Re: Kodak 3A camera - 122 film format
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jnanian
i have my grandparents kodak 3A autographic and at one point searched for the
combination back. never found one cheap enough though.
John:
I guess you don't look in enough trashcans. :p
My vague memory of buying this on eBay, probably almost a decade ago, when they were totally unwanted, was that I paid about $25 for it, and was probably the only bidder.
And, John, I suspect you know me and the trashheap I live in.....of course, I've got another. If anyone is interested, I'd be happy to sell it for $25+shipping. It only has the GG insert, though. You'll have to make your own filmholder.
Nate: Does having a sheet of film loaded in the holder for fifty years count as use?:rolleyes:
Charley
Re: Kodak 3A camera - 122 film format
The postcard size was apparently very popular, at least back when you could get plates. I have a 3A Premo and that is stamped into the wood plateholders. I have printed cut film negs of that size as well, and as a kid shot 122 roll film in my grandfather's kodak. When I paid a buncha money for a plate back for the Kodak, I found that the plates and cut film were narrower than the roll film : 122 film is 3 5/8 wide. Awhiile back somebody posted that they own a 3A Speed with film holders - very cool. I have a 3A Graflex but have yet to pursue getting it to fire, so I bought a 3A Compact Graflex from Jim Galli. I have cadded parts to make a sheet film holder and await a time slot for my son to cut the pieces at his work. Graflex made several sizes of roll film holders but the frame length was across the film width- so I need 5 7/8 wide film for the roll holder I have for the Compact- not bloody likely I'll ever get any. kodak's RRs and anastigmats can make some very sharp images and I wish I'da made more when one could.
Re: Kodak 3A camera - 122 film format
The 3A Kodak was the first camera I ever used. Grabbed it from the dusty attic of my grandfathers farm in Concord MA. in 1942 when I was a little kid. Used it on vacations here and there, with grandads advice, in New England when we were depression and wartime poor kids living on a depression era farm in Lincoln MA. Later I adapted a 4X5 film holder to the back and used another with a hole in the plenum to focus on frosted glass. Pretty crude setup but could be made elegant with a bit of wood working skill. I still have a few old 3A pics taken as early as 1942. Not LF so I don't post them here - although image area is 18 sq. in. so very close to 4X5.
The other Nate.
Nate Potter, Austin TX.
Re: Kodak 3A camera - 122 film format
Has anyone tried mounting the lens from one of these on a 4x5 camera? It seems it should be able to cover that size, or nearly so.
The quality of the old contact prints that I have from the 3A that was in my family are very nice. I regret not saving the camera.
Re: Kodak 3A camera - 122 film format
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Joe O'Hara
Has anyone tried mounting the lens from one of these on a 4x5 camera? It seems it should be able to cover that size, or nearly so.
The quality of the old contact prints that I have from the 3A that was in my family are very nice. I regret not saving the camera.
They're perfect for 4x5, 170mm is the average focal length I think.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
c.d.ewen
Nate: Does having a sheet of film loaded in the holder for fifty years count as use?:rolleyes:
Charley
Well, yeah, I guess that does count as long-term use ... expect to see results any time soon? :)
Re: Kodak 3A camera - 122 film format
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Nathan Smith
Well, yeah, I guess that does count as long-term use ... expect to see results any time soon? :)
Gonna have to wait until the 3 feet of snow around here (NY) melts.
Charley
Re: Kodak 3A camera - 122 film format
I brought a few rolls of 122 film off Ebay, just for the spools and paper backing. I've cut 5" aerial film down, and reloaded the rolls. The only point of this is that you can get pictures out of a Kodak 3A without spending $36 a roll for the stuff from Central Camera. I'm not sure it's worth the effort. I've come to the conclusion that I would rather shoot sheet film in a Speed Graphic than go through the hassle. Having said that, I'm going to try shooting some 5" roll film in a Kodak No. 5 (5x7 format), just to see if I can.
Re: Kodak 3A camera - 122 film format
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Joe O'Hara
Has anyone tried mounting the lens from one of these on a 4x5 camera? It seems it should be able to cover that size, or nearly so.
Yes it does, and the results of the B&L RR that is on mine is quite surprisingly good.
The only limitation is the shutter, and that is mostly a matter of inconvenience. Mine has only one shutter speed, I (instantaneous), which measures at about 1/50. The aperture is in the antiquated US scale and must be cosnidered when setting the exposure.
Re: Kodak 3A camera - 122 film format
you're right charlie, i junque stored dived for 12 years and came up M-T. :)
---
since it isn't quite large format
i haven't uploaded the image file from yesterday
but it came out OK considering we were winging it ;)
nothing high tech just a paper negative souped in a half-spent home-roasted coffee-based developer
if you travel to apug, it is in my blog there ...
i also started a something on wp, its pretty young, but just the same ..
about coffee, paper and using homemade large format cameras
nanianphoto.com/blog
since the weather is pretty cruddy again today and i have bout 2 hours
on my hands, i'll probably do it again
Re: Kodak 3A camera - 122 film format
I like that idea of simply stuffing a 4x5" sheet of film onto the rails. Maybe I'll try that tonight! The lens on mine is a Rapid Rectilinear, maker unknown, with a Kodak shutter boasting B - T - 1/25 - 1/50 - 1/100 settings, and they all seem to work.
So - if I stick a sheet of film into a camera originally designed for roll film use, does the resultant image qualify as LF? How about if I took that lens off the Kodak and put it on my Busch Pressman 4x5 camera, and shot another sheet? What's the difference, LF- versus MF- wise?
Clearly, the format distinctions get muddled with cameras such as this...