CameraWorth.com

Bolex H8

The Bolex H8 is a Swiss-made 8mm cine camera produced by Paillard-Bolex, introduced in 1938 and aimed at serious amateur filmmakers shooting double-8 film. It shares the same turret-and-spring-drive body architecture as the 16mm H-series, and today its value as a shelf piece or working cine camera depends heavily on cosmetic condition and whether the spring motor still runs to speed.

At UK auction in 2024 and 2025, hammer prices for the Bolex H8 have landed in a £35–£100 range, with a median near £60 — these are saleroom wholesale results, not dealer retail. The most recent sale at £100 in May 2025 sits at the top of that band, while tatty or seized examples still change hands for £35–£40. As of today the H8 sells for meaningfully less than its 16mm H-series siblings, and the price a given body commands is almost entirely a function of cosmetic condition and whether the clockwork motor runs.

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Sales History

Prices shown are UK auction hammer results — the wholesale level achieved in the saleroom. Neither buyer’s nor seller’s commission is included. Dealer and retail asking prices are typically higher.

Date Price Source
May 2025 £100 Special Auction Services
Jun 2024 £60 Special Auction Services
Apr 2024 £40 Special Auction Services
Dec 2023 £35 Special Auction Services
Aug 2023 £81 Flints Auctions
Nov 1999 £230 Christie's

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