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Bolex Rex 5, Converted to S16 - Value?


Babar Khan

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I have a Bolex Rex 5 that was converted to Super16 by JKCamera, and the viewfinder was upgraded to 13X. At the same time the camera was given a lube service etc. and is running just great.

 

I am considering selling it at the moment, and trying to determine the value of this body. Would appreciate your thoughts here - I checked Ebay and there were no S16 Bolexes sold in the completed listings.

 

Thank you

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That works out to about $3000.00 - does that sound fair?

 

It might be fair, but I am not sure that the market will support that kind of number for an MOS camera these days. The prices for 16mm cameras have been dropping a good deal over the past year. If we are not there now I think we may soon be at a place where many 16mm owners end up selling their cameras for a lot less than they are actually worth or just holding on to them.

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Annie, I sent you a PM.

 

Thanks for the encouragement Douglas :) j/k Well based on the Ebay the price for a standard 16 Bolex appears not to have changed at all (in fact is slightly higher) since I bought this camera just about a year ago.

 

 

 

It might be fair, but I am not sure that the market will support that kind of number for an MOS camera these days. The prices for 16mm cameras have been dropping a good deal over the past year. If we are not there now I think we may soon be at a place where many 16mm owners end up selling their cameras for a lot less than they are actually worth or just holding on to them.
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Thanks for the encouragement Douglas :) j/k Well based on the Ebay the price for a standard 16 Bolex appears not to have changed at all (in fact is slightly higher) since I bought this camera just about a year ago.

 

Honestly I am not trying to be discouraging, I promise. But I've been watching the 16mm and super 8mm markets for a while. Most cameras seem to be to be dropping a good bit (there are exceptions!). For me its good news because I am currently in the position of buyer!

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That works out to about $3000.00 - does that sound fair?

 

Fair? Perhaps, but I agree with Douglas that you are unlikely to be able to get that at this time. I was shopping for a 16mm camera at the end of last month and I saw a Bolex Rex5 package that had 2 400' mags, a Tobin Crystal sync unit, Vario Switar zoom lens, a Chrosziel Matte Box and other accessories for a buy-it-now price if 3,000USD and it never sold for that. Granted, this wasn't an S16 conversion, but still. It was an incredible package and I would have gotten it if my camera budget was higher.

 

It's tough to get 3k for an MOS body when you can get Eclair or CP16R sync sound cameras for that or less w/glass included.

 

For what it's worth, if you want a value S16 MOS camera, the converted Krasnogorsk-3 is about 300-400 on ebay. This is the widened gate and lens adjustment. Only problem is the viewfinder though. Is your Rex5 conversion with the right viewfinder marks?

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I was shopping for a 16mm camera at the end of last month and I saw a Bolex Rex5 package that had 2 400' mags, a Tobin Crystal sync unit, Vario Switar zoom lens, a Chrosziel Matte Box and other accessories for a buy-it-now price if 3,000USD and it never sold for that.

 

Exactly the "buy it now prices" have been fairly stable but a lot of those auctions end with no bids, and the auctions that do get bids tend to sell at fairly low prices. Yesterday there were 5 rex-5s on ebay all with no bids.

 

The obvious reason may be that folks with 3,000 or under to spend on a camera are buying Eclairs or other lower cost sync cameras, as you mentioned, or HDV video cameras.

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