film, scratching on the base side is very minimal and no scratches present on the emulsion side of the film.

The processed film results look good with a clean gate and the film mechanism appears to be functioning properly. No apparent light leaks in the film compartment.

The camera runs good at speeds between 8FPS and 24FPS. It has not been tested at speeds above 24FPS. After being fully wound up the camera will run at 24FPS continuously for 37 seconds. When not fully wound up it runs consistently at the selected speed to the end of the wind. The spring drive makes a short rumbling sound at the very beginning and the very end of the drive wind, however this doesn’t appear to affect the film feed or show up in the results on film.

The BTL (Behind The Lens) light meter does not power up with four 1.35v (Wein replacement) batteries, but does power up and light meter works when tested with an external battery holder with two 3v batteries in series. So may need calibration.

The viewfinder has a few minor dust specs on the focusing screen, but overall in great condition.The focusing screen has a clear glass field with a crosshair and a round matte circular section in the center that makes it easier to focus.

The viewfinder’s mirrored pellicule glass, positioned in the camera body behind the lens mount (to divert a portion of the taking lens light to the viewfinder) is in excellent condition with no cracks or damage.

The rear eyepiece glass is in great condition, is adjustable and has the original lockscrew and rubber hood.

LENS TURRET & LENS COMPATIBILITY
The lens turret accepts MOST standard M25 thread C mount lenses.

THE CAMERA WILL NOT ACCEPT LENSES THAT HAVE ELEMENTS EXTENDING BEHIND THE C MOUNTING THREAD (see photo of the turrent lens mount.)

The short flange to film plane distance of the C mount allows using many different lenses with this camera via adapters. I've used a C to Nikon F mount lens adapter with great results (not included).

The former owner told me the camera was used to document football games, the body shows some cosmetic wear from use and marks from tape being applied.

INCLUDED WITH THIS CAMERA:

• 1 Bell & Howell Taylor Hobson 25mm f1.9 lens in very good condition, glass clean, no haze, fungus or scratches, focus a little sluggish but usable, may be soft at the widest aperture
• 1 Original Pathé pistol grip (rare)
• 1 Original Pathé strap
• 3 new alloy lens turret caps
• 1 facsimile of original Pathé BTL manual in English that is very detailed.
• Notes and tips on using this camera

UPSIDES
• Ruggedly built vintage mechanical reflex 16mm camera with many useful features in good working condition
• No exposure compensation needed for the 180º butterfly shutter and reflex viewfinder system (unlike the Bolex reflex cameras) • C mount allows a wide range of vintage and modern lenses to be used via adapters (not included)
• Batteries not required to run the camera.
• Portable and easy to carry by the grab rail or with a shoulder strap
• Can accept an external Pathé magazine or motor (not included)

DOWNSIDES
• Need to wind up the camera
• Shots limited to about 37 sec in length
• May be difficult to find service, original parts or accessories for
• Heavy (about 6+ lbs. without a lens)

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You have been warned.

This Pathé is probably best as an intro to 16mm camera for non-sync sound filming, for experimental work, an action / sports / crash camera (you wouldn’t mind if it got beat up), for animation, or… as a spare Pathé camera.
 I’ve tried to describe it as accurately as possible.

THIS CAMERA, LENS AND ACCESSORIES ARE SOLD “AS IS” WITH NO RETURN.

Please check my seller feedback and ask questions first before buying.

BUYER PAYS ACTUAL SHIPPING within the continental US only. Shipping is cost calculated based on buyer location.

US Buyers only, no internationally based buyers.

Thanks for looking!

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Mark Eastman
Palo Alto, CA

Mark Eastman · December 29, 2021

Correction, the built-in light meter in this camera works with a Duracell 28L 6v battery and seems to be reasonably accurate. (Though I would always use a handheld meter).

Mark Eastman
Palo Alto, CA

Duncan Brown · December 30, 2021

The Pathe cameras all seemed to work fairly similarly, so this might be of help to someone who stumbles across this post someday while researching them. (I know your camera comes with a manual more specific to that model...)

http://backglass.org/duncan/pathe/pathe_super_16_owners_manual.pdf

Duncan