So why do I buy and shoot old vintage film cameras? Part 1.

Kodak No1 Autographic folder pocket camera.

OK, so why, indeed, do I buy old vitage film cameras? Going through boxes of old family photos and negatives recently, I found some very old 6x9 negatives that could very well have been shot with a camera like this. Maybe even this very one but that is possibly a stretch.

This is the Kodak No1 pocket folder camera. This one is around 100 years old. It is the "Autographic" version. More about that later. Eat your heart out digital, metadata has been around for a while...

When I see old cameras like these I feel this overwhelming urge to see what images they can produce. Back in the day when I started photography I shot 35mm film. Then digital came along.I never knew much about medium format or large format film. In all fairness, high quality scanners also weren't around and conventional darkroom equipment was out of my reach.

Even if I knew about formats other than 35mm, there was no way I could afford to play with it at the time.

When I now see an old camera like this I think to myself that this was once new and state-of-the-art equipment. Then I start contemplating shooting it. So it was hardly surprising that this exact pattern quickly fell into place when this beauty fell into my lap.

A closed Kodak No1 Autographic folder pocket camera.

In a closed position this camera easily fits into the average trouser pocket.

An open Kodak No1 Autographic folder pocket camera.

Don't be fooled. It looks old and primitive but there is a huge lot in this camera that will surprise the biggest skeptic.

First point of order is the bellows. I had a good look at it with a small light and I could not spot any light leaks, tears or pinholes in the bellows. This alone, is a testament to the quality of this camera considering she is about 100 years old. When we add the extreme compression of the bellows in the stored position she becomes even more remarkable.

Old repairs are to be expected

So, with the bellows in good shape it was time to figure out how to load a film. Before we get to that, let's just pause a bit. Let's consider her specifications.

Now info is a bit sketchy and there are many opinions out there. The fact that there were quite a few different models in a matter of about 2 - 3 decades does not help much either.

From combined info from a few sites I believe she has a focal length of around 111mm. The maximum aperture is f/7.99...which I will take as f/8.

The shutter has 4 options. Time, Bulb, 1/25 of a second and 1/50. Time means the shutter is triggered and stays open until triggered again. Bulb is when the shutter is opened and held open until released to close. This could happen by physically holding the shutter trigger for the duration of the exposure. This is not advisable since it is almost guaranteed to introduce blur from camera shake no matter how sturdy the tripod. The second option is to use a cable release. This is, in my opinion, the better option by far.

When it comes to aperture things get a bit interesting. There is no lens barrel with a stop ring and f/numbers.

Aperture setting number "1".

Let's start by seeing the outside of the lens front element as a small black dish with a fairly large hole in it. The hollow part of the dish faces forward and to the outside. Looking into the camera the (now wide open) aperture opens and closes in front of the leaf shutter blades now visible here. The small triangular slider travels far to the left and a bit beyond "4" to the right.

By the way, there is only one glass element and it sits inside the camera behind the leaf shutter. It is said that earlier models had a second glass element outside up front. This was apparently removed to eliminate the ghosting it caused.

At setting "1" the aperture blades open slightly larger than the visible hole. I imagine that it would be pointless to open it further and so I will disregard any travel to the left of "1".

Since the maximum aperture of the lens is approximately f/8 I will assume the setting at number "1" to represent f/8. Since most films have a rather wide exposure latitude it will probably be impossible to verify this with a casual visual inspection. Working back from film shot using the Sunny f/16 rule might yield usable results. There is not a great difference in one stop though. Let's see what the future tests show.

Aperture setting number "2".

At "2" a sliver of aperture becomes visible.

Aperture setting number "4"

At "4" a small and well-defined aperture becomes clearly visible.

Aperture set far right past "4".

There is a clear difference between "4" and the extreme right setting. This extreme right might even be the f/45 some say the camera is capable of.

With all this said, I will start the next episode with the loading of the film and the results I got. Shooting with this old vintage film camera kind of connects me to those old family photos in a way. Very nearly all the people who know the people in those old photos have passed away. So many faces I will never be able to put names to. So many family stories I will never know.

Maybe this is a way you could also connect with the memories in photos in a box. Find an old vintage film camera and shoot it.

Until then, shoot lots and have fun,

Anton