Kind of went nuts today a bought a vintage, Swiss made Paillard Bolex H16 F25, 16mm Movie Camera with crank handle, three lenses and a cool leather carrying case.
The Bolex company was founded by Jacques Bogopolsky in 1927. Bolex cameras were particularly important for early television news, nature films, and documentaries and are still used by film animators. The H16 F25 is fully mechanical and uses a spring-wound clockwork power system. The camera also came with an auto hand/pistol grip made in Denmark especially for the Bolex.
An internet search reveals that my new Bolex, serial number 16443 was manufactured between 1941 and 1943. Switzerland, of course, was neutral during World War II and thus was able to continue manufacturing non-military goods like film cameras.
Now the big question, do I buy a magazine and spend a small fortune to shoot something? Probably not. But is sure is cool.
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