Paillard Bolex H16 16mm Cine Camera

PART OF:: The Kodak Museum Collection

Made:: 1951-1952 in Switzerland

maker:: Paillard-Bolex

The Kodak Collection at the National Media Museum, Bradford
Science Museum Group Collection

Paillard-Bolex H16 cine camera with fitted case, instructions and pistol grip. It has a three lens turret; Kern Yvar F=16mm f/1:2.8, Serial No 154788; Kern Switar F=25mm f/1.4, Serial No 156462; Kern Yvar F=75mm f/1:2.8 lenses, Serial No 150601; all three lens by Kern-Paillard, Switzerland. Clockwork-driven camera for 16mm film on 100 foot spools; claw intermittent and two continuous sprockets. It can be run at 8, 16, 24, 32 and 64 frames per second. Single frame and over frame exposure facility and time and instantaneous exposures. The camera has a back-wind facility (for double exposures/fades, etc). The direct vision optical finder is mounted at the top of the camera, with a critical reflex focusser situated behind the top lens on the turret.

Fitted with pistol grip manufactured by Dognedeclic, France. The H16 was the top of the range Bolex cine camera, and was used both by wealthy serious amateurs and professionals. Originally introduced in 1935, this particular model dates from 1951 or 1952, as evidenced by the single sprocketed sprocket rollers inside the camera (prior to this date the sprockets were on both sides).

Details

Category:: Cinematography

Collection:: Kodak Collection

Object Number:: 1990-5036/4617

Materials:: white metal (unknown), leatherette, glass, plastic (unidentified), leather and felt

Measurements:: overall (standing): 320 mm x 120 mm x 260 mm, 3.16 kg

type:: cine camera

credit:: The Kodak Collection at the National Media Museum, Bradford

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Parts

Actina 3.4 Lens Ring

Actina 3.4 lens ring. For Paillard-Bolex H16 cinecamera.

Introduced by the Swiss firm Paillard S A, the H16 was a high quality, versatile camera used by amateur moviemakers who took their craft seriously. Using the larger 16mm film format, rather than the 8mm preferred by the casual user, these cameras gave the kind of quality that eventually converted the professionals. It was the first 16mm film camera with automatic film threading. The film is loaded inside the body of the camera by means of two spools, holding up to 120feet of film. It has a spring drive wound by a crank handle, for each wind 16 and a half feet of film is exposed. It also had a battery driven electric motor for longer shots.