Week 17
Kodak No 3 Folding Pocket Kodak [model E-3]
Finally! I get to play with this!!! So, for many, many weeks I have
looked at and admired this camera. It sits with a few other No3s on a shelf but
this one really had me drooling over it. It is a big medium format folding
camera producing postcard size images on now defunct 118 film with 3 1/4 x 5 ½”
frames made by Kodak and built between 1903 & 1915. I can with some
certainty date this one between Nov 6th 1906 & May 7th
1907. How? 1906 date last patent stamp inside back and the marked as “patents
pending automatic” the shutter it is fitted with received its patent on the
1907 date! Good stuff eh! The postcard size images give away its target use –
BIG scenes! This backed up by the provided settings – the shutter mentioned
fires a 100th, 25th, 5th half, quarter, 1 second & T+B. Aperture in old American guise
4-8-16-32-64-128 which in todays money is f8-11-16-22-32-44! The beautiful red
bellows pull out on two rails with possible pre-set distance finder stops at
3-5-8-30metres. This was an early expensive version carrying a Bausch &
Lomb rapid rectilinear lens with up/down left/right adjustment to front unit. A
waist level prism finder is how you view your scene, better than a lot but
still meh!
Due to the obsolete film, a set of spindle extensions from @camerahack
FAK118s allows use of 120 film. This means you can no longer use the film
counter window so I repeatedly loaded backing paper marking and counting half
turns, the quarterly placed screws around the advance key make this really
simple. I placed the big arrow line at first roller, then 15 half turns nail
the first frame then I went 6,5,5,5,5. Should have given me 6 frames.
Roll 1 FP4 and a trip to the moors specifically Gutter Tor and the old
abandoned Ditsworthy House, a long abandoned farm stead that has been used for
military training during and since WW2 and later filming of War Horse. It
wasn't a spectacular day, a bit dull but a bit in the sky. I went about setting
up tripod shots of half second exposures at f32/44 ish at the longest focal
length to see just what it could do landscape wise. I did have to use it fully
opened at all times as when folded I determined it was going to hit the film. I
suspect being left open for a very long time has allowed the wooden ribs in the
bellows to warp. All went really well, slow and calm which was most enjoyable
though the film could be heard dropping off the roller early so just 5 frames.
Results were pleasing! Well exposed so all was working sweetly and no sign of
light leaks at all. The lens was sharp enough at the given 30m distance but
lost a lot at infinity which is common for these folders. What it did have was
a bucket load of character!
Roll 2 FP4 – After 2/3 days of poor weather and Storm Doris approaching,
I was left with Thursday morning at the Royal William Yard determined to try
other types of shot on a tripod in already 50mph winds. Shot 1 I warmed up with
a sea scape of longer exposure than I expected and the wind gave it a tug,
frames 2/3 the cranes again I was struggling for light! It was at this point I
noticed I had the meter set at 50asa…. I chastised myself but carried on, I
shot at all the distances with good sharp results. I allowed for reduced ASA during
development and they came out well again, I even got the 6th frame
by taking a quarter turn off each advance.
I guess some might not like the 6x10.5cm resulting frame size, or the
faff of counting turns or having it open all the time. I, however am very happy
to live with its quirky really slow nature. Rubber band attached hoods with
fettled filters, pockets full of notes etc. It is a 110 year old camera that
still can put a sharp light tight image filled with character on to film. You don't have to worry however as I will be
returning this with my name written all over it. I want this beautiful piece of
history although wifely upon proof reading this might not be so keen! Further
text is not of my doing >>> Dreaming!
