David Silver
Contributing Member
"Will work for antique cameras..."
Posts: 20
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Post by David Silver on Oct 4, 2005 16:57:46 GMT -5
When I was in high school, one of the first old cameras I collected was a Flash Bantam, made by Eastman Kodak around 1948, for 28 x 40 mm exposures on old #828 roll film. What a marvelous little camera! Back then you could get Verichrome in #828, and I took a lot of outstanding black & white pictures during my many summer trips in the Sierra Nevada and California Coastal Ranges. Great travelling camera, the way the short bellows collapsed down, and small enough to slip itno a large shirt pocket. The Kodak Anastar 48mm f4.5 lens was quite sharp, and with a red filter rendered stunning landscape scenes. I developed the negatives myself, and with an image roughly 30% larger than 35mm the results were at least that much more detailed. I had other Bantam models, including the marvelous Bantam Special, but none of them were quite as much fun or as serviceable as that Flash Bantam. I think #828 was a great alternative to 35mm. What a shame it didn't survive, but it DID eventually evolve into the #126 instamatic cartridge! Very fond memories.
Dave
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kdwall
Contributing Member
"And what does THIS little button do...?"
Posts: 23
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Post by kdwall on Oct 7, 2005 7:39:48 GMT -5
I received this Kodak Bantam RF when I was little, it had belonged to an uncle, and I did shoot a few rolls of film with it. I don't know if #828 is still available, but I liked the picture format better than 35mm. If I understood properly, #828 was 35mm film stock with a different set of registration holes and paper backed like other old style roll films. It was a very cool idea. This was one of several cameras I had as a kid, so I guess I started collecting pretty young. I think I had about a dozen to choose from when I was only ten, but this was my favorite all through one summer. KD
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Post by Randy on Oct 8, 2005 23:07:26 GMT -5
Here's a page I scanned from a 1954 Catalog I have. I see the price of the Kodak Chevron was even high then. I've been watching these on evilbay and they sell for big bucks. What's the attraction with the Chevron?
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PeterW
Lifetime Member
Member has Passed
Posts: 3,804
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Post by PeterW on Oct 9, 2005 7:38:19 GMT -5
Well, Randy, look what the Chevron offers: 6x6 format, coupled rangefinder, 10 speed shutter ... and the Ektar lens wasn't a slouch by any means. Also, you don't see very many Chevrons about - at least not the UK. Nor come to that, many of the other two cameras in this ad.
Maybe they all have a scarcity value with specialist Kodak collectors bidding against general collectors and dealers?
It also brings up again the category question. Should these be in the Popular section or the Rangefinder section? The little folding Bantams I feel belong here, but the RF Bantam is so different that only the name's the same.
Peter
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David Silver
Contributing Member
"Will work for antique cameras..."
Posts: 20
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Post by David Silver on Oct 11, 2005 2:37:19 GMT -5
Randy, the Chevron is an amazing and in many ways unusual camera; a coupled rangefinder medium format machine from the 1950's, extremely high quality, low production numbers, and still usable (although you have to roll the #620 spools yourself, but no big deal if you do it often). I like its predecessor as well, the Medalist, but the Chevron is a better behaved beast. I haven't charted Chevrons on eBay for many months, but excellent examples should be going in the $300 range. Seriously, they're that good even if they weren't so darn collectible. Now, my little Flash Bantam: Love that baby! I have it stored away now, but I found this picture, so I wanted to share it. There MUST be other board members with equally fond memories (eh, maybe not so fond?) of using bantam format cameras! Peter, I see no problem with the Bantam RF being here. It's a Bantam first, a rangefinder camera second, and it wouldn't belong in the rangefinder section unless you want to insist that #828 is just another form of 35mm. I don't think so. Besides, I'm hoping somebody will chime in here with stories about using that most splendid of bantams, Kodak's art deco inspired Bantam Special. Anybody want to start the ball rolling? Dave
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Post by Just Plain Curt on Oct 30, 2005 7:16:58 GMT -5
While I don't have any stories of using mine, I do have two Flash Bantams. Bought the first many years back at an auction, the second actually came in a group of cameras I bought. Great little cameras that seem to never age, bellows seem fine, shutters still work nicely, just as with most older format cameras, they never get used.
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