About as non-digital as you can get

montresor · Aug 24, 2005

A friend at work just brought me an early birthday present, a 1920s Kodak Vest Pocket camera measuring 2.5" x 4.5" and about 0.75" thick that she found when cleaning out her late mom's house (Dad was a photog for the Lorain County Journal in Ohio after WWII; no, she didn't find any big honking Speed Graphics, dagnabbit). So cute! Here's the interesting thing: lens is super clean, clear, no dust, no fungus; the "Kodak Ball Bearing" shutter (T, B, 25, 50) works and looks accurate when compared to a leaf shutter about whose accuracy I'm certain, bellows worn but seem light tight, and there's a take-up spool for the required 127 film. Loading looks pretty durn tricky, but what the heck. Though I read recently that 127 was shortly going to be phased out completely, even from specialty sources, places like filmforclassics.com still seem to have some. Anybody ever shot 127? or with a Vest Pocket? or another kind as old as this? To me, at least, playing with this kind of camera seems so much more compelling than messing with a digital SLR.

ksmattfish · Aug 24, 2005

I have some pre-1930s cameras in my collection, but I don't play with them much. I have some from the 30s, 40s, and 50s I like to use.

You can get 127 film here

http://www.jandcphotography.com/

terri · Aug 24, 2005

Ha ha, go for it!! :thumbup: I also have an old Kodak pocket (A1, maybe?) which takes 120 and has pretty much the same shutter speeds you described here. Popped in some film and mounted it on the tripod; the bellows, sadly, were compromised. :x But that's what happens when you go 60 or 70 years.

I may have them replaced some day, because there was nothing wrong with that lens - and I enjoyed the movement of the little camera. :thumbup: Right now I carry it with me to arts festivals and it makes people smile - good enough.

Good luck with it - probably the biggest concern will be the bellows, and the only way to know for sure is to blow off a roll and have a look.

montresor · Aug 24, 2005

Terri -- Even compromised bellows are okay -- why else would we fool with Holgas but for the serendipitous light leaks? Matt -- I bookmarked J & C -- I also have a bunch of 620-taking cameras that have been bugging me to take them out, and now I no longer have an excuse for not doing so; and have been curious for a long time about orthochromatic film, which they seem to have. Good tip, thanks.