Three Generations of Cameras

[480sparky]

Well, the set is complete! I found my dad's old rangefinder a few years back and added it to my 'collection' of cameras.

Last year, I began to wonder what kind of camera my grandfather used. I knew it was most likely some sort of consumer-grade Kodak, but I couldn't nail down exactly which model. About a month ago, I asked my dad what kind of camera his dad used. All he could remember was it was a Kodak. Two of his bothers only remembered 'he had a camera'.

An aunt described it as "being so tall, with a 'draw-bridge' that came down and the lens rolled out onto it." Hmmm. I was no closer to my answer.

Then I talked to the oldest of the five. He said, "Well, I don't remember off-hand, but if you give me some time, I can tell you exactly what it was." Turns out, he had it tucked away. After a few phone calls and his sending me some cell-phone shots of it, I knew exactly which camera my grandfather used. My uncle was unwilling to part with it, despite it being unusable (bellows coating was missing, and the shutter didn't fire). But with the exact model number in hand, I went shopping on ebay. Last week, I found a working copy of that exact same camera.... A Kodak 3A Folding Pocket Camera Model C. Note... it's not the Autographic version.

It arrived today. So, here........ in all their splendor.......... is three generations of cameras.

The Kodak 3A (ca. 1903-1915), my dads' Tenax Automatic (ca. 1960) and my Nikon D600.



And yes........ I'm going to convert the Kodak to accept 120 film! Stay tuned!

 

[480sparky]

Since I already had the design of the 120 conversion engineered, I went ahead and bought some of the goodies to make it happen after supper tonight. Stopped by the hardware store for a 1¼" dowel for the spool adapters, and the office supply store for a thick presentation folder to make a new film gate.

The first thing I did was tear off all the un-needed clear plastic parts of the folder, as well as the 3-ring binder loops.

That left me with plenty of plain stock to make a new film gate, and enough to make more if I make a mistake or want to make another format. I chose 6x7 since that will be the same as my RB67.

Cutting the plastic to size was easy with a rotary cutter.

What took a bit more time (and finesse!) was laying out the 6x7 cutout. But with a calculator and double-checking, it's fairly simple.

One last check to make sure everything is in place.....

Then use the utility knife with a new blade, next to a metal ruler, to cut out the 6x7cm opening.

Violá! One new film gate.

 

[Retro]

It's a lot of fun, isn't it?! When something means something to you, because of your past, or your ancestors, it really means a lot.

That Kodak is the kind of camera my great-grandfather might have had. My dad's mom grew up in a Mennonite colony in Tiegenhagen, Molochna, in eastern Russia, or Prussia, up until 1918. She was a Neufeld, and they were all wealthy. One of the signs of that wealth was that they had a camera, and I have a lot of pictures of the family around their home. It's kind of a given of the time that if you have pictures, you were rich. I'll never know what camera they had, but your Kodak is from that time. I'm sure there were many types then, but if I had the same model they had, that would mean a lot to me.

It's great that you are able to bring a piece of your family's past back to life.

 

[mikew_RIP]

Out of interest is the autographic a lesser model as i have one.

 

[480sparky]

Out of interest is the autographic a lesser model as i have one.

The Autographic is a series of models with a small door on the back of the camera. It allowed the user to impress a small handwritten note on the film using a special type of paper that was layered between the film and the paper backing. It was literally the first 'data back'. One could write "Niagara Falls 3/1/18" or "1/100 f.8" or "Helens 3rd birthday" right on to the film using a metal stylus that came with the camera. I recall reading where Kodak paid $300,000 for the rights to the idea.

Earlier models that were not sold with the Autographic feature had new backs offered so users could 'upgrade' their older cameras to allow the use of Autographic film spools. However, the idea was never really too popular and eventually phased out.

 

[480sparky]

Just ran a roll through 'er! I screwed up the first frame by forgetting to advance the film (it doesn't have any interlocks!). I also advanced the film twice by accident. But I figured 2 full turns of the film advance between the first 3 frames, then 1½ after that.... looks like it will net me 8 frames.

 

[480sparky]

OK, here's some of the results:

 

[paul14086]

This is such a cool thread. Love it