Kodak Retina Model 117

My Kodak Retina 117 camera

I purchased this original Kodak Retina 117 with a group of various Kodak and other branded cameras from the daughter of a Kodak engineer several years ago. She mentioned that the Retina was in his office in Rochester and was one of his favorite cameras, and she could remember him using it to take family photos. She didn't know what this model was other than it was the camera that Dad used to take family photos with.

 These stories bring a human element to purchasing items from family members. The cameras are not just mechanical items, which I happen to enjoy, but they are objects that evoke memories of dad, mom, aunt, or uncle holding the camera and taking photos at family Bar-B-Ques, birthday parties, Christmas morning, and so many other memories families have together.

Kodak Retina 117 Front View

 When the group of cameras arrived, I knew there was an early Retina in the group. Still, I didn't realize that it was the first Retinas model to be made. During the unwrapping of the camera, I first noticed how worn the camera's leatherette was. The was smooth in many locations, which gave the first indication that the camera was well used and most likely loved by the person using it. The front door was a bit sticky to open, but that's not unusual for a camera made 90 years ago. I'm sure the spring has lost some of its pulling power with age. Once opened, I wanted first to check the shutter. That seemed in great shape; even the 1 second seemed accurate to the ear. The transport was working, and I didn't see any real issues with the camera. I put it on my shelf with many of the other cameras I have.

 This week, while thinking about what camera to write about, I started to look over one of the shelves with cameras, and the Retina popped out to me. I know it was in good working condition, at least when I put it on my shelf a year or so ago. Opening the camera was as good as the day I put it on the shelf, so I decided to put a roll of film into the camera and see what a 90-year-old, German-made 35mm camera could offer. 

Retina History

The Kodak Retina series is a fantastic camera design, blending American ingenuity with German precision. Introduced by Kodak in 1934, the Retina cameras were manufactured in Stuttgart, Germany, by Kodak AG, formerly known as Nagel Kamerawerk, which Kodak had acquired in 1931. The Retina line is celebrated for its compact design, quality construction, and innovations in photography, becoming a favorite among amateurs and professionals. The Retina series began with the Kodak Retina I (Type 117), a 35mm folding camera. The Retina was one of the first cameras to use Kodak's new 135 film cartridge, which would become the industry standard. The Retina I was compact, featuring a collapsible lens and a rugged design. The model underwent several iterations, improving lens quality, shutter speeds, and build but always retaining the folding design that defined the early Retinas.

Spanish ad for Kodak Retina 117 camera

 In 1936, Kodak introduced the Retina II (Type 122), which added a coupled rangefinder, making focusing more precise. This feature positioned the Retina as a premium camera for enthusiasts. By the mid-1950s, the Retina line had evolved into non-folding models with the introduction of the Retina Reflex series. These single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras incorporated interchangeable lenses, advanced metering, and a sharp Schneider-Kreuznach or Rodenstock lens, which appealed to serious photographers.

 The post-war years saw significant advancements. The Retina IIc and IIIc, introduced in the 1950s, became icons of the series. They featured interchangeable front lens elements, making the cameras versatile while maintaining their compact, folding design. These models also integrated advancements like exposure meters and faster shutters, ensuring the Retina line kept pace with competitors.

The Retina Reflex series launched in 1957, showcasing Kodak's foray into the SLR market. While innovative, these cameras faced stiff competition from Japanese manufacturers like Nikon and Canon. Despite this, they remain a testament to Kodak's ability to innovate during an era of rapid technological change.

 By the 1960s, the Retina line gradually faded due to the rise of inexpensive, high-quality Japanese cameras. The last Retina camera, the Retina S2, was produced in 1969. Despite their discontinuation, Kodak Retina cameras remain highly collectible, admired for their craftsmanship and role in popularizing 35mm photography. Their legacy remains a reminder of Kodak's golden era in the photography industry.

My Camera:

My Kodak Retina 117 camera is a wonderfully small and compact camera that you can put into your pocket and travel with very easily. One thing I enjoy about the look of the camera is all the knobs on the outside of the camera are nickel as opposed to the shinier chrome, which can give reflections when using the camera.

