CP-16R
I know this is out of your budget, Callum, (and mine), but because I'm curious about super 16mm, too, I've been doing some googling and thought I'd share a couple of my finds, so far.
I followed Herb's info and found this sweet sounding converted CP-16R
http://cgi.ebay.com/Super-16-CP16R-Camera-Pkg.,-Cinema-Products,-Widescreen_W0QQitemZ260535096593QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20100109?IMSfp=TL100109224006r10938. Notice how the seller claims it's very quiet shooting? I'm with you on the sound thing... I would not want to deal with noise problems, uck.
And just for fun and perhaps to drool over?
http://www.aaton.com/products/film/aminima/
And then... Hallelujah!
http://www.aaton.com/products/film/xtera/index.php.
I want to chime in here. I've bought and sold cameras most of my career. I currently own and shoot on a converted CP-16R with the B/W tap, and it has been one of my best buys. The camera paid for itself. I love these cameras. They are workhorses, and if they're maintained and lubricated they are very quiet. I shot commercials and films with critical sound and never had any noise problems. I recommend using the mag blimp, which makes it much more quiet. Check with Ken at Whitehouse A/V. He rebuilds the CP's and has all the weird things they designed for the camera. It's a wonderful camera system when you have all the bells and whistles. The CP was so successful back in the 60's and the reliability of it was so strong that CP created a studio version. They upgraded the viewfinder with a brighter orientable one, they added a 7" extension eyepiece, and upgraded the J4 Zoom Control. They also created a Video tap and a set of super speed lenses.
The secret to CP-16's today is in the lenses. Cinema Products actually made a set of super speed primes (called the Ultra-T's that opened up to T1.25). They created their own housings and licensed Kowa glass from Japan, and they competed with the Zeiss MK1's. I've seen side by side tests between Ultra-T's and the Zeiss, and the zeiss seems to saturate the colors more truthfully, but results vary since the same color tones can be achieved with little effort. I personally love the look of the Ultra T's over the Zeiss, because the image looks different than the Optima's or the MK2's. It keeps its sharpness and I;ve gotten different looks from it. There's a particular quality I like with the Vivid and the Ultra-T's.
The Angie. Zooms on the CP work fine, but they sometimes don't hold up at 2k HDSR. You should avoid zoom lenses, unless you are just starting. If you have experience on HD, then you are best sticking with a camera with primes. I don't know many CP owners that have the Ultra T's. Whitehouse was selling some rare old-New stock of an Angie Compact Zooms a few years ago that looked great on the CP16R conversion. The compact Angie covers S16mm, and it holds up against the primes. I hear those Angie Compact zooms work great with the RED too. Unfortunately the synonymous 12-120 does not cover S16mm, so plan on buying primes or getting a PL mount on your CP conversion. You can basically rebuild any CP16 for about $1200 at Whitehouse. A super16mm conversion w/ tap at VP runs at around $3k-$4k I believe. If you buy on ebay for $1200 and convert it for $3k, you'll have a freshly rebuilt S16mm sync camera for less than $5k. And you can pick a set of older zeiss' off ebay for anywhere between $500-$1000 a piece. And if you want the footage to compete with the RED or HD, then plan on a spirit2K to HDSR transfer at around $300-$500/hr. Just keep that in mind. It's not cheap if you hate grain and like color.
As for rental price on a S16mm camera like this? Use the rental cost of an ArriSR2 package as a start. I would say $250-$500/day for operator and gear, depending on the type of show it is. I've worked for as much as$400/500 and also for free. It varies, like everything else. Hope this helps you die-hard shutterbugs.