If you went to film school any time before the Obama era, you probably used a 16mm film camera. Sure, it was a pain to load, and processing the film cost a bundle. But it produced amazing images, complete with the film grain that marks one's creations as Serious Cinema. Most film students now use DSLRs. But for those who want a digital tool to produce more film-like images, Bolex -- one of the classic 16mm camera makers -- recently started shipping a digital 16mm-equivalent video camera that's fully compatible with the most desirable vintage C-mount lenses.
The new Bolex camera, dubbed the D16, doesn't just sport a retro look. Its Kodak-produced CCD sensor is very close to Super 16-sized, which is uncommon in modern cameras. Even better, that sensor shoots in RAW at 32 frames per second at a resolution of 2048x1152 pixels. Every uncompressed frame should be sharp, as opposed to the compressed footage even full-frame DSLRs produce. Plus, the Super 16-sized sensor means that the D16 can use C-mount lenses without any crop factor.
The camera is being produced under the name "Digital Bolex," but it's actually a joint venture between the original manufacturer, Bolex International, S.A., and Cinemeridian, Inc, a young company of digital wizards that was formed to bring this idea to fruition.
The feature set of the Bolex D16 is carefully considered for the indie filmmaker. There are two compact flash slots, a 2.4-inch digital viewfinder, and a stereo audio recorder that takes XLR input. And it wouldn't be a Bolex without the old-school pistol grip, which its competitors like Blackmagic lack. But the most important aspect of a new camera is the image quality, and early test footage with the Bolex D16 looks great:
The new Bolex camera has been highly anticipated since it was fully funded on Kickstarter in March 2012. If you were lucky enough to get a pre-order, your camera should be shipping this week. If you didn't get in on the Kickstarter and still want one, Bolex Digital will be offering them for sale to the public on December 16. The 256 GB version will cost $3,300 and the 512 GB camera will be $3,600.
