Curio and Relic Kodak Reflex II

[Niner]

Kodak made this camera back in the early to middle 50's. It was pretty advanced for it's day and cost a couple weeks pay for the average worker. I picked one up off of Ebay for cheap recently. It seems to be in good working order...but the cover piece under the red eye in the camera back that shows the film count was missing the part that moved it into light blocking position. Another thing that makes it a curio and relic is that it uses 620 film and since they don't make such any longer I'll have to re-spool some 120 film onto a 620 spindle.

One thing this medium camera pioneered was the Frensel Lens which made the viewing screen much brighter than it would be with a normal viewing lens.

I rigged a lever for the window cover and took the hood off and cleaned the mirror and lenses. The hardest part about removing the hood was keeping track of the really small screws. One plus on the screws was that the name plate screws were Philips and the hood frame screws were slotted.

Now.... to do the dark bag film exchange between spindles.

http://mattsclassiccameras.com/kodak_reflex2.html

[Niner]

So today I transferred some 120 film to a 620 spool. Worked ok with no hitch. I loaded the camera and took it out in the yard to see what it could do. I discovered a hitch or two in figuring when I had wound the film far enough between exposures, even with the side number window and the auto click. Biggest mistake was I didn't trust the autoclick and was looking at the film numbers in the back window. Did manage a double exposure or two... or part double exposure. The film speed seem to work good in the long to middle range...not so happy with the 300 speed. But maybe it was me and not the shutter speed. The view through the finder seemed sharp within a range of adjustment and I trusted more the distance numbers on the lens. But.. I think on a couple of exposures I should have trusted the magnifier on the seen image more than the distance scale. The distance scale was not always in sink with apparent sharpness. Think next time I'm going to trust the glass more than the distance gauge.

Whatever, I got 9 good photos out of a roll of twelve.

Another thing.. I used some chemicals I had mixed up last May. Didn't take time to mix another batch....but the chemicals worked out.

[DuncaninFrance]

Seems like it works OK Robert, maybe a little more contrast needed in the images

[Niner]

Duncan, I was just amazed that I got some images. Considering the age, the unknown condition, the new experience of rewinding 12o film onto 620 spindles, using the chemicals I mixed last May sometime.... I'm happy. Don't give a flip about the contrast. That wasn't the point.

It was like taking a C&R gun out for the first time to see what happens when you shoot it. It was just an adventure for the fun of it.