8mm Forum: Paillard Bolex M8 Addiction...Help!

This is topic Paillard Bolex M8 Addiction...Help! in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Fredrick Crawford (Member # 3553) on March 31, 2013, 05:53 PM:

I made the mistake of looking at a mint condition silver M8 on EBay! Now I am hooked on getting a mint one for my collection. I thought my 18-5 was going to be my prize but the M8 is simply beautiful...ah, my heart.

Problem was it started going for a lot of cash, over $150.00 and then shipping. So I thought I would post here and get an idea of what price to expect to pay and maybe someone has one that they would part with. I will trust you people over EBay sellers anytime...

I am also in need of a Bolex Paillard tripod if you happen to have one laying around or an old Tillman. Just something that looks good with BP camera sitting on top of it. I posted in the sell/wanted section but there were so many post, I got lost fast. Sorry if this post is a forum foul, just let me know.

Thanks for any help!

Posted by Gerald Santana (Member # 2362) on March 31, 2013, 07:31 PM:

Fredrick,

I agree, the M8 is a beautiful projector, and the smell of it when on is kind of like perfume. Folks, I'm not kidding. It has a great lens (interchangeable with 1.2 lens), vertical and manual loading, the manual rewind, adjustable speed, inexpensive lamp...etc.

The film that goes in has to be clean or there is a slightly shaky picture but, there is a loop restore. Still, a cleaned a lubricated film runs so smoothly and you can use a sound system with it plus long play units...I'm in the process of building one for it.

Luckily, I paid considerably less for mine, it was in mint condition and I traveled about 30 miles out to pick it up. I'll say a fair price is between $50 to $150, depending on condition. These days, there are more collectors coming into the hobby so, the price may be driven up based on these very forum threads that praise the machine so much.

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on March 31, 2013, 11:37 PM:

About a year ago I picked up (my dad did for me) a very nice Bolex M8 at a local flea market for $20. The seller was tired of carrying it around so we got a great deal! I also fell in love with it and it purrs like a kitten. It has become my main standard 8 machine. Good luck in your search. In my opinion it is worth $150 but I would keep searching and perhaps you can find a great deal like I did.

Bill [Smile]

Posted by Fredrick Crawford (Member # 3553) on April 01, 2013, 05:52 AM:

Thanks for the feedback. It killed me to pass that one up as it was mint and working beautifully, even with the metal BP reel...oh well.

Now I know what a good price range is, thanks again!

I am still looking for my beauty...

Posted by Ken Finch (Member # 2768) on April 01, 2013, 01:54 PM:

Bolex M8, series wer probably the best 8mm projecors ever made. Paillard Bolex, Swiss engineering, had a very high reputation amongst both amateur and professionals. Ken Finch. [Smile]

Posted by Richard Bock (Member # 1926) on April 03, 2013, 12:58 PM:

"Bolex M8, series were probably the best 8mm projectors ever made."

that's good to hear as I have one of these M8's. It's my workhorse projector for Standard 8mm. also the design itself is very appealing. I paid a premium for a clean one two years ago, $125/ What can you get for a 125 clams nowadays? Two months of cable tv. I'm glad I spent my dough on the projector.

Posted by Fredrick Crawford (Member # 3553) on April 03, 2013, 05:57 PM:

I agree with all of you and I am still on the hunt. So if one happens to fall out of your attic (hopefully missing you) please let me know... :-)

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on April 03, 2013, 08:53 PM:

Two months wages for the average working man in the early 1950's. As a 15 year old I would gaze longingly at this magnificent machine in the window of a Cardiff arcade photo shop. It was as out of reach as the moon.

Posted by Fredrick Crawford (Member # 3553) on April 21, 2013, 11:11 AM:

I want to thank Mike Ballew, who sold me a pristine lil beauty of a M-8 as well as helping me with lots of good info!

Also a big thank you to Barry Fritz who sold me a beautiful 18-5 as well as a great deal of info to help me through my addiction to these lil Swiss beauties!

Glad to see I joined the right forum where members really go the extra mile to help us newbies :-)

Thanks to all again and more questions are coming!
Now if anyone has a nice H-16 camera that is reasonable, let me know as the addiction goes on, just shifting to a different area...

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