best American Made 35mm

[JW PHOTO]

Maybe the lack of american made cameras was caused more by a lack of knowledge and skill rather than high labor costs. i imagine it takes specialized engineering knowledge and also specialized equipment to fabricate the tiny miniaturized 35mm cameras and lenses. Much of the engineering talent could have been gobbled up by the defense and auto industry. Any new US cameras were probably designed by less experienced folks, which then their first try were less than successful. Japan and Germany were not allowed to have big war budgets, so the talented engineers had to find other avenues.

Not the lack of talented engineers that's for sure. The US had their share of those. It was more of the will of the companies to evolve in the camera industry. I think Kodak went the way Epson and other inkjet printer companies are going. Sell a printer for $75.00 and the replacement cartridges for $49.95. Kodak saw it's money mainly in film, chemicals, processing and paper to individuals as will as commercial. It wasn't worth it to them to compete with the cheap labor from Japan or the quality from Germany. Could Kodak have done it? Most certainly. Oh, and my vote goes to my lovely Kodak Medalist II. Built like a tank and best lens money could buy at that time. Maybe even at this time. Love it!

 

[Dan Fromm]

Maybe the lack of american made cameras was caused more by a lack of knowledge and skill rather than high labor costs. i imagine it takes specialized engineering knowledge and also specialized equipment to fabricate the tiny miniaturized 35mm cameras and lenses. Much of the engineering talent could have been gobbled up by the defense and auto industry. Any new US cameras were probably designed by less experienced folks, which then their first try were less than successful. Japan and Germany were not allowed to have big war budgets, so the talented engineers had to find other avenues.

As JW said, the US had more than enough capable engineers. What it lacked was inexpensive skilled labor and a mass market for high-end cameras. After WW-II, European camera manufacturers were able to out-compete US camera makers until they were, in their turn, undercut by Japanese camera manufacturers who had the advantages of even less expensive labor and Deming thought.

I might add that we in the US have an over-optimistic view of post-WW-II market for cameras in Europe. European cameras for rich buyers came to the US, cameras for poorer folks -- almost entirely fixed-lens cameras with minimal capabilities -- stayed home.

 

[BradS]

As JW said, the US had more than enough capable engineers. What it lacked was inexpensive skilled labor and a mass market for high-end cameras. After WW-II, European camera manufacturers were able to out-compete US camera makers until they were, in their turn, undercut by Japanese camera manufacturers who had the advantages of even less expensive labor and Deming thought.

I might add that we in the US have an over-optimistic view of post-WW-II market for cameras in Europe. European cameras for rich buyers came to the US, cameras for poorer folks -- almost entirely fixed-lens cameras with minimal capabilities -- stayed home.

ironically, Demming was an American...

 

[darinwc]

Hmm let me rephrase.. There were many capable engineers, but maybe there was a vacuum where the good optical engineers were pulled into other industries. Fairchild, Bell-Howell labs, Northrop Grumman, etc.
And to build a good camera, you would need a whole group of people and the tooling would not be cheap either. Getting any camera into production would need a whole industry behind it.
It is notable that Kodak bought a German company to make its retinas rather than start from the ground up in the US.

But on the other hand, The US did have quite a good industry behind many photography related items.
Wollensak USA made excellent lenses and shutters. Also Ilex.
Then there was CP Goerz American Optical Company.
Werent there quite a few movie camera manufacturers in the US for instance revere?
Speaking of revere, they made 35mm stereo cameras. Did they make the realist?

Ok now on to add some 35mm cameras. How about the Clarus 35mm rangefinder. Also there was a Perfex. And the Univex Mercury
Wow im on a roll now.. Bosley?

Also, where were the Kodak 35 (not retina) models made? Or the Pony 35mm cameras.

i dont think I entirely beleive that labor costs were the only thing keeping the US from manufaturing cameras. Certainly there was a market for expensive cameras as there are quite a few Leicas, Rolleis and 'blads around. And if you look at the japanese cameras, these were not instant successful companies. Their first cameras were either copies of leicas or simple cameras. But they stuck with it obviously and seemed to leapfrog the europeans. Perhaps camera companies need time to mature and the Japanese, German, and swiss culture stuck with it and kept improving their products. While the US was more interested in profit from plastic cameras like the instamatic and such, or rebadging other manufacturers cameras instead of investing in their own.

 

[darinwc]

more ramblings.. ..Or maybe Americans just considered real professional cameras to be graflex's.

 

[analoguey]

My thinking may be wrong, but there is a differance between how a product's country of orgin is allowed to be listed and a personal or other perferance. My Isuzu Axiom has a sticker that says Made in Indaina, but likley over 90% of the parts were made in Japan. But I can request and purshase a car with 70% of its parts are made in the US.

And raw material would be from which area?
Or are you essentially looking at only workmanship being in the US?

Sent from Tap-a-talk

 

[Paul Howell]

And raw material would be from which area?
Or are you essentially looking at only workmanship being in the US?

Sent from Tap-a-talk

I had not thought about the origin of all the material, good question. Did Kodak or Wallensack buy glass from Germany or elsewhere?

 

[JW PHOTO]

Not the lack of talented engineers that's for sure. The US had their share of those. It was more of the will of the companies to evolve in the camera industry. I think Kodak went the way Epson and other inkjet printer companies are going. Sell a printer for $75.00 and the replacement cartridges for $49.95. Kodak saw it's money mainly in film, chemicals, processing and paper to individuals as will as commercial. It wasn't worth it to them to compete with the cheap labor from Japan or the quality from Germany. Could Kodak have done it? Most certainly. Oh, and my vote goes to my lovely Kodak Medalist II. Built like a tank and best lens money could buy at that time. Maybe even at this time. Love it!

Whoops! I got carried away a little for the love of my Medalist II and forgot the original subject of this post was American made "35" mm. I'd then have to say the Kodak Ektra 35mm camera. My friend, who hooked me on cameras years ago, has a very nice working Kodak Ektra 35mm outfit. Pretty complicated cameras and a little touchy, but well made as far as machining goes. JW