 The camera is 5" wide, just under 3" tall, and 1.5" deep with the lens closed and 3.5" deep with the front door opened and the lens out, ready to take a photo, and weighs just under a pound at 15.7 oz. My camera has a Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 5cm f3.5 lens in a Compur-Rapid shutter. The shutter has speeds from 1/500 of a second to 1 second, along with "B" and "T" settings for timed exposures. The aperture of the lens has a range of f3.5 to f16.

 To open the lens on the camera, you press a small button on the bottom of the camera. Once depressed, the front door should usually spring open, and the lens, which is on a very short bellows system, should come out into the erect position. As previously mentioned, my front door doesn't spring open, so I needed to give it a little bit of help and pull it open.

Once opened, the camera is relatively straightforward in the settings. The shutter speeds are set by turning a dial on the top of the camera if you have it in the vertical position. Like many Kodak cameras from this era, or for many folding styles of cameras, the front door has the ability to set the camera upright just by pulling out the "Kodak" logo on the front door, which will make for a leg for the camera to rest on if you want to set it down for display or to take a photo. I always do that when in a store or seeing a folding camera on display. I'll flip down the camera's leg, allowing the camera to stand upright instead of on the platform the lens pulls out onto.

Select shutter speed by turning wheel. The top lever cocks the shutter and the one on the left side trips the shutter.

A small slider sets the aperture on top of the shutter as you hold the camera horizontally. The focus on the camera is by guess only as this camera doesn't incorporate a rangefinder. This function will come in later models. There are two different sets of focus distance numbers, both on the top of the shutter, but it depends on if you have the camera either vertically, in which the numbers are black, or if you're holding the camera horizontally, then the numbers are red. To focus the lens, there is a small knob on the bottom of the lens as you hold the camera horizontally that rotates the focus collar.

To take a photo, you'll need to cock the shutter with the lever on the top of the shutter while holding the camera vertically. Once the shutter is cocked, the other lever releases the shutter making the exposure. I've seen a very small shutter release button that fits into the cable release socket on the Retina camera. Unfortunately, my camera is missing this. I wish it did have it because when I was taking photos with the camera and looking through the viewfinder on top of the camera, my finger would cover some of the viewfinder, obstructing the subject when releasing the shutter. It wasn't too bad, but the small release would have made the experience a bit better. Now, I'm hunting for a small release to put onto the camera for future use.

 To close the front door, the lens must be focused to infinity so it is in the retracted position on the camera. You'll need to depress two small buttons on the lens strut, one on top and one on the bottom, to retract the lens back into the camera body. Once this is done, the front door will click closed.

Loading the camera with film is pretty straightforward. On the side of the camera is a lever you pull down, and the back door unlocks so it can be opened. Loading the film is just like any other 35mm camera. I needed to do a couple of operational things to advance the film to the next frame. Looking on top of the camera going from left to right is the rewind wheel, the frame counter, the viewfinder, a round knurled wheel with an arrow pointing counterclockwise, and the film advance wheel. Inside the advance wheel is a second rotating wheel with a small cutout and arrows pointing in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. This inner wheel can rotate to have either an "A" showing for advancing the film forward or an "R" for rewinding the film into the film canister when all the photos have been taken. 

After making an exposure, keep the inner wheel to "A." To wind to the next frame, the knurled wheel just to the left of the advance wheel needs to be turned slightly until you feel a slight release, then you can use the larger wheel to advance to the next frame. If you don't move the knurled ring slightly, the film won't advance. This wheel is the unlocking lever that allows the camera to advance to the next frame. Also, once you load the film, be sure to set the frame counter to the number 1 to keep track of how many exposures you've taken. Once you've taken the entire roll of photos, turn the inner wheel on the advance wheel to the "R" position to rewind the film back into the film cassette. Open the back of the camera and process your film.

