Autographic Kodak Special No. 1 Model B

<p>So I finally got the focus together yesterday to make a new bellows for my Autographic Kodak Special No. 1 Model B. This is one of the last high-end cameras made in 120 size, before the unfortunate shift to 620 film. It is lightweight (all aluminum) and compact, so it demands a bellows that folds very thin. Thus I couldn't use any of my inventory of NOS Kodak 120/520 size bellows. (The Model A was much larger and heavier, lots of brass, Bakelite side panels.)<br>

I cut the old bellows open at the outside seam. I ironed it flat between two sheets of paper. Then I scraped the disintegrating remains of the very thin leather off the outside of the stiffeners. This allowed me to photocopy them, to make a cutting guide for new stiffeners. Two more copies were used as templates for cutting the inner and outer layers. The bellows is made of two layers of rubberized nylon from a cheap and nasty Chinese-made changing bag. (I hated it.) I was thinking of using the non-rubberized layer of the bag for the outside, but it was (startlingly) non-opaque, so both layers are rubberized. The rubber is on the inside in both cases. The total stack winds up 0.017 inches thick, which is only one thousandth thicker than the 0.016 inches of the original. I used 3M spray glue as adhesive. My first bellows, and they appear to be a roaring success, although they look little like the original.<br>

The shutter is a Kodamatic, running perfectly with no need of any maintenance, shutter speeds T, B, 1/2, 1/5, 10/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, and 1/200. The lens is a Kodak Anastigmat f/6.3, which is a Dialyte formula (four symmetric elements). This model was made from 1921 to 1924, and originally sold for $50. (The models with Bausch & Lomb Tessars are pricier yet.)<br>

Some of the leather (Sealskin) has been peeled and re-glued to get rid of bumps from corroded copper rivets. I painted them over with nail polish. I used orange shellac as glue.<br>

So, of course I had to shoot a test roll.<br>

First, a picture of the repaired camera.</p><div></div>

<p>So the test roll was fresh Tri-X from the film fridge. I made the mistake of following Kodak's new times for 400TX in HC-110 dilution B, so they are under-developed in my opinion. The first frame that I accidentally totally fogged by leaving the shutter open on T (from the focus check with a ground glass) can't be more than 1.5 density.<br /> First shot is a frequent test subject here. It was a grey afternoon here yesterday.<br /> This has been sharpened, but the negative is plenty sharp. (Photo in next comment, stupid Advertisement seized up reloading while I was trying to upload the image and hung Firefox.)</p>

<p>Here's the first photo.</p>

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<p>Next, showing how "fun" composing with a reflex finder is. I didn't mean to chop off the wheels. (I'll probably arrange to setup a clip-on Galilean finder for this camera.)<br>

I didn't sharpen this one.</p><div></div>

<p>Finally, one of our newly renovated fire stations. They lowered the ground floor at least 18 inches in order to fit in modern fire trucks without vandalizing the brick arches.<br>

I sharpened this one.</p><div></div>

<p>Um, in the first section I meant this was one of the last high-end <em>Kodak</em> cameras made in 120 size. The very next generation was Six-20, and they made some very nice 620 cameras, but I think they quickly strayed from the goal of being compact. A Kodak Monitor Six-20 is a really nice camera (I have one with the f/4.5 lens), but it's big and heavy.<br /> This camera is contemporaneous with the No. 1 Pocket Kodak Series II. I have one of those in working condition too, but it's front-element focusing, where this one has a sliding bed.</p>

<p>Oh, another correction. There was one more generation of 120 "Special" from Kodak. The No. 1 Pocket Kodak Special of 1926. (No longer has Autographic in the name, but still is Autographic.) I've got one of these, but in beat-up condition.</p>

<p>Lovely pictures. I believe that the lens is uncoated? These prewar lenses are very underrated and in the right hand can extremely capable, as your pictures demonstrate.</p>

<p>Oh, very uncoated lens. Tried a shot with the sun striking the lens. Major fail!</p>

<p>Don't shoot into the sun!</p>

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<p>Kudos for a great reconstruction, <strong>John</strong>, though I suspect bellows-making can become addictive, like origami...That old Anastigmat is pretty sharp, for sure. Thanks for an interesting post.</p>

<p><em>This is one of the last high-end cameras made [by Kodak] in 120 size.</em><br>

Apart from the rather nice Kodak 66 Mark III, made by Kodak England around 1959. Not ultra-high-end, but with a 4.5 lens and a shutter speeded 1/10 to 1/200.</p>