Bolex H 16 S

The Bolex H 16 S is a 16mm non-reflex cine camera, Swiss-made by Paillard. It sold roughly in the mid- to late-1960s alongside the H16 Reflex and the single-lens H16 M. It is a three-lens turret model with standard C-mount lenses and a flange focal distance of 17.526mm. It loads standard 16mm film on spools, and Blue Moon Camera noted that its automatic threading and looping system was designed to make loading easier. It also has a Bolex 16-150mm optical viewfinder, described elsewhere as a "dogleg" finder. The body is non-reflex, so you compose through the external finder and not through the taking lens.

Documentation on the H 16 S is thin, and listing descriptions are the main source. One thing is reasonably well established: all H 16 S cameras were non-reflex. The Bolex Collector notes there were at least two earlier versions with an "I-T" time lever, and a final version, the H16 S-4, that used an I-T knob instead. The late H16 S bodies had the flat base and the 1:1 motor axle shared with the rest of the Bolex line of that period. That made them better suited to electric motor drive.

Frame rates were variable - 12, 16, 18, 24, 32, and 48 fps - per one listing, though no other source corroborates it. Listings show the camera shipping with Som Berthiot lenses, either a 17-85mm f/2 reflex lens or a 23-115mm Pan-Cinor zoom in C-mount. A GM Camera listing described the camera as "Tested and Working," and Phototek Canada described their example as in excellent condition.

Not documented: production years specific to the H 16 S, the original price, weight, or dimensions. One listing gives 18 × 16 × 12 inches, but that almost certainly includes packaging. The H16 series as a whole dates back to 1935, and the H16 was a commercial success in the 1960s, but the S model's exact place in that timeline is fuzzy. Given the non-reflex design and the era of the improvements it carries, the mid-to-late 60s parallel sale with the Reflex and M lines is the most precise positioning available.

• Format: 16mm cine film on spools
• Lens mount: C-mount (flange focal distance 17.526mm)
• Turret: three-lens
• Frame rates: 12, 16, 18, 24, 32, 48 fps (single source)
• Viewfinder: external optical, "dogleg" type
• Reflex: No — non-reflex body

Similar items on eBay

No exact Bolex H 16 S listings are live right now — these searches show current Bolex and similar vintage camera gear on eBay:

As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.

Related Models

• Bolex H 16 DELUXE
• Bolex H 16 REX
• Bolex H 16 STANDARD
• Bolex H 16 SUPREME
• Bolex H 8
• Arriflex 16 BL (1965)
• Arriflex 16 SR (1975)
• Arriflex 16 ST (1952)
• Arriflex 16S (1952-)
• Arriflex 16SR2 E