Added another one to the collection

"DipodomysDeserti" (dipodomysdeserti)
11/05/2019 at 17:51 • Filed to: None

I found this guy for $15 while on my lunch break today. Kodak Vest Pocket camera. Pretty sure this is a first gen model which was produced from 1912-1914. Became very popular with soldiers diring WWI, earning the nickname “The Soldier’s Camera”. Supposedly Mallory had one with him on Everest that has yet to be found.

Pretty sure the film’s been discontinued, but everything seems to work on it. Shutter sounds nice and tight. No rips in the baffle and nothing inside sounds broken.

My great grandfather took a handful of photos in Europe and out at sea during WWI. Wonder if this was the model he had.

DISCUSSION (22)

CaptDale - is secretly British > DipodomysDeserti
11/05/2019 at 17:56

Very cool!

Shane Moore > DipodomysDeserti
11/05/2019 at 18:03

Kinja'd!!!

Do you collect? We have a couple simply from my wife’s mom and grandmother. I purchased a couple at an auction just to fill out the shelf. But they sure are neat to see the workings of the older cameras.

ttyymmnn > DipodomysDeserti
11/05/2019 at 18:16

How idiot proof was a camera like that?

Chariotoflove > DipodomysDeserti
11/05/2019 at 18:43

That’s worth it even if it’s not working.

vondon302 > DipodomysDeserti
11/05/2019 at 19:48

DipodomysDeserti > Shane Moore
11/05/2019 at 20:05

Like you, I fell into a small collection. My uncle gave me a few ‘70s Olympus cameras along with a bunch of lenses, then OC on here sent me a ‘70s Canon with some lenses and baffles. Then this one today. So this is the only one I actually paid for.

I teach STEM classes and plan on doing a unit on photography, so it’s nice to have a bunch of mechanical stuff.

DipodomysDeserti > Chariotoflove
11/05/2019 at 20:09

Yeah, it seems like everything works, but as far as I can tell the film is extinct.

I might do a STEM lab and try to restomod it into a digital camera.

Chariotoflove > DipodomysDeserti
11/05/2019 at 20:10

I dunno if I’d mess with it. Try to poke around first, if you’re up to it. There might be someone with film out there.

DipodomysDeserti > ttyymmnn
11/05/2019 at 20:10

It actually has a couple of ISO settings and f stops to choose from with a little description of what each is primarily used for. Tough as nails though with an all metal body.

gmctavish needs more space > DipodomysDeserti
11/05/2019 at 21:27

Ooh what 70s Olympus stuff?

DipodomysDeserti > Chariotoflove
11/05/2019 at 22:10

It looks like I can still find some canisters. I’ll have to get some and see if it develops.

DipodomysDeserti > gmctavish needs more space
11/05/2019 at 22:21

An OM-1 and an OM-2. I’m not a photographer, but was able to take this of my old pup (RIP Brutus) with the OM-2. Came out a bit bright, but not too bad for Arizona summer sun.

Kinja'd!!!

Chariotoflove > DipodomysDeserti
11/05/2019 at 22:54

That would be cool. Be sure to let us know how that goes.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > DipodomysDeserti
11/06/2019 at 09:38

So cool! Great get.

This is a good book:

https://www.amazon.com/Summit-Novel-Harry-Farthing/dp/1455115991

thejustache > DipodomysDeserti
11/06/2019 at 09:43

That’s very cool! There is still some 127 cut film for sale on ebay, or you could get an empty 127 spool and cut down 120 film in a dark room and spool your own.

The trick would be finding a place to develop it - not because they can’t develop it chemically , but because it won’t fit in a standard lab machine now.

If you wanted to try it I’d say your best bet would be to cut down some basic b&w film like Tri-X or Hp5 and re-spool it, then develop it yourself at home. Really pretty simple to do with b&w, and if you use an alternate process like Caffenol (instant coffee, vitamin C powder & washing soda) it’s even non toxic. I’ve been doing it for about 3 years now for 35mm, 120mm, 4x5 and even prints. You can even develop truly dead films like Kodachrome that a lab can’t do , but only in black and white.

DipodomysDeserti > thejustache
11/06/2019 at 10:11

I’m a STEM teacher, so I might try that development method out with my students. We have a pretty extensive camera/film store here that my wife takes her film to. I’ve have to check with them to see if they’d be able to develop it.

gmctavish needs more space > DipodomysDeserti
11/06/2019 at 10:18

Well that’s quite lovely. I hear lots of good things about Olympus Zuiko glass. The OM-1 is a pretty impressively little thing, a fully mechanical camera with that compact a body.

thejustache > DipodomysDeserti
11/06/2019 at 10:26

It’s fun, and surprisingly easy. I use the caffenol cl variant found here the most with stand development, and plain fixer from this recipe . The Sodium Thiosulfate for the fixer is the only thing you can’t just easily buy off the shelf, but it can be had online easily enough. I got a 5lb bag off ebay when I started and it will probably last me years! I’ve eventually moved towards doing stand development - using a weaker developer with minimal agitation and dev times of around 70 minutes. It’s not 100% foolproof, but it’s been pretty much guarenteed to get photos no matter what speed or type of film. You can of course use one of the stronger reci p es and do it the normal way, timing it based off the film speed. That’s much quicker, but easier to mess up.

If you still have a nice camera store with their own lab (lucky!) there’s a good chance they could work with you. 127 film isn’t much smaller than 120 and neither of them have sprockets so for all I know it might develop just fine.

DipodomysDeserti > thejustache
11/06/2019 at 12:45

Awesome, thanks! T here’s one sto re left with its own lab. Everyone in the state uses them, so development times are usual ly a few weeks to a month depending on how busy they are.

My wife’s a photographer and knows how to do all this stuff. I understand all the chemistry and concepts behind it, but lack the hands on practical experience.

sonicgabe > DipodomysDeserti
11/06/2019 at 15:31

You can shoot 35mm in this and many other old cameras. The image ends up going edge to edge on the negative, which looks kinda cool with the spool holes.

Or you can cut 120 film and re-spool it on the 127 spool.

As far as developing goes, there are many place you can send it off to that will develop and scan it. I use The DarkRoom.com. Not too expensive, fairly quick, and they do a great job.

So go get some film and shoot with it! And be sure to post the pics!

DipodomysDeserti > gmctavish needs more space
11/06/2019 at 16:00

Yeah, both cameras are gorgeous and well made.

DipodomysDeserti > sonicgabe
11/06/2019 at 16:03

Awesome! I’ll try first with the 35mm to see if it can capture images.