Got my mojo back with a Medallist

[matty]

Been having a bit of a rough time of late, new job (not rough, good fun but hard work), car crash (rear ended by an idiot on his mobile phone, torn muscles in my right shoulder and my beloved Fiat Doblo written off,) missus poorly (sciatica) and to top it all my poor Dad passed away.

So I haven't had much chance to post recently and haven't had much luck on the collecting front until a couple of weeks ago when I found this little beauty at the local carboot. A work of art in cast and machined metal:



Kodak Medallist; came with the lens cap and original case. The camera is pretty clean, the only downside is a crack in the view finder front lens, a little distracting but doesn't affect picture taking. The lens is clean, the rangefinder seems accurate, the shutter fires properly and the aperture opens and closes cleanly; so I've got some 620 film from Retro Photo Supplies and have loaded it up. As it only gets 8 exposures to the film (6x9 negative size!) I'm taking it slowly to get the right shots, took some beach panoramas and hope to get down to Menai Bridge to get some shots of the suspension bridge in the next couple of days.

As far as I can find out from the internet the lens number indicates that the camera was made in 1944 and the lens barrel is anodised black. I know that a lot of Medallists were used by the US Navy but can't find any naval markings on this one, one site I read suggested that black barreled Medallists were Navy issue but another site said the opposite. I would be interested to hear other people's thoughts on this.

[Stephen]

Lovely design from Kodak, rare in the UK, one I tried gave very fine results. Is it confined to 620 only? Can't remember what film was used as it was 1970's!
Stephen.

[philbirch]

I want one of these. My wrists ache at the thought of using it!

[mickeyobe]

Oct 22, 2015 14:45:00 GMT -5 matty said:

Been having a bit of a rough time of late, new job (not rough, good fun but hard work), car crash (rear ended by an idiot on his mobile phone, torn muscles in my right shoulder and my beloved Fiat Doblo written off,) missus poorly (sciatica) and to top it all my poor Dad passed away.


As far as I can find out from the internet the lens number indicates that the camera was made in 1944 and the lens barrel is anodised black. I know that a lot of Medallists were used by the US Navy but can't find any naval markings on this one, one site I read suggested that black barreled Medallists were Navy issue but another site said the opposite. I would be interested to hear other people's thoughts on this.

Matty,

The black barrel is the Medalist l although it was not given that number.
The metallic barrel is the Medalist ll. I believe Kodak called it that.

There were a few additional changes.

See this - www.butkus.org/chinon/kodak.htm

[Dave]

Unfortunately, as built, it is limited to 620 film. There is a very capable fellow in Davenport California, whose shop is called Photography on Bald Mountain, who used to modify Medalists to use 120. I don't know if he is still doing it or what the cost was or is. Dave

[matty]

I looked up about conversions, Bald Mountain is still advertising conversion to 120, the downside is that you lose the use of the frame counter and the cost (nearly $400, £300ish.) I paid £7 for the 620 so it will take quite a few films to make the cost of the conversion worthwhile for me so I will give that a miss.
Matty

[mickeyobe]

Nov 2, 2015 6:42:18 GMT -5 matty said:

I looked up about conversions, Bald Mountain is still advertising conversion to 120, the downside is that you lose the use of the frame counter and the cost (nearly $400, £300ish.) I paid £7 for the 620 so it will take quite a few films to make the cost of the conversion worthwhile for me so I will give that a miss.
Matty

Matty,

Universal Camera Corp., an American company made the Roamer l, a camera that could take either 120 or 620 film and which can be used for respooling from one size to the other.

Please see this: slayer-23.blogspot.ca/

Mickey

[Stephen]

The secret to changing the 120 to 620 is feed the 120 film off the roll on to another spool; and as the end of the film goes past to then pull the take up reel away without further reeling.
Take the tail end and attach to the 620 spool and gently wind up till the film end, and keeping the film on the 120 spool tight, ease the spools together and resume winding back on to the 620 spool.
The buckle that usually results does not with this method. But you have to work in the dark by feel, and it takes practice to get it right, with a dummy film in daylight.
If a buckle does occur, then simply cut the film and reattach with tape. It will barely be out by a 1/4 inch.

Stephen

[Dave]

Mockeyobe -- Thanks for the slayer reference. Dave

[philbirch]

Nov 2, 2015 20:28:37 GMT -5 Stephen said:

The secret to changing the 120 to 620 is feed the 120 film off the roll on to another spool; and as the end of the film goes past to then pull the take up reel away without further reeling.
Take the tail end and attach to the 620 spool and gently wind up till the film end, and keeping the film on the 120 spool tight, ease the spools together and resume winding back on to the 620 spool.
The buckle that usually results does not with this method. But you have to work in the dark by feel, and it takes practice to get it right, with a dummy film in daylight.
If a buckle does occur, then simply cut the film and reattach with tape. It will barely be out by a 1/4 inch.

Stephen

I do this, its actually easier than it sounds. I have a changing bag but I do this procedure inside a zipped up coat under the bed covers, there's more room.