Front view of a Kodak Stereo Camera
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|
Overview | |
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Maker | Kodak |
Type | Stereo |
Lens | |
Lens | Fixed lens |
Sensor/Medium | |
Image sensor type | Film |
Image sensor size | 35mm |
Focusing | |
Focus | Manual |
Flash | |
Flash | Bayonet |
The Kodak Stereo Camera was a 35mm film stereo camera produced between 1954 and 1959. Similar to the Stereo Realist, the camera employed two lenses to take twin shots of scenes, which could then be viewed in dedicated image viewers. The lenses supported adjustable apertures and variable shutter speeds. The camera had a reputation for being easy to use, and sold approximately 100,000 units during the time it was produced.
The Kodak Stereo Camera was a Realist Format camera released late in 1954. It used 35mm slide film to produce stereo pair images in the standard 5P Realist format. This allowed Kodak Stereo Camera owners to use most accessories and services originally designed for the Stereo Realist. It was the second best selling stereo camera of the 1950s era, eclipsed only by the Stereo Realist.
Though it lacked a rangefinder the Kodak stereo camera is often considered to be easiest of the 50s stereo cameras to use.
Unlike the Realist, the Kodak had a self-cocking shutter. Like later model Realists it had built in double exposure prevention which could be overridden by the manual shutter cocking lever located on the bottom of the camera. Releasing the shutter also released the wind mechanism, so once a picture was taken the user needed only to wind the film to be ready for the next one. The rewind knob has a crank, which most consider an improvement over the ordinary rewind knob on the Realist.
The view finder lens was placed directly between the two taking lenses and placed at the same vertical level. This was made possible through the use of mirrors. This made framing shots easy. A spirit level was visible in the view finder, making it easier to avoid camera tilt, one of the pitfalls of stereo photography.
The film counter was the countdown type, which would be manually set when film was loaded according to how many pairs the roll could take. The number 20 was in red and there were red marks at 15 and 28, for use with standard 20 and 36 exposure rolls of film. A properly loaded 24 exposure roll of film will give 18 stereo pairs, but there is no special marking as 24 exposure rolls of film were not standard at the time the camera was produced. Opposite the counter was another manually set dial which indicated whether the cameras was loaded with "Daylight" film or "type A", though it had no film speed indicator.
The shutter speed and aperture controls are located at the top of the camera. Shutter speed control is through a sliding bar which is marked B 25 50 100 and 200. The number 50 is red, the other numbers are black. The other side, next to the f stop numbers, has markings that say BRIGHT (in red), HAZY and CL'DY BRT (both black). These words have lines pointing to different f stops, depending on where the shutter speed is set. The Aperture lever has 9 positive clicks labeled 3.5, 4, (black dot), 5.6, (red dot), 8, 11, 16, 22. The red dot indicated f 6.3. These exposure suggestions are based on ASA 10 (not 100!) film which in 1954 was still the standard film for color slides just as it had been when the Realist was introduced. The recommended setting for bright sun was a shutter speed of 1/50th with an aperture of f 6.3.