Kodak military aerial camera id?

[pjkkoz]

Hello, am new to this forum. Am trying to id / get info on a large camera made by Eastman Kodak, No id on camera body. Lense says Eastman Kodak Co, Rochester, NY Hawkeye Aerial F4.5 254 mm 4x5 serial number 054. Camera is large, weighs about 25 lbs. Came with a crate like wooden case also weighs about 25 lbs. All is painted olive. Lid of case has stencil "L-654" . I looked and could only find a Kodak K-24 military aerial camera, I do not think this is the same but am not knowlegable with this stuff. Any help appreciated, thank you.

[John Kasaian]

Got a picture?

[pjkkoz]

pic attached

[John Kasaian]

Sorry, I don't see any attachment to open

[bobwysiwyg]

Sorry, I don't see any attachment to open

Ditto

[Jac@stafford.net]

The picture is there but we cannot see it because it was a top-secret recon camera used in the Sixties.
Just kidding!

I will be silent, but I hope Dan From chimes in with a precious comment about these aerial camera lenses.

[DrTang]

isn't a K-24 one of those aerial cameras with that lens all the thin DOF people are crazy about?? the aero ektar?


this: http://www.nwmangum.com/Kodak/K24-1.html

[Bob Salomon]

The picture is there but we cannot see it because it was a top-secret recon camera used in the Sixties.
Just kidding!

I will be silent, but I hope Dan From chimes in with a precious comment about these aerial camera lenses.

I was in the USAF in the 60's as an aerial photographer in Rec Tec and we primarlily shot 5x5" in RF 101 Voodoos and RF 4C Phantom II and 9x9" from RB 66 Widow Makers. The only 45 we shot were on Graflexs on the ground. We also, of course, shot some aerial horizon to horizon pans.

I don't remember that lens as being used on our stuff.

[Jac@stafford.net]

I was in the USAF in the 60's as an aerial photographer in Rec Tec and we primarlily shot 5x5" in RF 101 Voodoos and RF 4C Phantom II and 9x9" from RB 66 Widow Makers. The only 45 we shot were on Graflexs on the ground. We also, of course, shot some aerial horizon to horizon pans.

I don't remember that lens as being used on our stuff.

Either do I, but I never got closer than a half the flightline to a U2.

(Bob and I were on Recon bases during the same years, separated by half a world and nationalities.) I worked with the RAF where we had RF 101 Voodoos. Earlier I worked on an American base in France until de Gaulle kicked out the Americans and the RB66 aircraft went to Southeast Asia. At that time they were used for electronic recon, and countermeasures, and rarely for photography.)

The Widowmaker was the F104. America sold them to a few countries. I was familiar with those in Germany where some flew high-speed, crappy weather missions. The German versions fell out of the air at the rate of three a month for a while.

DrTang, "isn't a K-24 one of those aerial cameras with that lens all the thin DOF people are crazy about?? the aero ektar?"

It's nutz, but I had one still new in the unopened box. It was horribly expensive at $125 at the time. Never used one because of no need at all. Sold the lens and threw away the rest. Really, the lens is nothing special when considered against modern lenses. Lens speed was more important in aerial recon back in the day.

[Dan Fromm]

The picture is there but we cannot see it because it was a top-secret recon camera used in the Sixties.
Just kidding!

I will be silent, but I hope Dan From chimes in with a precious comment about these aerial camera lenses.

Sorry, Jac, I have nothing that bears on this lens. It might be a tessar type, but that's a poorly-informed guess.