 

My Results:

I loaded the camera with a roll of T-Max 125 film, and while taking our dog, Ernie, a 15-year-old Pug, through the neighborhood, I took photos of things that caught my eye. Here are some of the results of our walk.

Conclusion:

I must be getting better at guessing distance, which has always been a problem (one of many) of mine. I also understand that the sunny day and smaller aperture helped with some of the focusing distances I would generally have with "guesstimate" focusing. Nonetheless, the camera was small, compact, accurate in the exposures, and fun to shoot.

 As I previously mentioned, if I could find one of the small shutter release items to add to the cable release socket, this would have helped and made the camera easier to use. Besides that small item, I can see why the previous owner enjoyed shooting with this camera.

 While I enjoyed this camera, I have it for sale on my eBay store. If you're interested in this or any other items in my eBay store, please email me to work out a deal.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes from your day to read about this fun and historic Eastman Kodak camera. The Retina line of cameras is often overlooked but highly collectible and usable.

 Until next week, please be safe.

 

Bolsey Model C-Twin Lens Reflex

My Bolsey C camera

Very early in my camera collecting career, the Bolsey cameras have been a steady companion in my collection. I believe this goes back to when, in my 20s, I'd go to local Flea markets, which were usually held in older Drive-in theatres due to their expensive areas, and find Bolsey cameras. Usually, they were the B2 models and generally in fair to poor condition.

 Every once in a while, I'd find one in working condition, which was a rarity. The thing that drew me to these cameras was the odd shape they have. They are generally smaller than the standard 35mm camera. Still, they have an odd shape where the front of the camera is much broader than the rear. The corners of the cameras are rounded off, giving them a sleek and modern look for their time. I compare them to the shape of automobiles of the time, which generally had rounded curves and were comfortable to use.

 The Bolsey C was a camera that I've always had my eye on to add to my collection for many years. I can remember looking through the Bible of all camera collectors, McKeown's camera guide, and seeing the Model C and the other Model B and Jubilee models, with thoughts that someday I'll have one in my collection. That day was about 4 years ago when I purchased another "lot" of cameras with the Model C within that lot. To my surprise, the camera was almost mint and had a working shutter. Even the fitted case was in excellent condition. The camera appeared almost unused for 70-75 years since the camera was initially introduced in 1950.

History:

Bolsey Camera Company can be traced back to Yakov Bogopolsky, a trailblazing figure in the early 20th-century photographic industry, who played a pivotal role in the evolution of compact cameras. Born in 1895 in Ukraine, Bogopolsky left for Switzerland in 1913-14, where he studied medicine in Geneva. Due to the Russian Revolution and WWI outbreak, he could not return to Russia. While studying medicine, he worked as a portrait photographer to earn money. During his time in Switzerland, he changed his name to Jacques Bolskey. While in Switzerland, his passion for photography grew. He even invented a camera that photographed the beating heart of a dog, which was used in surgery.

 One of Bolskey's earliest successes was the Bolex line of cameras he designed while working for Paillard, a Swiss company. These cameras, primarily for motion pictures, became highly regarded for their precision and durability. While in Switzerland, he also worked as a designer at Swiss watchmaker Pignons S.A., which produced the first Alpa camera.

 After 22 years in Switzerland and being denied citizenship there, he eventually immigrated to the United States in 1939, changing his name to Jacques Bolsey. Bogopolsky's most significant contributions were realized through the Bolsey Camera Company, which he founded in the 1940s in New York. 

Bolsey's hallmark was producing user-friendly, affordable cameras that maintained quality. His most iconic designs were the Bolsey B series of cameras, which debuted in the mid-1940s. These cameras, such as the Bolsey B, B2, and Jubilee, were compact and housed in durable cast aluminum bodies. They featured a coupled rangefinder and a fixed-focus lens, making them accessible to amateur photographers. The Bolsey cameras were marketed as an ideal solution for everyday photography, emphasizing ease of use and portability.

 One of Bolsey's key innovations was incorporating a built-in flash synchronization system, a feature uncommon in consumer-grade cameras at the time. This innovation further solidified the company's reputation for blending functionality with convenience. The cameras became popular in the United States, particularly among families looking to capture moments during the post-war era.

