The LARGEST camera in my collection! 1916 Kodak 3A Autographic Special Model B (eBay Find!)

[@ganzonomy]

If you see this video and enjoyed it, please like, comment, and subscribe! it helps me know what content to create for this channel!

[@Dahrenhorst]

To my knowledge, the 3-A in that version was the first camera with a coupled rangefinder in the World. I have two of those, but with the Bausch & Lomb Tessar lens instead the Zeiss Anastigmat. I use them with 120 film all the time, even color film. You need spacers for the 120 spool, which are readily available on eBay. If you want to be perfect, you also can jury rig a railing system to support the flatness of the 120 film in the camera. I love this cameras, they are my to go panorama cameras and used frequently.

[@ganzonomy]

The Bausch and Lomb tessar version is quite rare. I have a no.1 Autographic special that has the tessar. It's on the way back from a full overhaul. Jason

[@jameslapham3274]

Nice find! Good quality lens and shutter. Sounds like function is still good. When putting the back on this camera I suggest pointing out that the snap-catches are different sizes to ensure correct orientation of the back and the exposure counter window....

[@arcanics1971]

There was a 3D printed Camera Hacker product that converts 122 cameras to 120 (it's reversible) but I haven't seen them in stock anywhere for a while. But I thought I'd mention it in case anybody was wondering: so technically you can get film for these, providing you fit the hack.

[@ganzonomy]

Yup! That's linked in my description. I was dealing with a phone that wanted to overheat any chance it got. So this video is a little more abbreviated than some of my previous ones. So I put more information into the description than usual for a camera that I've never actually shot with.

[@theneedleinthehaystack4774]

Thank you for explaining some of the features.

[@quadradomus]

Looks like you got a very intact clean camera there, Jason. Nice save. I was impressed that the various buttons/switches, etc. seemed to function quite smoothly. And the fact that it actually still had the original stylus! Get it converted!

[@ganzonomy]

I might get it converted to shoot 120, but film for classics is going to make 122 in small batch. I may order a roll just to see what this camera can do.

[@quadradomus]

@@ganzonomy , very cool, please keep the KZbin thing going, etc.

[@filmismorefun]

That stylus note taking area is pure genius! Cool camera, it has quite few bells and whistles.

[@ganzonomy]

Thanks! Finding one with a stylus is not common because many styluses get lost to time. A stylus on eBay can be $20-$30 on its own! The special was a high end kodak line with more bells and whistles for the affluent amateur. They had zeiss-designed and Bausch and Lomb built lenses through the mid 20s, had leather body covers, leather bellows, just everything was of higher quality.

[@jgviker]

Thanks for the link to FFP. I finally found the 118 to 120 adapters I need for a couple of my cameras. That’s a nice camera you have there. Have fun shooting with it.

[@ganzonomy]

You're most welcome!!! Enjoy your camera!!! Thank you for the compliment! It was an eBay impulse buy that went better than I expected. I'm looking to restore it and get it shooting within the next few months! Jason

[@StanyDrums]

I have non autographic one it is from 1909 as written normally NO. 3A SPECIAL (my model) started produced in 1910 to 1914 but i dont know why written 1894 to 1909 for me 120mm panorama is annoying to me but as this camera is a exeptionnal great quality i will use adapter to shoot with 120 mm anyway, also i think we can use plates right???? could be a better option to shoot in the postcard format :) i believe

[@ganzonomy]

1894-1909 are all of the patent dates from which the camera is made. The lenses, the red view window, etc. Each has its own patent.

[@petercastell4450]

Looking towards the lens on the right hand side is a fancy knurled knob what does it do? I can't work out what it is for

[@ganzonomy]

One raises and lowers the front standard. Another allows you to use a release knob with a pneumatic shutter

[@petercastell4450]

Thank you have an instruction book but it doesn't mention the pneumatic release, the rise and fall works ok I bough it for display but I will have to try using it@@ganzonomy

[@quadradomus]

Ganzonomy Sir, You’ve been quiet the past year. I think this is your most recent camera video? I hope all is well. 😊

[@ganzonomy]

All is well. I lost my little space. That's all. I'm looking at doing a video on my keyboards. I have a few old IBM boards from the 80s and 90s.

[@quadradomus]

@@ganzonomy , Your little space?

[@ganzonomy]

@@quadradomus yeah, the table I used to do recordings now has my grandfather's documents on it

[@AlanZ-yg8by]

Are you on any social Media apps?

[@AnaChristinaPeters]

Please use subtitles for your films.

[@AdamGeorge-pb3fm]

Dear Lord, if it is written right on the lens that it is an Anastigmat, why the guessing if it is or not a Tessar. No, it is not. Anyhow the Tessar patent expired 1922, but if they wrote it is a Zeiss, than if it was a Tessar, that would be written there too. Also, what is the BS with Bausch and Lomb? It is written right there, Zeiss. Zeiss Kodak means it is made for Kodak, exactly like other lens producers did.

[@ganzonomy]

The design is a tessar, but made to reduced cost and quality and thus called an anastigmat. There is also a full tessar version that said tessar that was sold at much higher cost. Zeiss licensed its designs out in the early 1900s. The tessar was one of those licensed to lens makers such as Bausch and lomb.

[@AdamGeorge-pb3fm]

@@ganzonomy So you say every Anastigmat is a Tessar in disguise? Sorry, but lenses had names so you knew what you buy (as with other objects as well). An Anastigmat was clear for everyone is a lens made of two optical elements. (Two lenses of different glass glued together.) Yes, I know B&L produced Tessars under license, but they did not wrote Zeiss on their lenses, not even onto the Tessars.

[@ganzonomy]

@@AdamGeorge-pb3fm before 1916, zeiss-kodak was used because zeiss licensed the design to Bausch and lomb. When WW1 began to affect the US, it just became a Kodak anastigmat. B&L produced the high end lenses for Kodak until the mid 1920s. The lens was named anastigmat because of its ability to correct your astigmatism. The design of the anastigmat is a lower quality tessar. By not using the tessar name, they were able to avoid a large price premium. Here is a link to a zeiss-kodak. 3.img-dpreview.com/files/p/TS560x560~forums/66647995/d92429c368584471a8c2d4373de251aa The zeiss-kodak anastigmat was a tessar design. The zeiss-kodak tessar was a tessar, and about 30 percent more than its anastigmat variant.

[@AdamGeorge-pb3fm]

@@ganzonomy My fault regarding the Anastigmats. I was thinking at achromats.

[@ganzonomy]

@@AdamGeorge-pb3fm achromat lenses were simple and made in house. It was really only the rapid rectilinear and higher up lenses that, at that time, were made by b&l.