Medium Format Folder

Kodak Junior No. 1A Autographic – Song of the Centenarian – from the 1920s to the 2020s – By Simon Foale

By / February 3, 2023 / Medium & Large Format / 16 Comments

This camera was one of several given to me recently by my dad. I have already posted on another from this lot – the Zeiss (Ikon) Contina 1 (522/24). The Kodak is by far the oldest of the batch, having been originally sold between 1914 and 1927. This specimen was mostly used by my grandfather, Cyril, a farmer in the Mallee district of eastern South Australia. I don’t know exactly when Cyril first obtained this camera, but my Auntie Yae sent me a collection of negs made with it, some of which we know were shot in the 1920s, though the exact year is not clear for all of them. I will present below images made by my grandfather and then some that I have made since restoring the camera, along with some notes about the camera and its restoration.

6x9 folder lineup

Finding my ideal 6×9 folder – Largest Negative in a Compact Travel Format – by Zheng Li

By / January 11, 2023 / Gear Theory, Medium & Large Format / 15 Comments

I have owned and used many different types of medium format cameras (TLR, SLR, folder, rigid body rangefinder), and I enjoy all of them for different reasons. But this article is specifically about medium format folders, which provide a large negative in a compact and travel friendly form factor. Sometimes they are not much bigger or heavier than a 35mm rangefinder, while producing almost six times the film area.

Kodak 616 Camera

Kodak Six-16 Camera – A Gifted Camera Experience – By Kevin Montanaro

By / December 2, 2022 / Medium & Large Format / 5 Comments

I was at work one day when a friend/client came in with something in a weathered leather case. At the end of our service he handed me the case with “and this is for you.” This is a particularly gifty friend, he’s previously gifted me everything from a stereo receiver to a pair of socks… and it’s clear that he is dialed into all my favorite things, because today he’s handing me an old film camera.

Super Ikonta 532/16 Review – An Ikon – By Bob Janes

By / November 28, 2022 / Medium & Large Format / 9 Comments

The Ikonta range of folding medium format cameras complemented Zeiss Ikon’s Contax ‘system’ camera. They combined quality optics with leaf shutters in sophisticated bodies. The ‘Super Ikontas’ even featured a coupled rangefinder. They were made in three formats for 120 film. The A bodies were 6×4.5, the B’s were 6×6 and the C’s were 6×9. Other Ikonta models catered for 127 film (3×4) and 616 film (a huge 6.5×11 negative). The particular camera I’m basing this article on is a Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta 532/16. One of the ‘B’ models, producing 6×6 negatives on 120 film. This model was first produced in 1936 and carried on in production for nearly 20 years.

Zeiss Ikon Ikonta – Lost and Found, a 70 Year History – By Conor O’Brien

By / April 12, 2022 / Medium & Large Format / 34 Comments

My Dad was always a keen photographer. When he bought his Zeiss Ikon Ikonta in the early 1950s, it would have been a substantial outlay for him as a civil servant. While he didn’t opt for the Super Ikonta, he paid for a few optional extras; a leather case, the 75mm 3.5 Tessar lens and …

Zeiss Ikon Ikonta – Lost and Found, a 70 Year History – By Conor O’Brien Read More

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