 Despite its early success, the Bolsey Camera Company struggled to compete with emerging Japanese camera manufacturers in the 1950s and 1960s. Companies like Nikon and Canon began producing more advanced and competitively priced cameras, dominating the global market. Bolsey's commitment to simplicity and compact design became less appealing as photographers demanded more advanced features.

 By the mid-1960s, the Bolsey Camera Company ceased operations. While short-lived, Bolsey left a lasting impact on camera design, particularly democratizing photography. The company's cameras remain collectors' items today, valued for their unique blend of aesthetics, engineering, and historical significance. Jacques Bolsey's vision and ingenuity continue to be celebrated in the world of vintage photography.

My Camera:

My Bolsey Model C is two cameras in one. It's a twin-lens 35mm camera that incorporates both a waist-level finder and rangefinder into the same camera body. The camera is 3.75" tall with the chimney down and 4.75" tall in the up position, 4.25" wide by 2.5" deep, and weighs 1 lb 2.6oz. The camera is made from aluminum and has a gleaming finish. The camera has a Wollensak Anastigmat 44mm f3.2 lens in a Wollensak shutter. My Bolsey C also still has the red round Bolsey emblem intact on the viewing chimney. So many Bolsey cameras are missing this, as they are easily lost.

 The camera has a waist-level finder with ground glass at the top for focusing and is parallax corrected to 2', which is also the minimum focusing distance. According to the Instruction manual, the waist-level finder is "exactly as you will shoot it. "The waist-level lens is also the same as the taking lens.

 The camera also has a coupled rangefinder with split image capability built into it. It has the best of both worlds for focusing. Both the waist level and the rangefinder on my camera are bright and accurate. The separate viewfinder is offset on the right side of the camera for framing purposes. Also, on the back of the camera, there are two sockets on the left side made for the flash unit that snaps into them. A flash with a normal PC cord won't work on this camera.

To load the camera, the back is removed from the camera body by switching a lever on the bottom of the camera to the "open" position. The back slides off, exposing the standard 35mm camera film chamber. You slide in a 35mm film cartridge into the open area on the left, bringing the leader over the roller and the drive gear with the sprockets, and slide the leader into the take-up spool. IMPORTANT: wind the camera; you need to pull the winding lever up slightly before the camera will allow the camera to advance to the next frame. If you don't do this step, you'll tear the sprocket holes from the film because the drive gear is locked until you pull the winding lever up before winding. Put the back onto the camera and lock it. At this point, lift the winding lever and advance two times to get it to the first frame. On the back of the camera is a depth-of-field scale.

One other function of the winding lever is cocking the shutter. The Bolsey Model C uses a bar to prevent users from taking double exposures. The shutter release is a lever on the right side of the camera. Behind the shutter release is a bar with a red dot on the end. After you take a photo, the bar with the red dot springs forward, preventing the shutter release from returning to the normal "taking" position. After you take the photo, lift the winding knob, and advance to the next frame, the bar with the red dot is pulled back into the camera, allowing the shutter release to move back to the "taking" position and cocking the shutter. If you try to take a photo with the red dot showing, the shutter doesn't trip, and no exposure is made. Not all Bolsey cameras have the red dot bar to prevent double exposure. I have several other Bolsey cameras (B2 Special in red and a grey B3) that don't incorporate this feature.

The camera only has 5 shutter speeds, 1/200, 1/100, 1/50, 1/25, and 1/10, along with "B" and "T" for timed exposures. The 1/25 and 1/20 are in red, warning of slow speed to use a tripod or some way to keep the camera steady. The control of the shutter speed is a slider bar above the speed indicating which speed will be used. The aperture settings go from f3.2 to f22. These are controlled by a separate sliding bar under the lens with a pointer pointing at the set aperture.

