I recently found myself in possession of a very nice No 1 Kodak Pocket Folding Camera from the 20s. It comes with a clean Kodak Anastigmat 108mm f/7.7 lens mounted in a working Kodak Ball Bearing Shutter with 5 speeds 1/100s, 1/50s, 1/25s, Bulb and Time (or T). The shutter actually has speeds of 1/25s, 1/32s and 1/50s that are amazingly reliable.
I am quite amazed at how compact this camera really is. When it is folded up it actually does slide into the front pockets of my looser jeans. It is also very light but most everything on it seems pretty well built. The camera body appears to be constructed out of aluminum, the struts of stamped steel and the bellows is leather and appears original. As mentioned, the lens is in excellent condition and though the shutter has slowed down with time it is still very consistent and therefore reliable.
I have no intentions of this camera sitting unused on my shelf. I actually bought it with the idea of doing a project using older film and a much older camera. I just developed a roll of Efke 25 R that I exposed this morning and the negatives seem to be pretty good. I did expect some light leaks but I haven't spotted any yet. So far, so good. I'll post a couple when I get an opportunity to make a print or two.
However, as expected with a camera that is around 100 years old, there are some small problems. The biggest is that the red window that reveals the film numbers on the 120 film backing paper is no more. I placed a piece of black tape across it to prevent excess light from getting through the light orange window during use but the window was so fragile that the adhesive on the tape busted the window into a number of pieces the first time I pulled it away to see the film numbers. This of course meant that light was able to flood through that hole unimpeded every time I pulled back the tape to view the film number. I was able to complete the roll of film by counting the number of turns of the film advance crank (4 turns of the crank gives very good film spacing) but I would certainly prefer to be able to use the window again.
Secondly, the camera arrived missing one of the rollers that are placed on either end of the pressure plate. I doubt this will be the end of the world but it does make it more likely that the film is not properly held against the film gate when the photo is exposed which may result in one side of the photograph being slightly out of focus. I would prefer to replace the roller if possible.
Now, I can certainly pick up a second camera in order to cannibalize a roller, but I doubt that the red window in another camera will be in any better condition than it was in this one, though there is a chance. Is there a source for the transparent red plastic so that I can replace the window with new material.
Any ideas on technique with this camera, thoughts on how to repair the film advance window, sources for parts or just about anything else regarding this camera and lens is more than welcome. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
I am quite amazed at how compact this camera really is. When it is folded up it actually does slide into the front pockets of my looser jeans. It is also very light but most everything on it seems pretty well built. The camera body appears to be constructed out of aluminum, the struts of stamped steel and the bellows is leather and appears original. As mentioned, the lens is in excellent condition and though the shutter has slowed down with time it is still very consistent and therefore reliable.
I have no intentions of this camera sitting unused on my shelf. I actually bought it with the idea of doing a project using older film and a much older camera. I just developed a roll of Efke 25 R that I exposed this morning and the negatives seem to be pretty good. I did expect some light leaks but I haven't spotted any yet. So far, so good. I'll post a couple when I get an opportunity to make a print or two.
However, as expected with a camera that is around 100 years old, there are some small problems. The biggest is that the red window that reveals the film numbers on the 120 film backing paper is no more. I placed a piece of black tape across it to prevent excess light from getting through the light orange window during use but the window was so fragile that the adhesive on the tape busted the window into a number of pieces the first time I pulled it away to see the film numbers. This of course meant that light was able to flood through that hole unimpeded every time I pulled back the tape to view the film number. I was able to complete the roll of film by counting the number of turns of the film advance crank (4 turns of the crank gives very good film spacing) but I would certainly prefer to be able to use the window again.
Secondly, the camera arrived missing one of the rollers that are placed on either end of the pressure plate. I doubt this will be the end of the world but it does make it more likely that the film is not properly held against the film gate when the photo is exposed which may result in one side of the photograph being slightly out of focus. I would prefer to replace the roller if possible.
Now, I can certainly pick up a second camera in order to cannibalize a roller, but I doubt that the red window in another camera will be in any better condition than it was in this one, though there is a chance. Is there a source for the transparent red plastic so that I can replace the window with new material.
Any ideas on technique with this camera, thoughts on how to repair the film advance window, sources for parts or just about anything else regarding this camera and lens is more than welcome. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
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