Kodak Folding 3-A

OptiKen · Dec 13, 2015

Pretty, huh.
It's in perfect shape and operates flawlessly.
The only problem is they don't make film for it any more. I think it took 122 roll film but measuring it, the film is 80mm wide.
I'd like to shoot with this camera "just because".

Does anyone shoot with the Kodak 3-A and if so, how?
What film would you use?
Single sheet mounted in the back somehow or modify it for 120? My problem there is I only have one spool that fits this camera.

Suggestions appreciated

AgX · Dec 13, 2015

Would 70mm film (which is getting scarce itself) be too small?
(I think of the absolute width, you would have to live with the perforations anyway.)

02Pilot · Dec 13, 2015

Holgamods sells 122-120 adapters. Making a mask should be fairly simple. That's how I'd go.

http://www.holgamods.com/holgamods/3D.html

OptiKen · Dec 13, 2015

AgX said:
Would 70mm film (which is getting scarce itself) be too small?
(I think of the absolute width, you would have to live with the perforations anyway.)

70mm would be the best choice, but I'd have to make backing paper for it....another challenge

Too old to care · Dec 13, 2015

Yours looks like mine used to look like when I got it about 15 years ago. I decided to leave it open on display. It took only a few years to turn the bellows to an ugly shade of pink. I've never used mine, wish I had.

NedL · Dec 13, 2015

I like to use mine for paper negatives. Cut a strip off the long side of a piece of 5x7 paper and just lay it in the back over the film gate.

That would probably work for 5x7 film too.

I made a "holder" out of black construction paper to hold a piece of cut down 4x5 film, and it works, but there were a couple inconvenient things about that for me:

The film is just a hair too wide to fit in my stainless steel tank for 120.
My enlarger can't cover the whole frame, and the corners are soft for what it does cover with my 105mm enlarging lens.

But it's great for paper negatives and makes really nice "postcard" sized contact prints!
If I had a bigger enlarger, I'd probably pursue the 5x7 film option.

Sirius Glass · Dec 13, 2015

Nice camera

shutterfinger · Dec 13, 2015

Several years ago I made a new shutter curtain for a Graflex 3A and adapted it to use 120 roll film. It is similar in design to your Kodak 3A. I cut strips of .010 brass and soldered them to the inside edges of the film opening to reduce the height of the opening and rounded the end of 1/8 brass rod inserted into wood dowel for the film spool adapters. I used 1/16 brass rod in the 1/8 rod to make the take up spool key.
The Graflex 3A servicing instructions are http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/3A Graflex Servicing.pdf
Some pictures I made with the Graflex 3A are the first 8 B&W at https://www.flickr.com/photos/thirteenthumbs

AgX · Dec 13, 2015

OptiKen said:
70mm would be the best choice, but I'd have to make backing paper for it....another challenge

Would you really need backing paper?

"Just" count the turn of the spool for the advance needed for one frame plus spacing. From then on you are on the save side with that number. Well, you have to take notes of the number of exposures too.

removed account4 · Dec 13, 2015

hi

i have a graflex3A and i roll my own paper negatives for it
i trim 8x10 paper into long strips, tape them end to end
and then to a spool, works great !
i also trim a tiny bot of the long edge and like ned does
it make a perfect paper negative in it.

studiocarter · Dec 26, 2015

I got one old roll of 122 with the camera. Now I plan to cut some sheets of 12x15 negative film to the same width as the old film. I will get three strips of two frames each.

studiocarter · Dec 27, 2015

How about ordering Ilford's 9cm x 50' roll of FP4? 9cm is over 3 1/2 inches wide and would ride inside the rails of a 122 camera. Ultrafineonlinecom lists the special orders from Ilford's for 2015. I got 70mm from the special order; now it looks like the wider version is sold, or will be again, I hope.

Kodak Folding 3-A

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