Close up of shutter spped and aperture controls on Bolsey C camera

My results:

Where I live, it's usually overcast and raining, but I had a few hours where the sun almost poked its head out, so I loaded a roll of film into the camera and drove to two different places close to my home to take photos. The first was a local park with a playground, and the second was a home with a massive Christmas display. The display mainly consists of plastic figures on the front of the house. I figured I get a few good photos here. Here are the results of the photo journey.

Conclusion:

I need to admit, I wasn't sure how this camera would perform or if I would like to use this somewhat oddball camera. I have to admit, the camera worked great, and it was really fun to shoot with. I really enjoyed the waist-level finder and thought it was bright and accurate in its ability to focus sharply. I also tried the rangefinder, which performed just as well. On a scale of 1-10, I'd give this an 8, maybe even an 8.5, in its usability, a joy to use, and results.

 You can get good results using either the rangefinder or waist-level finder. It's the best of two worlds built into one camera. If you don't have one, you should add this to your collection. Try to find a good working example to take out and use. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes to read about this fantastic camera.

 Until next week, please be safe.

Ansco Memo Camera

My Ansco Memo camera

The Ansco Memo camera is this week's camera that I'm spotlighting, and it's a camera I've been itching to use for a while now. It's also the second time I've owned this particular camera. The first time was almost 35 years ago when I came across it at a camera show and was struck by its vertical design with the small round viewfinder on top. At first, I thought it may have been a small, odd box camera, but upon further inspection, it was a fairly early 35mm camera.

 My camera collection is constantly evolving, and I had sold the Memo camera I owned. However, my fascination with the Ansco Memo camera persisted, leading me to seek out another one a few years back. This time, I was on the lookout for the Boy Scout version of the Memo camera, a rare find that commands a price twice that of the standard version. 

 I found the current Memo camera online at an excellent price. The purchase was during the lost COVID years. The camera came with a significantly worn leather case, but it didn't have the needed film cassettes to use the camera. The Ansco camera was introduced between 1926-27, and the regular 35mm cassettes we're accustomed to now weren't standardized until 1934. Any camera manufacturer that made 35mm cameras during this time period had their own 35mm cassettes to use in their cameras. There is another Memo camera that's made by Agfa, which has similar cassettes and is somewhat interchangeable with the Ansco version. Still, I'll talk more about that later in the post.

 My Memo camera appeared to be in good working condition, with a functional shutter, so I was eager to use it for this post. I reached out to my friends in the camera-collecting community, and one of them, who had acquired a substantial collection in the past, came to my rescue. He not only had the empty cassettes I needed but also a roll of Agfa pre-loaded film in a cassette that would fit my Ansco camera. His generosity was overwhelming, and I was now fully equipped to use my camera.

My Ansco Memo camera with very worn case.

The Company:

The Ansco Camera Company has a fascinating history and is a key player in the evolution of photography. Its roots can be traced back to 1842 when Edward Anthony, a prominent photographic supplier in New York, established E. Anthony & Co. Initially, the company focused on importing and selling daguerreotype supplies, but as the industry progressed, it began producing its own photographic equipment.

 In 1854, Edward's brother, Henry T. Anthony, joined the business, leading to its rebranding as E. & H.T. Anthony & Co. The company thrived during the American Civil War by supplying cameras, chemicals, and photographic plates, which were critical for documenting the conflict. By the late 19th century, Anthony & Co. was one of the largest photographic supply houses in the United States.

 The pivotal moment in the company's history came in 1902 when it merged with the Scovill & Adams Company, a long-time competitor. This merger resulted in the formation of the Anthony & Scovill Company, which adopted the name "Ansco" for branding purposes. Ansco emerged as a significant player in the early 20th century, producing cameras, film, and related accessories.

Ansco Memo Ad.

 Ansco's fortunes were closely tied to innovation and competition. It introduced popular products like the Ansco Memo in 1927, one of the earliest subminiature cameras, and the Anscoflex in the 1950s, a unique twin-lens reflex camera designed by the famous industrial designer Raymond Loewy. Its cameras were known for reliability and affordability, appealing to amateur photographers.

