April
2001
The attractions of
the Paillard-Bolex H16 Reflex are well known - so well
known that the cameras still fetch reasonably high prices
and this puts them out of reach of many aspiring
film-makers.
A non-reflex H16 camera can be
significantly less costly and with the addition of a
reflex lens like the Som Berthiot Pan Cinor f/2 17 mm. to
85 mm. the camera can have the benefits of a reflex
without the higher price tag, and the viewfinder is
arguably better. This solution is not perfect of course -
the lens is heavy and cumbersome to carry around for a
start - but it can solve the problem for some
people.
It is also worth considering the
alternatives to the Paillard Bolex. None of them have the
flexibility of the Bolex in terms of the wide range of
accessories which were made, but many of the accessories
are now difficult to find and expensive.
Bell and Howell made
the very successful 70-series, of which the best-known
and most often seen is probably the 70DR. The 70DR
has a three-lens turret which accepts C-mount lenses. In
addition, there are mountings for three viewfinder
adapters which ensure that the optical viewfinder shows
the correct field of view for the lens in use.The spring
motor offers seven speeds (8 to 64 f.p.s.). In 1972, this
camera cost £230.
The 70DR is a very
basic camera - it has no metering, it has spring drive
and it is not a reflex. Also available in 1972, the
Canon Scoopic has a very different specification.
It has a non-interchangeable 13 mm. to 76 mm. f/1.6 zoom
lens with reflex viewing and a microprism rangefinder,
electric drive giving 4 speeds (16, 24, 32 and 48
f.p.s.), a built-in CdS automatic meter with manual
override and auto fade and dissolve. The Scoopic was not
a cheap camera - all these features carried a price tag
of £547 in 1972. Like the 70DR, the Scoopic has its
disadvantages - notably the fact that the lens is not
interchangeable. It is also fairly high priced
second-hand because it offers an excellent specification
and there is some demand for it still.
Pathe made 16 mm.
versions of the Webo range of cameras, but these cameras
are hard to find and tend to be expensive. Although
accessories were made for the Webo making it, in some
respects, as versatile as the Bolex, the accessories are
now extremely rare, at least in the UK. For example,
there is a Webo AT16 with spring drive (8 - 80
f.p.s.), reflex and optical viewing and a triple lens
turret accepting C-mount lenses. The camera is claimed to
give exceptional steadiness as it has a unique 16
sprocket drive. It would accept a 400 ft. magazine but
required the use of an accessory motor in that case. This
represents an attractive camera with a good specification
but in 1969, when an H16RX5 body was just over £286
the Webo was £358. Small wonder they are not seen
very often now!
In 1969. the cheapest
camera for 16 mm. was probably the Eumig C16R
which cost just under £200. This price includes a 25
mm. f/1.9 Eumigar lens and two lens convertors, a
Eumacronar 2x (effective focal length 50 mm.) and a
Eumicronar 0.5x (effective focal length 12.5 mm.). The
Eumig has a spring motor giving 16, 24, 32, 48 and 64
f.p.s.
These are all very usable cameras but
there are other 16 mm. cameras which may seem attractive
but which are not suitable for use.
Kodak used to supply
16 mm. film in a pre-loaded magazine and there were a lot
of cameras made for this system. The magazine was a
clever design with a shutter which sealed it so that
films could be interchanged without loss of any frames of
film. The Magazine Cine-Kodak is just one such
camera. It has an f/1.9 Kodak lens and spring drive
(single frame, plus16, 32 and 64 f.p.s.). Despite the
high price tag for the time - £40 in 1938, when a
Leica II with f/2 Summar lens cost about £37 - this
camera is not rare and sells for a fairly low price, a
lot less than the Leica. However, as the film is no
longer available in the magazines, it does not represent
a good buy for anyone wishing for a camera to
use.
Another camera which
is also commonly seen on the second-hand market and which
requires the Kodak magazine is the G.B. Bell and
Howell Model 603. The G.B. designation indicates that
the camera was made in Britain under an agreement with
Bell and Howell. The camera's most distinctive feature is
the large exposure guide on one side. The spring motor
offered 5 speeds and there was a choice of lens - 0.7
inch f/2.5 or 1 inch f/1.9. Whichever lens was selected,
the camera cost about £93.
A variation of the
603, the 603T is more unusual. The camera has the
same specification as the 603 but is fitted with a
two-lens turret (hence the "T" designation). Like the
70DR, the 603T turret has provision for an optical
viewfinder convertor which ensures the field of view
matches the lens in use. Depending on the lens chosen,
the 603T cost between about £111 and
£128.
Other
Information on 16 mm. cine cameras
Beaulieu
R16
Bell
and Howell 70 DA advertisement (1939)
Canon
Scoopic cine cameras
Eumig
C16 16 mm. Cine Camera
Kodak
Cine-Kodak Special
Kodak
Magazine Cine-Kodak advertisement (1939)
Meopta Admira
16A
Paillard Bolex
H16 accessories
Paillard Bolex
H16 Frequently Asked
Questions
Paillard
Bolex H-series Battery for use with MST
motor
Paillard
Bolex H-series Eye-level Focus Instructions
Paillard
Bolex H-series Flatbase Declic Grip Instructions
Paillard
Bolex H-series MCE-17B Motor
Paillard Bolex H16
cine cameras
Paillard
Bolex H16 Cine Camera Instructions (date
not known, early)
Siemens
CII advertisment (1939)
Zeiss
Ikon Movikon 16 and Movikon K16 advertisement (1939)
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