Kodak Autograph 3A B-5 folding pocket camera question

[stone84]

Hi.

I just bought this cool Kodak camera from an antique store in Western Australia and I'm wondering how to date it? I've read these were made from 1914-1934?
The serial number is 49959. Can I find an exact year from this?? (it says B-5 and has a wooden film spool)

and on top of the cable shutter button there is a 2 engraved, anyone know what this means?

Also on the patent dates I find it strange that the last two dates are not in alignment with the others? The numbers and letters on these also look to be slightly different than the other markings, could they have added these at a later date do you think??

81608816098161081611
Thanks

www.louisstonephotography.comhttp://http://www.louisstonephotography.com/

Any info would be great.

[Steven Tribe]

There were quite a few models of the Autographic - the 3A was a postcard size (3.25x5.5"?) using 122 roll film - unobtainable at a reasonable pricesince WW2?
There is a good Kodak site which shows all models, date of manufacture, roll film sizes etc.
Patents probably refer to both the autographic concept (notes on negative) and the kodak shutter.

[Steve Smith]

using 122 roll film - unobtainable at a reasonable pricesince WW2?

Available until 1971 apparently.


Steve.

[BrianShaw]

It will take time, but you can go through the catalogues and figure out how ol that camera is:

http://www.cameraeccentric.com/info.html

I'd guesss no later than 1920, though. Probably 1917.

[BrianShaw]

p.s. There is another site, but that isn't it, which has just old Kodak catalogues. give me a moment to find taht link too.

[Jim Jones]

The wooden film spool was probably made during WWII to save metal. This in no way aids in dating the camera. The aperture numbers are in the long obsolete U.S. system, where doubling or halving the aperture number halves or doubles the exposure as a convenience in calculating exposure. The maximum of 4 on this camera is equal to f/8, typical for a Rapid Rectilinear lens. This lens was designed in about 1866, and was being replaced by more modern designs when Autographic cameras were being introduced. It is still listed as late as 1922. A 1915 Kodak catalog lists the 3A with the RR lens in your Ball Bearing shutter at $22.50 and the Kodak Anastigmat f/8 lens in the same shutter at $27. The camera with a Cooke Kodak Anastigmat f/6.3 lens in a Compound shutter with speeds up to 1/200 second was $50.50. A 1922 catalog lists the camera with the RR lens in BB shutter at $22.50. The Kodak Anastigmat f/7.7 lens in the BB shutter was $27.50, and in the Ilex Universal shutter with speeds from 1 to 1/100 second was $31.50. Lenses are still made with a formula similar to that Anastigmat f/7.7.

The last two patent dates weren't aligned with the earlier dates because there were only two on that line, while the earlier dates were three to a line.

[BrianShaw]

Here it is... a better place to start looking:

http://mgroleau.com/catalogues_kodak/

[Jonathan Barlow]

"A 1915 Kodak catalog lists the 3A with the RR lens in your Ball Bearing shutter at $22.50"

Wow, adjusted for inflation, the camera cost $513.22 when new in 1915.

[BrianShaw]

I'm continually amazed at how expensive some of those kodaks were, back in teh day.

[jnantz]

hi stone84

i have 2 versions of the autographic 3a.
one that belonged to my grandparents ( about 10-15 years younger than yours )
and a graflex 3A ... from around the same time period as yours.
if you can find another 122 spool, you can roll your own film or paper.
you just need to tape lengths end to end and guestimate on the wind :)
it also takes a sheet of 5x7 paper almost perfectly ( just a small trim ) to make
perfect 3.5x5.75 images on a 5x7 sheet as a paper negative ... easily contact printed
or scanned and inverted ...

great camera !

have fun !
john


Hi.

I just bought this cool Kodak camera from an antique store in Western Australia and I'm wondering how to date it? I've read these were made from 1914-1934?
The serial number is 49959. Can I find an exact year from this?? (it says B-5 and has a wooden film spool)

and on top of the cable shutter button there is a 2 engraved, anyone know what this means?

Also on the patent dates I find it strange that the last two dates are not in alignment with the others? The numbers and letters on these also look to be slightly different than the other markings, could they have added these at a later date do you think??

81608816098161081611
Thanks

www.louisstonephotography.comhttp://http://www.louisstonephotography.com/

Any info would be great.

[jnantz]

I'm continually amazed at how expensive some of those kodaks were, back in teh day.


yeah me too brian ...
the original box camera eastman sold
cost 45$ in the 1880s which was about 3 months salary ...

[Jonathan Barlow]

How about the Kodak 8x10 Century Imperial Studio camera? In the 1935-36 catalog, the price is $485 without lens. Adjusted for inflation, that's $8,155.75!


81624

[EdWorkman]

Thanks for that catalog url brian
Like jnanian I have several 3 As and somewhere I still have a couple of rolls from the near last batches of film.
I moved around so much for awhile that freezing it got lost in the shuffles.
I mis construed the "years made" by the OP as patent dates.
but now that I'm caught back up
Patents, not all but maybe a gazillion, are viewable and downloadable from the google patent site. That link also to the US patent office, but it is nearly impossible to use for that patents as old as ones on a 3A
IIRC one can input the patent number in the google search and easily see results.

[Dan Fromm]

Ed, uspto.gov works fine for searching ancient patents but reading what it delivers requires a .tiff viewer. I use alternatiff, which is free and works well.

[rjbuzzclick]

I just wanted to add that I have an almost identical lens and shutter as the OP and have just started shooting with it on a Crown Graphic. It covers 4x5 with a little bit of room for movement.