Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 18

Thread: WWII Kodak Aero Lens Usage History

  1. #1
    Tin Can's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Posts
    22,383

    WWII Kodak Aero Lens Usage History

    I recently got a 7" Aero Ektar. It was matched to a like new 1951 Speed a long time ago, perhaps in the 50's. Same original owner with period mount.

    I am wondering more about how these lenses were originally used.

    Yes the K24 camera was used, unfortunately the matching original source K24 was lost to me a few years ago, same owner...He has passed and the family have no clue. At that time they could not put all 3 items in the same place.

    Searching has found a few websites and we of course have many posting modern portraits using the Aero Ektar.

    I am interested in how WWII troops used it. Altitude, f stop, shutter speed, and film speed.

    I know they sometimes processed the film inside the aircraft while returning from a mission.

    Here are some websites i found.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F24_camera

    I also have the OE yellow filter, but it's best as lens cap...

    Soon as we get good Sun, I will try the Sunlight cure for the browning rear element.

    I also have a far worse condition Pentac 8" which is very poor. I think they were both used for similar Aerial photography usages.

    IMG-2207 by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

    IMG-2206 by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

    IMG-2205 by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

    https://web.archive.org/web/20180813...aeroektar.html

    https://www.largeformatphotography.i...=1#post1491082

    https://lommen9.home.xs4all.nl/aero/

    https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nyti...6R0S9potVjVsmw
    Tin Can

  2. #2
    jp's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Maine
    Posts
    5,628

    Re: WWII Kodak Aero Lens Usage History

    I'd like to know specifically too how these were used.

    These two videos are less than an hour and provide a quick overview of some of the early cold war activity regarding aerial surveillance. A scene shows some big film; larger than would be used in a 5x5" AE lens like we have. I suspect as altitudes increased during the cold war, WW-II systems quickly went out of favor. If you want to dive deep into any of the incidents in the video, there are plenty of other resources to watch or read if you like rabbit trails. It appears technology for aerial surveillance changed quickly in the decade after WW-II.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbKbL-bcq3k
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBYI6fXbswM

    Even a stop of light lost to darkened thorium glass isn't all a bad thing. Shooting outdoors at f2.5 means pretty high shutter speeds, so a little ND (with gentle yellow filtering) is usually helpful.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    66

    Re: WWII Kodak Aero Lens Usage History

    My dad had a 7" Aero Ektar, a few K24 magazines, and a mirror attachment (45 degree, I think) amongst his things, but no camera. I made an attempt in locating a camera but had no luck, so sold the lens and ended up scrapping the magazines. The only references to camera use that I recall were for aerial photography. My dad told me that one of the benefits of being in a Signal Corps darkroom was that there was always film available. The techs would take the short-ends from the reconnaissance magazines and cut them down to roll film and various plate size widths and lengths, for personal photography.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	K24_accys.jpg 
Views:	17 
Size:	53.9 KB 
ID:	189200

    The Germans had a similarly fast Xenon for their aerial camera, but shot on 4" wide rolls rather than 5", due to more limited resources (or so I've heard).

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Xenon.jpg 
Views:	38 
Size:	40.9 KB 
ID:	189201

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Sep 1998
    Location
    Loganville , GA
    Posts
    14,409

    Re: WWII Kodak Aero Lens Usage History

    Quote Originally Posted by jp View Post
    I'd like to know specifically too how these were used.

    These two videos are less than an hour and provide a quick overview of some of the early cold war activity regarding aerial surveillance. A scene shows some big film; larger than would be used in a 5x5" AE lens like we have. I suspect as altitudes increased during the cold war, WW-II systems quickly went out of favor. If you want to dive deep into any of the incidents in the video, there are plenty of other resources to watch or read if you like rabbit trails. It appears technology for aerial surveillance changed quickly in the decade after WW-II.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbKbL-bcq3k
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBYI6fXbswM

    Even a stop of light lost to darkened thorium glass isn't all a bad thing. Shooting outdoors at f2.5 means pretty high shutter speeds, so a little ND (with gentle yellow filtering) is usually helpful.
    I was a rec tec USAF photographer from shortly before the Cuban Crises till the Tonkin Gulf incident, our squadron, while I was in, flew Cuba as well as the Universities of Alabama and Mississippi during integration of those schools.

    We used 5” for aerial obliques at lower levels and 9” for verticals at high levels.
    Last edited by Bob Salomon; 25-Mar-2019 at 14:08.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    NJ
    Posts
    8,469

    Re: WWII Kodak Aero Lens Usage History

    Quote Originally Posted by EarlJam View Post
    The Germans had a similarly fast Xenon for their aerial camera, but shot on 4" wide rolls rather than 5", due to more limited resources (or so I've heard).
    Interesting if true. I always understood that the 125/2 Xenon was fitted to the Volk Handkammer, a hand-held aerial camera that shot 7x9 on 80 mm roll film.