During World War II, Ansco faced a significant challenge due to its ties to the German company Agfa. Ansco was owned by the German chemical conglomerate IG Farben, leading to its seizure by the U.S. government under the Trading with the Enemy Act. Post-war, the company was Americanized, and its assets were sold to General Aniline & Film (GAF) Corporation in 1943.

Under GAF, Ansco continued to produce innovative products, including cameras and color film. However, by the 1960s, it struggled to compete with industry giants like Eastman Kodak and Polaroid. GAF eventually shifted its focus to industrial applications of photographic film, and Ansco's consumer products gradually disappeared from the market.

 Despite its decline, Ansco's legacy endures in the history of photography as a company that made significant contributions to camera technology and film production. Its influence is still appreciated by collectors and photography enthusiasts who treasure its vintage cameras and historical impact on the field.

My Camera:

My Ansco Camera is 5" tall, including the round viewfinder, by 2 3/8" wide, including the shutter release, by 2 5/8" deep, and weighs 13.8 oz with two empty film cassettes in the camera. The original Ansco Memo camera wasn't leather-covered like mine is or has the shutter release guard. It was a stained wood camera with just a knob ion a lever sticking out of the camera to release the shutter. It wasn't until later in the camera's production that Ansco covered the camera in black leather and then added the shutter release guard to help prevent unnecessary shutter tripping. A wire handle on top of the camera makes it easy to carry the camera when you're not shooting.

 The camera has a Wollensak Velostigmat F6.3 lens with an unknown focal length and fixed focus. The camera only has three different shutter speeds, 1/25, 1/50, and 1/100, along with "B." The lens does offer aperture control that goes from f6.3-f16. Both the shutter speed setting on top of the lens and the aperture settings on the bottom of the lens are set by a small slider arm. The shutter release is on the right side of the camera and is protected by a small curved piece of metal intended to help with unexpected double exposures when you're not using the camera. It was more of a nuance than a help. The viewfinder on the top of the camera is easy to look through but doesn't give you an actual rectangular image. It has a more square look, so you must keep that in mind when framing your images.

During this era, 35mm film was mainly used in motion picture cameras. The Ansco Memo uses 35mm, which travels vertically in the camera instead of horizontally, which is more commonplace nowadays. To transport the film across the shutter, the camera utilizes a "claw" method of grabbing the film sprockets on the edge of the 35mm frame and pulling it down across the shutter. The back of the camera, which is removable to lead the film, has a claw mechanism. The film doesn't need to be moved very far as the Ansco Memo isn't a full frame 35mm camera (24mmx36mm). It has a half-frame size of 18mm x 24mm and is in the horizontal format when holding the camera. The film only needs to move about 19-20mm to get to the following exposure.

I was gifted two different cassettes for this camera. I received an original Ansco cassette with a curved side and a fully loaded Agfa cassette, which is the squared-off version. Due to how the camera is made, you can put the Agfa version on top of the Ansco camera. The top is for unexposed film, and the take-up of the cassette with the curved side needs to go on the bottom of the camera. If you look at the camera's take-up area, there are some wooden braces that don't allow the squared-off cassettes into it, but the curved cassettes fit as they should. At this point, I put the unexposed Agfa cassette into the top of the camera and put the film leader into the take-up cassette, and we're ready to go. 

 To open the film cassettes, one of the sides comes off the cassette. The easiest way to open it is to slightly pince the corner of the cassette; this will release some pressure, and the cap will come right off. Inside the cassette is a coiled wire, which is used to guide the film into the cassette and not have it bunch up. When loading film into the cassette or unloading it into my processing reel, the film would move very smoothly, and there was no problem getting the film in or out, which was a worry when I first started.

To open the camera to load the film, on top of the camera is a slider that you push over, and the back of the camera comes off. Due to the smaller frame size, the Ansco camera takes 50 images on a pre-loaded roll of film. The frame counter on the camera advances up to 50. To advance the film to the next frame, you slide the advance bar on the back of the camera down once, advancing the film to the next frame. Similar to the current 35mm camera, the camera is in the horizontal format, and to take a vertical image, you need to turn the camera. This is awkward, but it wasn't bad when I ran some film through the camera.

