Tuesday, September 1, 2009

New Project: Old Cameras: No. 2 Cartridge Hawk-Eye Model C


The third camera I took out from its place on the shelf and used for the Old Cameras Project is the No. 2 Cartridge Hawk-Eye Model C by Eastman Kodak. The No. 2 was manufactured between 1926 and 1934 in the US and uses 120 film. I have no idea where I got it but it looks like it was never used - in fact, if they still made such cameras today, I would have a hard time convincing someone that it was actually from the 1920s or 1930s. I should have done a little research before I took it out for a spin, however, as the fixed-focus lens is designed to keep objects between 6-8 feet away from the camera in focus, something that would have been handy to know. Out of all the images that I shot, there is really only one that I like - and it's pretty blurry. My other issue was that I could not see through the "finder" at all, making shooting a pretty interesting endeavor. Additionally, I realized I was likely making a few double exposures as I was flipping the shutter both up and down for each shot - it only needs to be released once. Here are two of the photos:


All and all, I had a great time using it. I am kind of excited about trying to use it again - now that I understand how it works a little better. More information on the No. 2 can be found here.

Photo of the No. 2 Cartridge Hawk-Eye Model C by formica via flickr.

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3 comments:

glam.spoon said...

that's awesome - you have instant artifacts!

Anonymous said...

I was sorting through and organizing my things and came across this camera I bought years ago. I laughed and said, It's made in the U.S.A!!! I can not even recall where I got it but it's in good condition. I should try to use mine. Thanks for the information on it as I did not know the history on mine.

megan said...

Oh, I hope you use it! It's a lot of fun! Viva la film!