Well that took a while. On my watch list for quite a few years has been a junk Kodak 4A. I’ve already got a decent model but I wanted a junk one to strip down and use for wet plate. Probably sacrilege to some I know, as they tend to sell for a few £££.
There’s something about these larger folding Kodaks, probably the oversizedness of them I guess. At least they didn’t call these ones Pocket cameras. The 4A takes a now defuct film size which equates to Half Plate. 4 1/4 to 6 1/2 inches.
So I bought this one cheap off of Ebay. Its missing its folding viewfinder, theres a small bellows hole and the shutter sticks open.
This is a Model B version due to the metal front standard, earlier ones were wooden. I think the red bellows is also an age indicator before they changed over to black in 1912 but I’d have to check.
The bellows hole has been patched so is now light tight, the shutter is working after the smallest of cleans. As for the viewfinder, I might just pop an optical folding one on as a general compositional aid.
The lens is a Dallmeyer Series II, which might be a later addition as I can’t see it referenced online anywhere as standard although these cameras were sold in many variations. There are some front movements available and the glass is now very clean.
There’s some leather loss, but I still can’t bring myself to strip it back to the wood/aluminium like I have with smaller Kodak projects folding cameras that have been in a worse condition.
This 4A model B is a little different. The focus scale is marked up for Plate or Film sensitivity I think, rather than distance as on the other model. How does that even work?
So out of interest I thought I’d check the focus point. It was nowhere near where I thought it would be. I fashioned a ground glass (from a glassine neg bag) and positioned it at the open back of the camera. There must be something wrong with how I’m positioning or setting the initial camera. I assumed adJust the pointer arrow on the scale to the guessed distance, it was nowherenear correct. If anyone know the correct set up and adjustments please let me know.
Looking again at these pics above, maybe the front standard needs to be fully extended and locked into that chrome section and then focused by the wheel, but that would be limiting surely, then again maybe thats all it needs. I will have another look.
Heres a quick paper negative to check focus and image coverage. Thats quite a wide angled lens. (Digital inversion)
Lovely looking camera. Have you ever come across a spool for this format? Must be huge.
I have recently retired so I’ve been catching up on scanning my backlog of found negatives. Some good (like some shots taken in Afghanistan during the Third Afghan War), some not so good, crap Instamatic pictures of flowers, just a handful of 200+ colour negatives worth keeping. The 1919/1920’s negatives are postcard size, (Kodak 122 roll film 1903-1971 3+1?4 × 5+1?2 in. I’m amazed that the format existed until 1971, if Wikipedia is to be believed. I could set up a download on Dropbox if you like, just need your email address.
Perhaps we should catch up some time. I have stocked up on wines so perhaps, if you like, we can meet up here for a chat. As I said, I’m am fully retired so there are no time constraints, at your convenience.
Hi Pete,
I think both still have spools inside.
And yes would love to take a look at those scans. You should already have my email.
Not sure about the email address I’m afraid. Things became a bit screwed up when I retired last month and I no longer relied on my working email links. Perhaps you could update me? I’ll send you a download link, I think the pictures are quite exciting, but I’ll leave you to confirm or deny.
By the way, the offer of a glass of wine, should you visit, still stands.
Just emailed you.
Nice camera, these, and a few other early Kodak folders, had a separate back for use with plate film in holders so the film plane was pushed further back, hence the different focus scales. And the part shown in one the pictures is the pressure plate for the front clip used when opening the camera.
By the way I still have the large format Watson & Sons camera I bought from you a while ago.
Hi Bob, yes and they are as rare as hens teeth. I got a set for the 3A though. You doing anything with that Watson and Sons?
HI Tony, no not yet, it’s just in my ever expanding collection of vintage cameras waiting to be used. By the way I also now have in my collection a Hunter Penrose process camera 16×20 inch fitted with a Hunter Penrose 25inch Penray Hilite lens, I have tried this using a paper negative, which failed in processing (my fault) must try again.
Oh nice, keep me updated. Cheers.