Pics from Vest Pocket Kodak

[css9450]

After years (decades, actually) of sitting in the attic, my old Kodak Vest Pocket Autographic is back in service. This is the first roll since the 1970s. Of that I am certain... I fooled around with it in 7th or 8th grade but its been idle ever since.

I had quite the dog's breakfast of a camera bag on this day... Nikon D80, Voigtlander Perkeo and Vito B, and the Kodak folder.

 

[css9450]

This is using Rera Pan 100 film, which I found extraordinarily difficult to load into my new (to me) Nikor 127 reel. It was VERY tightly coiled, and the film seemed stiff, almost to the point I might wonder if it was brittle. It fought me all the way onto the reel. The marks in the sky are creases in the film.

 

[css9450]

One more for today. I lost three shots due to processing issues (the dreaded gray patches where the film touches), and one or two more had bad camera shake.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Nice to see photo's from a camera as old as that; I'm curious to know what version you have, as the main difference being the lenses.

Regards, David

 

[css9450]

This is the "Model B" camera.... Which I believe came somewhat later in the Vest Pocket history. 1920s I think. The front opens and hinges down, and the lens and shutter slide out on a rail. There's just one shutter speed - about 1/15th I have read - plus "T". Four apertures. Unfortunately I don't know which lens it has, or how many options were available.

This camera also has the "autographic" feature.

I also have a larger, fancier Kodak folder. It takes 120 film, so its not a "vest pocket". A Brownie model of some sort. It has a real iris with multiple blades, unlike the little Model B where the apertures are just holes on a metal disk. Sadly, the bellows in the Brownie is rather porous! I think mice could squeeze through the holes if need be.

Glad you liked the pics!

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Thanks for the info; if you want to sort out which version you have then look here:-

http://www.kodakcollector.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7&Itemid=32

where there's a good collection of Kodak catalogues. The "B" model first appeared in 1926.

There's another collection of catalogues here:-

http://piercevaubel.com/cam/catalogsekc.htm

I asked about the lens as some had some rare stuff fitted by Zeiss and so on.

Thanks again, David

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Thanks for the notes on this camera. I have one in the attic; will now have to pull it out.

 

[css9450]

More:

 

[css9450]

Another. Viewfinder takes some getting used to; I cut off the bottom of several shots. Mainly the horizontal ones. Although I am pleased I have mastered loading the stiff 127 film on my processing reel! With just eight frames per roll its possible to shoot a whole roll pretty quick.

 

[css9450]

More:

 

[css9450]

Processed a new roll today!

 

[dave lackey]

This is cool!🙂

Been looking at some VP cameras... all of them have bad bellows. Is there hope for restoring/remaking bellows?

 

[css9450]

Hmmm, I'm not sure. There is that gentleman in England who replaces bellows, but I don't know if he does them for small, mass-market cameras. I think they sold millions of these things so maybe eventually a good one will turn up. How this one survived and still be light-tight is a real mystery to me.

 

[Keith]

I have two of those old pocket cameras and only ever ran a roll through one of them to take a pic of the other one being held by a friend in a very back lit forest setting.

I hope you don't mend me throwing this in here.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Nice!

I have 3 of them, but I need to seal the bellows on 2 of them.
2 of them have a meniscus lens.
I think the 3rd one has a rapid-rectilinear, but it was lacking some center sharpness when I shot it.

I have a roll of rerapan 100 in the fridge. I've been saving it to shoot it in a VPK....or in my Kodak Graphic No.0 .

 

[David Hughes]

Ages ago I put a few thoughts & photo's about the VPK here:-


https://idrh.smugmug.com/Photography/Kodaks-Vest-Pocket-Kodak-VPK/i-49RtBPQ


Regards, David

 

[dave lackey]

Nice!

I have 3 of them, but I need to seal the bellows on 2 of them.
2 of them have a meniscus lens.
I think the 3rd one has a rapid-rectilinear, but it was lacking some center sharpness when I shot it.

I have a roll of rerapan 100 in the fridge. I've been saving it to shoot it in a VPK....or in my Kodak Graphic No.0 .

Sounds like it is time to order some 127 film through the Ilford ULF program! Deadline to order is May 25!!!🙂

 

[dave lackey]

I have two of those old pocket cameras and only ever ran a roll through one of them to take a pic of the other one being held by a friend in a very back lit forest setting.

I hope you don't mend me throwing this in here.

Very nice, Keith, of all the images I have researched and seen that were shot with the Vest Pocket camera, this is by far the most artistic! Contre jour, too!🙂

 

[css9450]

Yes, cool indeed!

With mine, I'm doing well if I just frame the photo squarely in the viewfinder. Its so squinty! Nice to see something creative. The more the merrier here!

 

[dave lackey]

Yes, cool indeed!

With mine, I'm doing well if I just frame the photo squarely in the viewfinder. Its so squinty! Nice to see something creative. The more the merrier here!

Of course my comment was not to to be critical of any I have seen, I was surprised to see a different take on composition and exposure with a silhouette. Very different indeed. Did they shoot contre jour in the decades of Vest Pocket camera use?

Maybe we should start a thread/challenge with artsy photos with 127 film! I need to learn how to do it first!🙂

I would be happy just to get a decent exposure at this point... what did you say the fixed shutter speed was on that Vest Pocket camera?