What Kodak Brownie model is this exactly?

[mubblegum]

And where can I find some info on it to try and see if it works? I suspect it may not, however I can't even figure out how to open it!

 

[guitstik]

It's a Brownie Hawkeye and uses 127 film. You open it by lifting on the two tabs on the top and the back comes off. Here is a link to info about this camera...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hawkeye_brownie.JPG

 

[Sirius Glass]

It's a Brownie Hawkeye and uses 127 film. You open it by lifting on the two tabs on the top and the back comes off. Here is a link to info about this camera...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hawkeye_brownie.JPG

No it uses 620 film. To open rotate the metal piece on top under the handle. I was produced from approximately 1950 to 1960 and took a flash unit on the left side.

Steve

 

[fotch]

Don't remember the exact name, however, it was the first camera I ever used (family camera) and it took 620 6x6 photos.

 

[Andy38]

When you open, open carefully : old bakelite may be easily broken...

Name is Brownie Flash.

 

[John Koehrer]

In France-Flash, US-Hawkeye

 

[brian d]

Don't remember the exact name, however, it was the first camera I ever used (family camera) and it took 620 6x6 photos.

Me too, a long long time ago

 

[Sirius Glass]

brian d,

Note the Kodak Brownie Hawkeye Flash uses flashbulbs too just like your Speed Graphic!

Steve

 

[brian d]

brian d,

Note the Kodak Brownie Hawkeye Flash uses flashbulbs too just like your Speed Graphic!

Steve

Yep, in fact I got one around here somewhere (with the flash)

 

[brian d]

I stand corrected-got the camera,wrong flash though

 

[Gerald C Koch]

This is a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye, one of the few 620 cameras that will work with 120 film provided you have a 620 spool for a takeup reel. There is enough room to just barely accept a 120 reel. Film with cheap plastic spools work best since they are often narrower. If one brand does fit then try another. Wind slowly and remember to cover the ruby window with a bit of black tape between exposures. Have fun.

 

[brianmquinn]

I have one of these and agree that it works well with 120 film. Again you do need the take up spool to be a 620 style. The winding is a little stiff but I have never had any problems. I use Kodak Plus-X and generally pull develop it at EI64 in Xtol. I have never used any tape over the red window an have never had any problems with fogged film.

 

[Rolleiflexible]

I have one of these and it is a lot of fun. You
can reverse the lens and get some trippy shots.
See attached.

 

[brian d]

I have one of these and it is a lot of fun. You
can reverse the lens and get some trippy shots.

Those are really nice. Did you have to figure out a specific focal distance or is it more that what's in the center is sharp and everything else is'nt?

 

[Andy38]

It's here a Brownie Flash because it's written "Made in France" on the front (and usually "fabriqué en France" inside).
Brownie Hawkeye has some little differences on front (name...).

 

[Q.G.]

It's here a Brownie Flash because it's written "Made in France" on the front (and usually "fabriqué en France" inside).
Brownie Hawkeye has some little differences on front (name...).

Yes.
Like not saying "Brownie Flash" on it?
I wouldn't think it necessary to look for some "made in France" thing to find out that it is a "Brownie Flash" when "Brownie Flash" is what it says on the front.

 

[Marvin]

I have one of these but it is the US version marked Brownie Hawkeye. This was the camera that my mother used to take family pics in the 1950s.

 

[Andy38]

Yes.
Like not saying "Brownie Flash" on it?
I wouldn't think it necessary to look for some "made in France" thing to find out that it is a "Brownie Flash" when "Brownie Flash" is what it says on the front.

Yes, I had forgotten the main feature : it's written "Brownie Flash"...

By the way, is there a sync flash on the Brownie Hawkeye ? (I was told not all have one)

 

[Rolleiflexible]

Those are really nice. Did you have to figure out a specific focal distance or is it more that what's in the center is sharp and everything else is'nt?

The focal length is about 4 feet when you flip the lens
but it varies from camera to camera.

The names of these cameras are not so obscure as the
posts suggest. Some were sold without flashes -- they
were Brownie Hawkeyes. Some were sold with flashes
(with holes for the flash in the camera body) and they
were called Brownie Hawkeye Flashes. There is an
active Flickr group devoted to the camera, with over
800 members and over 6,000 photos posted:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/browniehawkeyeflash/pool/

 

[toro_mike]

The manual HERE states that from 5 feet on is in focus. It did not say infinity, but I am assuming that

I'm running a roll through mine now and will post results (if there are any!).

Mike

EDIT: Thanks for pointing out the Flickr site Sanders! That is a great place for info!

 

[Two23]

I have this exact camera and use it almost daily for a shot or two. Here's what I know. They were made from about 1949 to 1961. Yours looks to be from the early 50s, judging from the metal film wind knob and the body release is on the right-hand side of the strap. The very first year or two there was no provision for flash attachment (right-hand side.) Mine was made about 1959. Camera takes 120 film, with a catch. I use regular 120 film and put a 620 take-up spool in position. There are a couple of metal tabs you can bend so they don't contact the inside of the camera. Do a google search. I put a little silicone spray lube on the film spools so they turn much easier. You might have to take the viewfinder apart to clean out dust. Easy to figure out. The shutter is about 1/50s, and aperture is about f16 to f22. I've been shooting ISO 400 film in mine, adjusting exposure by using either ND or colored filters. I put a piece of black velcro over the red window because sunlight will leak in there if it's uncovered. I have my (local) lab save the 620 spools for me so I can reuse them. I tried cutting down a 120 spool to use as a take up spool, but that just didn't work for me. In older versions like yours, I think the 120 spools will work as take-up also, especially if you bend the tabs. Camera is plastic, not Bakelite. I've been getting some cool artistic shots from it. Camera's official name is Kodak Brownie Hawkeye Flash. It is possible to change the flash sync from bulb to electronic by adjusting when the internal switch makes contact. I haven't done that though. I try not to place camera in bright sun because I think it might have a small light leak somewhere. If you take the lens out to clean it, look for a little metal stub and remember which way it went. If the lens is glass, it is an older model. If plastic it's a newer one.


Kent in SD

 

[fotch]

Sure brings back memories. This was the family camera and I started using it. I recall having a close up attachment lens that slipped over the lens. I think you could get in focused photos at 3 about 3 foot. Somewhere, I still have most of the photos from this camera. This would of been mid fifties. I don't have the camera anymore. Probably look at it as junk as I got older and grew into a better camera.

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

Can't let this pass without providing the following link:

http://cclemens.tripod.com/Brownie/HawkClean.htm
​

This page contains detailed instructions on how to disassemble a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye and clean the simple meniscus lens and the viewfinder optics. I did this to my Hawkeye and the optics now look like new.

Interestingly, using black photographic tape I also managed to mask off a portion of the opening in the simple rotary shutter to decrease my effective shutter speed. This sharpened up my negatives significantly from reduced hand shake.

In fact, I also measured and calculated the actual fixed lens aperture, added a filter factor for a #8 yellow filter, then used one of those Calumet shutter testers to help me mask off just the right amount of the shutter opening to give me perfect exposures (HP5+) when using that filter. Now I not only get nice clouds, but even more sharpness in my b&w negatives from the monochromatic subject light.

Ken

 

[fotch]

Ken, what shutter speed are you getting now?

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

Ken, what shutter speed are you getting now?

About 1/250th of a second. Unmodified it originally measured 1/40th of a second. The unavoidable clunk associated with tripping the shutter was leaving me with too many blurred negatives.

(there was a url link here which no longer exists) made by me on 5/21/2008 describes in more detail the modifications I made.

Ken