{"id":23479,"date":"2022-08-27T08:11:06","date_gmt":"2022-08-27T08:11:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fourtoes.co.uk\/iblog\/?p=23479"},"modified":"2023-03-09T09:00:55","modified_gmt":"2023-03-09T09:00:55","slug":"at-last-a-cheap-kodak-4a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fourtoes.co.uk\/iblog\/at-last-a-cheap-kodak-4a\/","title":{"rendered":"At last a cheap Kodak 4A."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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<\/a> 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 \u00a3\u00a3\u00a3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So I bought this one cheap off of Ebay. Its missing its folding viewfinder, theres a small bellows hole and the shutter sticks open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a> folding cameras that have been in a worse condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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?<\/p>\n\n\n\n