Kodak Panaram No1 for £2

bill spears · 12-15-2007, 06:48 AM

Ha ha! sorry, not selling...just bought one for £2 at a car boot sale yesterday. Didn't actually know what it was at the time but it looked a rather lovely object. After some scouring on the internet, we discovered how to open it and what it was. It is in pretty mint condition and seems to be working perfectly.

I loaded it last night with some 120 film to test the size, spacings of the exposures etc. There are two empty metal spools in it which fit perfectly but the 120 spools are longer and the holes in the ends of the spools are too big and make the film run a little sloppy and loose.

I remedied this by fitting some bushes inside the spool ends (made from some rubber tubing). The other problem is the spools are slightly too long to enable the hinged spool holders to close and lock properly. Rather than changing the interior fittings in the camera or laboriously sanding down the spool ends I am going to put a small silicone button (the self adhesive kind used to damp kitchen cupboard doors) so the spool holder will be pushed closed against the inside of the case.

The film now is evenly tensioned and runs smoothly. Today I'm going to try it out (very excited, I can tell you!). I'll post the results soon (if they're not light leaked to death!!)

I'd be very interested to see more examples of images from these cameras and hear anyones experiences or links.....

The only problem now is the negs won't fit in Bill's Devere 504!

Mandy (Bill's Girlfriend)

Terence · 12-15-2007, 07:15 AM

Check out:
http://www.jamieyoungphoto.com/cameras1.html

For all sorts of panaromic goodness. Thank god I can't afford all of these . . .

nze · 12-15-2007, 07:17 AM

lucky girl. that's a great camera.

Trevor Crone · 12-15-2007, 08:23 AM

Just £2!!! Mandy what a great find.

Check out Ivan Lutterer's photography, his book 'Panoramaticke Fotografie' is pure inspiration. He used a Kodak Panoram 6x18cm. Also the work of Josef Sudek he used a 10x30cm version.

Good luck,
Trevor.

karl · 12-15-2007, 09:50 AM

I just picked one up as well. I'm eagerly awaiting its return from Ken Ruth for bellows repair and similar modifications as you describe. Mine came with an early Goerz Dagor for a taking lens. Can't wait to see your images.

Karl

Jim Noel · 12-15-2007, 11:55 AM

I used a small piece of aluminum tubing as a bushing in the 120 spools. I sold mine, and often wish I had kept it. They are terrific little cameras.
Jim

DougGrosjean · 12-15-2007, 08:06 PM

I bought one for a trip down Route 66 this past summer, and it did great. I've posted just a small number of photos from it at photo.net, but they've been scattered into different posts because they were usually a result of a question like this one.

Great camera.

I've had the best luck with a 620 spool for the fresh film, and a 120 for the takeup spool, but it could be that the design had changes over the years it was in production. IOW, YMMV. But 620 and 120 spools were what I had handy.

2 lbs. is an amazing price. I won't tell you what I paid for mine, your head would swell.

DougGrosjean · 12-15-2007, 08:35 PM

Couple Rout 66 pics, mine, from my 100 y/o Kodak Panoram:

IIRC, Geronimo's Trading Post in AZ, near Petrified Forest:
http://photo.net/bboard-uploads/00MpK4-38949384.jpg

Western terminus of Route 66:
http://photo.net/bboard-uploads/00MpKD-38949484.jpg

Following are from the same trip, also Panoram pics:

Here's the Superstition Mtns, east of Phoenix AZ:
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h3...g?t=1197768766

And campsite at the top of "Hole in the Rock", the fabled Mormon wagon trail from Escalante UT to Bluff UT, via the Canyonlands:
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h3...g?t=1197768830

Bandicoot · 12-15-2007, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bill spears

Ha ha! sorry, not selling...just bought one for £2 at a car boot sale yesterday.

You lucky Cornish person you! Boot sales round here seem to be bargain free zones, at least as far as interesting cameras and lenses are concerned.

Peter

DougGrosjean · 12-15-2007, 11:37 PM

Oh, also... a tip on light leaks.

Mine, I load it in dim light, and seal it with gaffer's tape. Between shots, I keep it in a camera bag that's dark / nearly light tight, only taking it out to shoot.

I also unload in dim light, if I can.

I get light leaks on the film with the above techniques, but only along the very extreme edges, and not in the image, so I've not taken any further steps to try to seal it up better.