My Results:

I put the roll of Agfa Rapid film into the camera and shot about 50 images of walking my dog around the neighborhood. I didn't have a good sense of processing time since the film was close to 90 years out of date. I did a lot of exposure bracketing for each image and exposed the film as if it was around ISO 5 due to the time past prime. After I processed the film, it was completely black, so I figured it was either at some point opened, but there was absolutely nothing on the frames. I looked under a very bright light to see if I could see anything that resembled an image, but absolutely nothing. Not even on the film's perforations.

 I have another roll of 35mm film, a roll of Tri-X, which came with another lot of cameras purchased, and on the cassette, it said fresh roll, and knowing that this roll may be bad, I thought I'd load it into the cassettes and give it a whirl. I pulled out the dark bag and loaded this roll of film into the cassettes. This was very easy, and I went through the neighborhood, taking more images. I got home and processed this film roll. I know that Tri-X has been an older film. I did some push processing, and the film turned out OK, but it wasn't a fresh roll of film, and there were other exposures on it.

I didn't want to postpone this post any further, so some of the images have double exposure. I picked the images that either had one or very little, so upfront, my humble apologies for the images from this camera, but overall, these aren't that bad.

Conclusion:

This camera did a fantastic job for a camera approaching 100 years old, and you need to remember it's a half-frame camera.

 Besides the bad film on the first roll taken and the double exposures on the second, the camera was fun to shoot. The film cassettes were easy to load with some current film. Now, I'll need to get a fresh roll and try it for the third time. Just knowing the shutter is working and the camera takes images is 90% of the battle. Now I can take my time and update the post with cleaner images once I get some film for the holidays, shoot images, and repost them here.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes from your day to look over this post. I can't tell you how much it means to me. Please feel free to email me if you have questions or concerns.

 Until next week, please be safe.

Argus Model K Camera

I was looking through a group of cameras purchased a while ago, and when I opened the case to look inside, I remembered thinking that I’d never heard of an Argus Model K camera. 

My Argus Model K Camera

 I was familiar with the camera company Argus and have owned hundreds of their very familiar models, like the grand old dad of cameras, the Argus C3. I’ve had Argus C4, C33 and lenses, C44, Argoflex, many of the different A series, and even projectors.

 At this point, I figured it was an interesting camera to do a blog post on, as it had some real oddities, and I’d never done a post on Argus, so here it goes.

The Company:

The company Argus started as International Radio Corp., was started in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 19931 by a group of local businessmen and produced radios during this time. Some of these prominent business people were William E. Brown Jr., who became the mayor of Ann Arbor; George Burke, a prominent judge at the Nuremberg Trial after WWII and who later became director of the Argus; and Charles Albert Vershoor, the company’s president.

 International Radio Corp. employed around 75 people, producing radios made from molded plastic rather than wood, which was popular at the time. Producing the radios from molded plastic was also less expensive, which made them popular during the Depression era. These radios were sold under the “Kadette” brand and are still collectible today.

Radios were a seasonal business that did well in the fall and winter seasons. To keep the company busy in the slower spring and summer periods, the company produced a low-priced 35mm camera, the Model A, made from molded plastic and sold for the ridiculously low price of $12.50 in May 1936.

 The camera became wildly popular due to its low cost and the rising popularity of Kodachrome film. Because of the camera’s popularity, the company decided to sell its radio patents and change its name to International Research Corp., where it concentrated on the photographic portion.

In 1940, Argus produced optics and radios for the war effort. In 1942, all domestic production was halted to concentrate their effort on military optics and radios for the US and allied forces. With Government loans, Argus expanded, and in 1944, the company changed its name to Argus, Inc. and won several awards for its war effort in producing products.

