1948~~~~ Films Greatest Year?

[Ambro51]

How many great cameras came out that year, widespread use of photography by returning GIs with young children new homes and lives. Home Movie Cameras were common, slide projectors, enlargers , so and so on. Kodachrome and color prints, Polaroid Instant Cameras, 4x5 speed graphic transparencies, 8 mm films of baby, All the great German Cameras we’re back, upstart Japanese makes coming in. Kodak, Ansco, Bell and Howell all running full steam. I can go on and on . 1948.

 

[raydm6]

Although I don't know the year acquired, I have fond memories of my Dad taking 16mm home movies of us on his Revere Model 16 (Magazine 16) movie camera (came out in 1947 I believe) and projecting on an old Keystone projector and projection screen. I still have the equipment and movies. The sounds and smells take me back immediately.

And, he was a semi-professional/hobbyist photographer (in the 30's/40's) and I have his old pre-1948 Kodak No. 3 Folding Hawk-Eye (Model 9) camera (took 118 Roll Film). I recently found an exposed roll roll of Super-XX and may attempt development some day. I have lots of his B&W negatives of us growing up and some weddings he did. Wonderful negatives.

 

[Solinar]

1948 is a bit early for the introduction new products. Germany and Japan were still clearing away the ruins. To add to the dismay, the Soviets had removed factory machinery as war reparations. Most but not all products were carry overs from 1939.

Not always, but by 1948 coated lenses are becoming the norm. If you look at most German cameras from that year, nearly all were essentially carry overs of what had been offered in 1939. Post war U.S. cameras had the look and ergonomics of a Medalist II.

1950 was the first year that I can recall for noticeable updates to pre-war cameras and of-course the beginning of some interesting designs from Japan.

 

[charjohncarter]

And Verichrome in a Hawkeye or similar camera.

 

[David Hughes]

It wasn't only Germany and Japan that were still clearing the ruins and there was very little spare cash in Britain. Food was rationed and a lot of things were in short supply, we didn't get Leicas again until the mid 50's.


Regards, David

 

[David Hughes]

It wasn't only Germany and Japan that were still clearing the ruins and there was very little spare cash in Britain. Food was rationed and a lot of things were in short supply, we didn't get Leicas again until the mid 50's.


Regards, David

 

[mconnealy]

The earliest new camera design I have found that went into production after the war was the Ansco Panda. The little box camera first went on the market near Christmas of 1947. The Agfa-Ansco conglomerate had been taken over by the U.S. government at the outbreak of the war. The company stayed under government control into the 1960s. It seems likely that Kodak had a big influence on Ansco's post-war direction as the Panda was designed to take Kodak's 620 film format.

 

[Ambro51]

Actually a lot of cameras debuted in 1948. The Poloroid 95 brought instant photography to the masses. The Stereo Realist was introduced starting a decade long love affair with the Stereo image both viewed And projected. The Ansco Automatic Reflex rivaled the Rolleiflex in capability with a modern design. Etc etc

 

[View Range]

The Clarus MS-35 also came out in 1948. It was a noble try at an interchangeable lens rangefinder camera. Nikon Model One manufacturing also started in 1948 although real success for Nikon came later.

 

[Solinar]

Even though it may not seem so significant now, one US camera maker, (Graflex), introduced the Pacemaker Speed and Crown Graphics in 1947 - to include the baby Crown Graphic, which was a 6x9 sheet film camera.

Modern photography in the classic American tradition.