ryan liverman Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 Saw one of these for sale on e-bay a while ago, It's never a camera I've seen before or heard of. It looks kind of cheap, as if they stuck a 400' mag on the back of an ebm and added a couple of hand grips. Any one know anything about it? -ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Josh Hill Posted August 1, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted August 1, 2004 I think it was a short lived sync camera by Bolex trying to compete with the SR and Aaton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Gross Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 An interesting concept that never really got off the ground. You need a special accessory box to power/control it, and it had an odd lens mount with integral exposure control so you needed special-built lenses to fit it. It could have made for a nice camera in its time, but that time has well passed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Downes Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Still, for the right price, I don't think anyone here would sneeze at it. But only at the right price, due to the headache involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Hamrick Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 I used one briefly in the late 70's and early 80's.We were shooting political campaign spots on mag striped Ektachrome (7252 when we had the light,7240 and 7250 when we didn't).I found it to be heavy and awkward in some respects but better than the alternative we had at the time which was an Auricon. You can do better for the price,unless you're getting a real deal.Even then I would look moreso to an Eclair ACL or NPR.Although I never experienced a problem with the Bolex Pro,I heard from some of my news friends who shot with it in the 60's and 70's that it was notorious for jamming. Marty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gregor Scheer Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 I plan to shoot my next short feature for young audience: How Things Are Made: Paper in 1780 - Capellades, Catalunia using 2 bolex pro cameras. On the Pitch Packet website in construction for this film you can click cinematography where I collect information about the camera you can click to 1) an article in smallformat 01/2007 2) the pages in Carlsons Handbook 3) the electric schematics the link is http://www.vinestreetworks.com/Cape_pitch/capipitch1.html we are considering conversion to super 16 Duall camera in New York sais they can do it - Will keep you updated enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest david west Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 gregor, nice links.. i wish i could find as much info on my gsmo... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Anthony Vale Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 I think it was a short lived sync camera by Bolex trying to compete with the SR and Aaton. It predates those cameras. 5 years for the SR. Maybe 2 for the announcment of the Aaton, & 4 for the actual delivery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Marks Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 This has come up before on this forum, but I think the Aaton A-minima resembles the Bolex Pro in many respects, especially with the canted co-ax mags. To my knowledge, the Bolex Pro can't be converted to Super 16 (at least I don't think anyone does it, and it would be gawd-awful expensive), so it's more of a curiosity than a serious production tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronald Carrion Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 This has come up before on this forum, but I think the Aaton A-minima resembles the Bolex Pro in many respects, especially with the canted co-ax mags. To my knowledge, the Bolex Pro can't be converted to Super 16 (at least I don't think anyone does it, and it would be gawd-awful expensive), so it's more of a curiosity than a serious production tool. Thats ok. You can always add an anamorphic lens to a 16mm camera and thats it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Talley Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 I own one of these cameras and there are a couple thing to look out for. There were two main versions made: one where the motor and charger are combined in one external box and one where the two are separate small black bricks. The version with the combined motor/charger is flawed, with the heat from charging damaging various components in the motor. The other is an amazing engineering feat. My camera is probably about 11-15 years older than I am, and it shoots film steadier and with fewer scratches than a few SR3s that I've rented in Los Angeles. It self threads with remarkable accuracy making it very possible to run small one man show type jobs or an insert unit. You are stunted terribly on lens choices, and if you do not keep your battery adequately charged it can cause jamming or sync loss (there is a clear sync indicator). I picked mine up for 3k and I've done a dozen short films and two features, and so for me it was totally worth it. Also, last note; best viewfinder for size, brightness and sharpness only comparable with the 416. Cheers, Justin Talley 323.353.8977 Jtalley.8m.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Simon Wyss Posted October 29, 2008 Premium Member Share Posted October 29, 2008 The Bolex-Paillard 16 Pro was developed and made by Arnold & Richter as forerunner to the Arriflex 35 BL. Also the 1966 Bolex 16 Pro promo reel was made in Germany. It's a bit like the 1969 Saturn-V rocket that went back to the Nazi V-2 and never left earth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member David Auner aac Posted October 30, 2008 Premium Member Share Posted October 30, 2008 The Bolex-Paillard 16 Pro was developed and made by Arnold & Richter as forerunner to the Arriflex 35 BL. Hi Simon, where do you have that info from? Really interesting! Regards, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Simon Wyss Posted October 30, 2008 Premium Member Share Posted October 30, 2008 Hi Simon, where do you have that info from? Really interesting! Regards, Dave MADE IN WESTERN GERMANY is on every Bolex 16 Pro. I saw that 10-minute promo last year in Bern, Switzerland, at Lichtspiel, an archive. The commentary was true german German, not swiss German. It is obvious from the coax mag, something new to Bolex and Arri. It is obvious from the standpoint of silencing a camera. That was never a subject with Bolex but with Arnold & Richter. Bolex returned to their noisy H models, Arri clearly went in the direction of producing noiseless cameras. A former employee of Bolex (1968 to 1970) told me so. The gap between the H design and this Pro construction is so wide that Arri can be read behind the test balloon. Let's not forget that Arri was under pressure since the release of the Eclair NPR in 1960. They didn't have what the French had. Still the French are pacemakers to some extent when you look at Aäton Penelope. Theirs is the shoulder camera. Bolex-Paillard simply would not have the capital and the brains for such a development. The second point is the reason for their bankruptcy in 1969. They sent people to Ismaning, north-east of München. Arri had people at "Bolex Ismaning". This had to do with the Europäische Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member David Auner aac Posted October 31, 2008 Premium Member Share Posted October 31, 2008 I saw that 10-minute promo last year in Bern, Switzerland, at Lichtspiel, an archive. The commentary was true german German, not swiss German. Thanks Simon, you're right it makes sense. But who came up with the umbrella holder, then? That's a very un-german feature! :D Regards, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Simon Wyss Posted October 31, 2008 Premium Member Share Posted October 31, 2008 Perhaps an Englishman . . . -_- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James collins Posted December 8, 2010 Share Posted December 8, 2010 (edited) I own one of these cameras and there are a couple thing to look out for. There were two main versions made: one where the motor and charger are combined in one external box and one where the two are separate small black bricks. The version with the combined motor/charger is flawed, with the heat from charging damaging various components in the motor. The other is an amazing engineering feat. My camera is probably about 11-15 years older than I am, and it shoots film steadier and with fewer scratches than a few SR3s that I've rented in Los Angeles. It self threads with remarkable accuracy making it very possible to run small one man show type jobs or an insert unit. You are stunted terribly on lens choices, and if you do not keep your battery adequately charged it can cause jamming or sync loss (there is a clear sync indicator). I picked mine up for 3k and I've done a dozen short films and two features, and so for me it was totally worth it. Also, last note; best viewfinder for size, brightness and sharpness only comparable with the 416. Cheers, Justin Talley 323.353.8977 Jtalley.8m.com Justin, Can you clarify the models you were talking about. Especially the battery. I am looking at a bolex 16 pro camera. There are pictures of the camera. Just wondering "the two black bricks" are they attached to the camera. It's kinda important, because I am seriously looking at this camera. Just want to get the right one. Thanks in advance. Edited December 8, 2010 by James collins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Millar Posted December 8, 2010 Share Posted December 8, 2010 If you want to play and are in the area there's one sitting on the shelf at Adorama in NY at the moment... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Oliver Christoph Kochs Posted December 8, 2010 Premium Member Share Posted December 8, 2010 I second Simons statement. Lots of the Pro development went into the later Arri SR and BL cameras. But i don't think that it can be converted to S16 properly, so if thats your intention i'd better stay away from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now