 After the war, Argus, Inc. revamped production for its consumer line, and by the 1950s, Argus Cameras was the second largest camera producer in the US, second to Eastman Kodak. Later, in 1957, Argus was purchased by Sylvania, the flash bulb company. In 1962, Sylvania sold Argus to Mansfield, a Chicago company, where they started to move out of Ann Arbor. There were several different transactions, and in 1969, all domestic camera production ended.

 An interesting note is that Argus’s most popular camera, the Argus C3, started production in 1939. It was a departure from their molded plastic A series with a metal body. The ever-popular camera, fondly known as “The Brick,” sold for $25.00, and by 1962, 2 million cameras had been produced. The Argus C3 was known for its robust build, simple controls, and excellent image quality, making it a favorite among photographers.

A tremendous website is dedicated to The Argus Reference Site. It includes links to the Argus Museum, a treasure trove of information and artifacts related to the company's history, and a book on the company, Argus - Fine American Cameras -- a book by Bob Kelly, Ron Norwood, Mike Reitsma, and Phil Sterritt. The book provides a comprehensive overview of Argus's journey from a radio manufacturer to a camera producer, along with many other great links.

My Camera:

First, my camera isn’t by any means in perfect condition. But all the shutter speeds sounded accurate, and the aperture opens and closes, so that’s a good first step. Now for the not-so-good things about my camera. The front viewfinder glass is missing, and the extinction meter window is completely black, which means I’ll need to use my handheld meter.

The transport was in good condition, so I opened the back of the camera and wanted to put a roll of 35mm film to see how this camera performed. Not having the instruction manual didn’t help, especially when loading the film. I kept looking at the film chamber and thinking, “There’s no way a 35mm cartridge will fit into that area”. So I started to pull, prod, and push different things until the film plug popped off the bottom of the camera, exposing where to put the film to load the camera. That’s an interesting thing to do to load the camera. For demonstration purposes, I had a roll of color for the photos, but below, I shot B&W.

The camera loads like any 35mm camera, but similar to cameras like the Kodak Pony 35, to advance the film to the next frame, you need to “unlock” the advance gear. This button is also the button you need to release the advanced gear so you can rewind the film into the film canister.

 Now that I have film loaded in the camera, and my viewfinder didn’t effectively work due to the missing front glass, I needed to guess on composition. Around the lens is the focus ring, which moves pretty smoothly on my camera. I walked around my front yard, focusing on my subjects and composing in my mind what the photo would look like. Using my trusty handheld meter, I set the shutter speed at 1/200 and my aperture to what the meter told me. The aperture settings are on the bottom of the camera and are right next to the shutter speeds, which are coupled to the extinction meter. There is a second shutter speed dial around the lens, too. My camera has an Argus Anistigimat f4.5 lens. There is no focal length on the lens.

The camera has an odd design as the viewfinder and aperture controls are on the bottom of the camera. I kept wanting to hold the camera upside down to take images, but without a working viewfinder, it didn’t matter. The camera shape is slightly different for a 35mm, and more resembles a smaller medium format camera or one that shoots 127 or 828 film, as opposed to 35mm. The camera measures 4.75” wide x 3” from the front of the lens to the back of the camera x 3.25” tall, measured from the top of the film plug to the bottom of the winding knobs. The camera weighs in at 1 lb. 3.2oz without film.

Now that I had shot the film and wound it back into the cassette, it was time to take it to my darkroom, process it, digitize the negs, and show you what I had done.

 The Results:

Here are some of the images I took with the Model K camera. Overall, the lens did a good job; the photos are relatively clear and sharp. The film I used was some older B&W T-Max 400, so it was a bit grainy, but I was surprised by the results.

Conclusion:

Besides the flaws I mentioned above, the camera was surprisingly fun to shoot and produced very nice images. My case is very stiff, as the leather is very dry, and the front is coming off. I didn’t realize this camera is rare, as they only produced about 2000 before they ended production. I would be inclined to sell it at some point, but I’m thrilled I put film in it and shot with it.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes from your day to look through this blog post. I have a few other gems to review, so I hope you’ll watch for the next post.

 Until then, please be safe and well.