Kodak combination back for No. 3A?

coppitc · Sep 23, 2024

Hello everyone, I just acquired a A-122 Kodak 3A for tintype photography. Apparently a plate back can be swapped for the default autographic film back. Photos of this are common online but I cannot find anyone selling these.
An old forum post on here had someone selling some about a decade back: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...te-holders-w-2-film-sheaths-glass-back.79589/

Does anyone know a good place to look? Thanks.

MattKing · Sep 23, 2024

Welcome to Photrio.
Want-To-Buy threads are only permitted in the Classifieds, and can only be initiated by paid subscribers.
We have amended your initial post to indicate that you are looking for advice on where one might source such an item - hope this gives you the help you need.

mshchem · Sep 24, 2024

coppitc said:
Hello everyone, I just acquired a A-122 Kodak 3A for tintype photography. Apparently a plate back can be swapped for the default autographic film back. Photos of this are common online but I cannot find anyone selling these.
An old forum post on here had someone selling some about a decade back: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...te-holders-w-2-film-sheaths-glass-back.79589/

Does anyone know a good place to look? Thanks.

These are very rarely offered on the ebay. I've never seen one, would be neat to have. Very expensive.

Donald Qualls · Sep 24, 2024

Beware -- not shown there (it seems to my eye) is a critical spacer to set the infinity stop on the bed back by the distance the combination back's ground glass is set back from the roll back film plane. I wouldn't matter much on the ground glass (except you'd lose infinity and anything beyond 20 feet or so), but it would mean the focus scale is useless.

It's possible there's a toggle or similar on the focus scale to set it back equally; if so (I can't tell from these photos) never mind...

nosmok · Sep 24, 2024

Donald Qualls said:
Beware -- not shown there (it seems to my eye) is a critical spacer to set the infinity stop on the bed back by the distance the combination back's ground glass is set back from the roll back film plane. I wouldn't matter much on the ground glass (except you'd lose infinity and anything beyond 20 feet or so), but it would mean the focus scale is useless.

It's possible there's a toggle or similar on the focus scale to set it back equally; if so (I can't tell from these photos) never mind...

On the Ansco 3A, there's 2 different focus scales back to back, one for plate and one for roll film. There's a similar thing on the Kodak 3A, I think it's a lever near the focus scale or maybe a different notch to place the front standard locator into the focus mount (I have a couple Kodak 3A's but they've been in a storage box for awhile.) As to the plate holders, they come up on evilBay about once a year or so.

ETA: this (evilBay item 387411670408) might be what the OP is looking for. Notice the focus scale in the 5th picture-- the plate focus scale is UNDERNEATH the film one (or maybe vice versa); the top one is hinged and swings off to the left when the bottom one is used.

Donald Qualls · Sep 24, 2024

nosmok said:
On the Ansco 3A, there's 2 different focus scales back to back, one for plate and one for roll film. There's a similar thing on the Kodak 3A, I think it's a lever near the focus scale or maybe a different notch to place the front standard locator into the focus mount

Okay, that's worth checking, anyway. One of my Ideal plate cameras (the Ica, IIRC) has a two-position focus scale to accommodate the (tiny) difference between a glass plate and sheet film in a film sheath.

xya · Sep 24, 2024

nosmok said:
On the Ansco 3A, there's 2 different focus scales back to back, one for plate and one for roll film. There's a similar thing on the Kodak 3A, I think it's a lever near the focus scale or maybe a different notch to place the front standard locator into the focus mount (I have a couple Kodak 3A's but they've been in a storage box for awhile.) As to the plate holders, they come up on evilBay about once a year or so.

I have not seen such a device on my Kodak, but maybe I'm overlooking something. Mine is the first ever coupled range finder model, so there are many bits and pieces. Anyway, one can put a ground glass in the place of the film holder in case of. But please check your cameras whenever this is possible.

nosmok · Sep 24, 2024

xya said:
I have not seen such a device on my Kodak, but maybe I'm overlooking something. Mine is the first ever coupled range finder model, so there are many bits and pieces. Anyway, one can put a ground glass in the place of the film holder in case of. But please check your cameras whenever this is possible.

You are correct; but see my edited comment above-- Kodak used (at least at one point) 2 scales on top of each other, one for film and one for plate. My guess would be that this would not work on the RF model, although by the time of the Medalist Kodak had an RF mechanism that did work with a sheet or plate film holder-- the plate back engaged a lever iirc.

coppitc · Oct 1, 2024

Donald Qualls said:
Beware -- not shown there (it seems to my eye) is a critical spacer to set the infinity stop on the bed back by the distance the combination back's ground glass is set back from the roll back film plane. I wouldn't matter much on the ground glass (except you'd lose infinity and anything beyond 20 feet or so), but it would mean the focus scale is useless.

It's possible there's a toggle or similar on the focus scale to set it back equally; if so (I can't tell from these photos) never mind...

There is! The little meter on the bottom flips up to reveal an alternate plate meter for focusing with plates.

Kodak combination back for No. 3A?

coppitc

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