I a n F l e m i n g C l a s s i c C a m e r a C o l l e c t i o n
Bantam 4.5 of 1938 and Flash Bantam of 1947
With this film, Kodak introduced a series of Bantam folding cameras of very compact design. The styling was by Walter Dorwin Teague, one of his many notable designs for the company. The original Bantam of 1935 came in two versions: The basic model had a 1:12.5 Doublet lens and a single speed shutter. The higher-spec option had a 1:6.3 lens and a rigid finder. The strut-folding Bantams went through several variations: After 1938, the lens boards acquired a metal trim border; and another Teague body design with angled, rather than curved ends appeared. The top models in the range were outfitted with f/4.5 Kodak Anastigmat Special lenses. Finally in the post-WWII-period the Bantam was updated as the Flash Bantam, adding flash sync to the shutter.
Most Bantams were strut folders, but the Bantam f/8 of 1938 had a rectangular pull-out lens tube instead. The luxurious Bantam Special was launched in 1936, a top-quality rangefinder camera with "moderne" styling. The Bantam RF designed by Arthur H Crapsey was added in 1953, not as a new folder but as compact rigid-body model for the advanced fan of the 28×40mm frame format.
Kodak Cameras
The Kodak Retinette is a series of 35mm viewfinder cameras made in Germany by Kodak AG. They were a budget version of the Retina series, without rangefinders. The "B" models had light meters. The models are difficult to tell apart from a distance, but identifying features include EV numbers above the lens, flash sync slot on lens or body, and distance markings in feet (for UK) or meters (continental Europe). Some models also have a button next to the shutter release that enables double-exposures to be made. Pressing it allows the shutter to be cocked when winding on, without the film moving to the next frame.
The Kodak No. 3A Autographic is one of Kodak’s early folding cameras and was designed to take a variant of 122 format film, commonly known as the postcard format. The specific variant in question is 122 autographic which allows you to use the camera’s metal stylus (seen here held by a metal clip onto the back of the camera) to record information about the photograph you just took by opening the long window underneath the stylus holder on the rear panel of the camera and writing directly onto the margin of the negative via carbon transfer paper. However, since autographic 122 seems to be nearly impossible to find these days, regular 122 film also works.
No.1 Kodak Series III The camera is very well built and has several unique features. The majority of Kodak folders had simple self-cocking shutters, but this one sports the No.0 Diomatic with a cocking lever opposite the shutter release, and speeds from 1/10 to 1/100 as well as B and T. The Autotime face plate under the Anastigmat lens has a windowed swinging dial that really helps to determine exposure, unlike the cryptic version on my No.2 Brownie. With a minimum aperture of f32 the camera easily handles 400-speed film.
The Six-20 Brownie box camera was made by Kodak in the US and Kodak Ltd. in the UK between May 1933 & April 1941. The US and UK models were entirely different in both construction and art-deco facia. Both took eight 6x9cm images on 620 film.
The Six-16 Brownie was almost identical to the US Six-20, but slightly larger, for 616 film. The KODAK Six-20 Brownie Junior is also similar, but with a different faceplate, and without the focusing penas
The pocket Kodak No. 1 series II is a folding A120 film camera made from 1922 to 1931 (according to McKeown). It uses autographic rollfilm that was produced by Eastman Kodak between 1914 and 1934. All Pocket Kodak cameras had the autographic feature. The negative size is 6×9 cm or 2 1/4×3 1/4 inch. It has a Kodak anastigmat 108/7,7 lens. That's not a fast lens. The Diomatic No. 0 shutter has six settings, B, T 1/10 1/50 1/100 and 1/200s. That's not bad at all. It even has an exposure advice. Select aperture and lighting conditions dull, gray, clear or brilliant. At the shown aperture "figures indicate required exposure" as it states on the lever. Later models, like the Kodak autographic 2c, even have a rangefinder coupled to the lens plate to help focusing the camera instead of guessing the distance
Kodak Retina
Retina was the brand-name of a long-running series of German-built Kodak 35mm cameras, produced from 1934 until 1969. Kodak Retina cameras were manufactured in Stuttgart-Wangen by the Kodak AG Dr. Nagel Werk which Kodak had acquired in December 1931.
The Retina line included a variety of folding and non-folding models, including the Retina Reflex single lens reflex camera. Retina cameras were noted for their compact size, high quality, and low cost compared to competitors. These cameras retain a strong following today, of both photographers and collectors.