    I don't know about the 125/2, but the design of early Xenons was licensed from TTH.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    66

    Re: WWII Kodak Aero Lens Usage History

    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Fromm View Post
    Interesting if true. I always understood that the 125/2 Xenon was fitted to the Volk Handkammer, a hand-held aerial camera that shot 7x9 on 80 mm roll film.

    I don't know about the 125/2, but the design of early Xenons was licensed from TTH.
    You're very likely correct on the film size used with the 125/2 Xenon. At the time I was researching it for sale, I knew that it didn't cover 4x5 or 5x5, but never did find a reference to 7 x 9 cm on 80mm film. Thanks for the clarification.

  7. #7
    Matt Alexander
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    106

    Re: WWII Kodak Aero Lens Usage History

    Great thread - look forward to more info. I've got a 12" 9x9 without an iris that inherited from my grandfather that I've been toying with and would love to know more about it. I gave it 4 weeks or so under UV LEDs that improved the thorium yellowing, but not gone completely. I was thinking about cutting a slot on the barrel and making waterhouse stops but am worried it will weaken it too much.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    NJ
    Posts
    8,469

    Re: WWII Kodak Aero Lens Usage History

    Quote Originally Posted by EarlJam View Post
    You're very likely correct on the film size used with the 125/2 Xenon. At the time I was researching it for sale, I knew that it didn't cover 4x5 or 5x5, but never did find a reference to 7 x 9 cm on 80mm film. Thanks for the clarification.
    Funny thing is that the 125/2 Xenon might come close to covering 4x5. TTH patented many variants of the Opic, see Eric Beltrando's site dioptrique.info for details, none that covered more than 50 degrees according to Eric. But I have a late 100/2 TTH Opic type taken from a Vinten F.95 aerial camera (shot 6x6 on 70 mm film) that covers 2x3 well.

    Sad thing is that years ago I came across a coated 125/2 s/n 6xx,xxx (I'm not being cute, I don't remember all those digits) at a very good price and foolishly didn't buy it.

  9. #9
    jp's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Maine
    Posts
    5,628

    Re: WWII Kodak Aero Lens Usage History

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Salomon View Post
    I was a rec tec USAF photographer from shortly before the Cuban Crises till the Tonkin Gulf incident, our squadron, while I was in, flew Cuba as well as the Universities of Alabama and Mississippi during integration of those schools.

    We used 5” for aerial obliques at lower levels and 9” for verticals at high levels.
    Thanks! Great to learn how the equipment was used. I'd never have imagined aerial photography would have been used in those university integration issues but it makes sense for some good reasons.

  10. #10
    Corran's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    North GA Mountains
    Posts
    8,924

    Re: WWII Kodak Aero Lens Usage History

    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Fromm View Post
    Funny thing is that the 125/2 Xenon might come close to covering 4x5. TTH patented many variants of the Opic, see Eric Beltrando's site dioptrique.info for details, none that covered more than 50 degrees according to Eric. But I have a late 100/2 TTH Opic type taken from a Vinten F.95 aerial camera (shot 6x6 on 70 mm film) that covers 2x3 well.

    Sad thing is that years ago I came across a coated 125/2 s/n 6xx,xxx (I'm not being cute, I don't remember all those digits) at a very good price and foolishly didn't buy it.
    The 12.5cm Xenon covers 3.25 x 4.25 well (a perfect pairing for the now-discontinued Fuji instant film) but not 4x5, at least at normal shooting distances. Of course the usual caveats about edge performance applies...

    The lens has a lot of spherical aberrations at f/2 but at f/2.8 and up is very sharp. I haven't used mine in a while but a fun lens. I picked up a couple on eBay, and sold one with a Speed Graphic years ago, and kept the nicer one for myself with bayonet-mount Y and R filters.

    I've forgotten all of the information I researched about the Aero Ektar back when I was modding Speed Graphics. I think I owned around 12 or 13, including one that was rebadged for the Harvard Astronomy Dept., used as a telescope. Still have a 6" model on my shelf that is mostly impossible to mount without a lot of custom work. The 7" models were so much bigger, I just never got along with shooting them. Plenty of great results from others in the IS forum.
    Bryan | Blog | YouTube | Instagram | Portfolio
    All comments and thoughtful critique welcome

Similar Threads

  1. Anti newton glass history & usage wanted
    By Tin Can in forum Darkroom: Equipment
    Replies: 34
    Last Post: 17-Mar-2019, 08:35
  2. wtb Kodak Aero Ektar 7-inch f/2.5 lens
    By lummer in forum Lenses & Lens Accessories
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 1-May-2008, 08:53

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •