Fabricada el 1944 / Made in 1944
La Kodak Medalist I és una càmera impressionant. Pesada, ferma i (aquesta sí) construida com un tanc, també compta amb una magnífica optica i acabats. Probablement és la càmera de més qualitat que mai va sortir de Kodak a Rochester. Tant per estètica (obra del famós Walter Teague) com per construcció, sembla l'equivalent fotografic els grans Chevrolet o GMC dels anys 40.
Tot i que el diseny original és civil, del 1941, l'inici de la Segona Guerra Mundial feu que les seves caracteristiques (robustessa + gran qualitat de fotografía) fossin ideals per als militars americans, en especial la US Navy. Per tant és pràcticament la única camera que es produí durant la guerra, anant en principi tota la producció a les forces armades. Després de la guerra es fabricà la Medalist II, molt similar i ja per a el mercat civil de post-guerra. El gran objectiu extensible inicialment era metalitzat, però ràpidament passà a un acabat anoditzat negre per resistir l'ambient marí de la flota. L'objectiu és un Kodak Ektar f3,5 100mm en un obturador Kodak Supermatic No.2. Per tant tota la càmera és completament americana i Kodak. Fins hi tot una placa a la part posterior remarca que és "Made in the United States of America", quant totes les càmeres de gran qualitat el mercat (Leica, Contax....) eren alemanes, es a dir, del enemic.
Aquest exemplar sembla produit el 1944, per el nº de serie del objectiu, EE (es a dir 44 segons el codi Kodak).
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The Kodak Medalist I is an impressive camera. Heavy, solid, and built like a Sherman tank, also has a magnificent optics and rangefinder. It is probably the highest quality camera that never came out of Kodak at Rochester. Both for aesthetics (the work of the famous Walter D. Teague) and construction, it looks like the photographic equivalent of the great Chevrolet or GMC's of the 40s.
Although the original design was made for the civilan market in 1941, the beginning of World War II made its features (robustness + high quality photography) ideal for the American military, especially the US Navy. Therefore it is practically the only camera that continued production during the war, going probably all the stock to the armed forces. After the war the Medalist II, very similar but oriented to the post-war civillian market, was made. The large extensible lens was originally metallized, but quickly changed to an anodized black finish to resist the marine environment in the Navy. The lens itself is a Kodak Ektar f3.5 100mm in a Kodak Supermatic No.2 leaf shutter. Therefore, the whole camera is completely American and Kodak. Even a plaque on the back emphasizes that it is "Made in the United States of America," when all the high quality cameras (Leica, Contax ....) were of German origin, that is, the enemy.
This one appears to have been produced in 1944, for the serial number of the target, EE (ie 44 according to the Kodak code). It uses 620 roll film, which could be made respooling 120 film into 620 spools.
camera-wiki.org/wiki/Kodak_Medalist
www.filmshooterscollective.com/analog-film-photography-bl...
photojottings.com/kodak-medalist-and-fuji-gw690iii-compar...
www.mikeeckman.com/2015/12/kodak-medalist-1944/
Fabricada el 1944 / Made in 1944
La Kodak Medalist I és una càmera impressionant. Pesada, ferma i (aquesta sí) construida com un tanc, també compta amb una magnífica optica i acabats. Probablement és la càmera de més qualitat que mai va sortir de Kodak a Rochester. Tant per estètica (obra del famós Walter Teague) com per construcció, sembla l'equivalent fotografic els grans Chevrolet o GMC dels anys 40.
Tot i que el diseny original és civil, del 1941, l'inici de la Segona Guerra Mundial feu que les seves caracteristiques (robustessa + gran qualitat de fotografía) fossin ideals per als militars americans, en especial la US Navy. Per tant és pràcticament la única camera que es produí durant la guerra, anant en principi tota la producció a les forces armades. Després de la guerra es fabricà la Medalist II, molt similar i ja per a el mercat civil de post-guerra. El gran objectiu extensible inicialment era metalitzat, però ràpidament passà a un acabat anoditzat negre per resistir l'ambient marí de la flota. L'objectiu és un Kodak Ektar f3,5 100mm en un obturador Kodak Supermatic No.2. Per tant tota la càmera és completament americana i Kodak. Fins hi tot una placa a la part posterior remarca que és "Made in the United States of America", quant totes les càmeres de gran qualitat el mercat (Leica, Contax....) eren alemanes, es a dir, del enemic.
Aquest exemplar sembla produit el 1944, per el nº de serie del objectiu, EE (es a dir 44 segons el codi Kodak).
====================
The Kodak Medalist I is an impressive camera. Heavy, solid, and built like a Sherman tank, also has a magnificent optics and rangefinder. It is probably the highest quality camera that never came out of Kodak at Rochester. Both for aesthetics (the work of the famous Walter D. Teague) and construction, it looks like the photographic equivalent of the great Chevrolet or GMC's of the 40s.
Although the original design was made for the civilan market in 1941, the beginning of World War II made its features (robustness + high quality photography) ideal for the American military, especially the US Navy. Therefore it is practically the only camera that continued production during the war, going probably all the stock to the armed forces. After the war the Medalist II, very similar but oriented to the post-war civillian market, was made. The large extensible lens was originally metallized, but quickly changed to an anodized black finish to resist the marine environment in the Navy. The lens itself is a Kodak Ektar f3.5 100mm in a Kodak Supermatic No.2 leaf shutter. Therefore, the whole camera is completely American and Kodak. Even a plaque on the back emphasizes that it is "Made in the United States of America," when all the high quality cameras (Leica, Contax ....) were of German origin, that is, the enemy.
This one appears to have been produced in 1944, for the serial number of the target, EE (ie 44 according to the Kodak code). It uses 620 roll film, which could be made respooling 120 film into 620 spools.
camera-wiki.org/wiki/Kodak_Medalist
www.filmshooterscollective.com/analog-film-photography-bl...
photojottings.com/kodak-medalist-and-fuji-gw690iii-compar...
www.mikeeckman.com/2015/12/kodak-medalist-1944/