The vintage look of many past home movies and independent films can be traced back to the Bolex camera. Bolex was the maker of many 16mm and Super 16mm film cameras. The Bolex camera of the past was noted for its spring-loaded motor and its rotating three lens turret.
Many older filmmakers have fond memories of the Bolex camera and the accessibility it granted them to the world of filmmaking. The Bolex camera is now reborn for the digital generation of filmmakers. In 2012, a Kickstarter campaign was launched to fund the Digital Bolex D16. That campaign was successful and individuals who ordered a Bolex camera through the campaign should be getting one soon. This also means that the Digital Bolex D16 should be available on the market in the near future.
Digital Bolex D16
The Digital Bolex D16 has a retro styled camera body, including a removable pistol grip. It features a Kodak produced 1" CCD, roughly a Super 16-sized sensor. When paired with C-mount lenses, on the camera's interchangeable lens mount, there is no crop factor to the sensor. This helps the Digital Bolex D16 shoot RAW video at a resolution of up to 2048×1152 at a frame rate of 32fps. The RAW image is at a color depth of 12 bit 4:4:4, providing excellent color and image latitude.
The camera can shoot up to 60fps at 720p and 90fps at 480p. Professional mics and audio equipment can be attached for 24-bit 96 kHz stereo recording through its two XLR inputs. The camera has an internal 400Gb SSD and dual CF card slots, providing plenty of storage space for recording. The camera possesses a 2.4" viewfinder and external monitoring can achieved through an HDMI port and 1/8" video jack. New orders for the Digital Bolex D16 will be accepted starting on December 16, the cost will range from $3300 to $3600.
Chris "Ace" Gates is a four time Emmy Award-winning freelance writer and video producer.
