Kodak Tourist Camera
Sometimes called the last folding Kodak for roll film, this is the camera that I most want to shoot with next. But the one in my collection not ready for use just yet.
The Kodak Tourist Camera is another of Kodak’s mass-market cameras built for simplicity and durability. Its production run lasted a decade, from its introduction in 1948, through the release of an improved Tourist II version in May 1951 until the series was discontinued in July 1958, making it the last model of folding camera that Kodak made in the U.S. to use roll film.
As produced, the Tourist uses 620 size film and produces a negative of 2¼×3¼ inches. A standard roll of 620 film yields 8 photographs in this configuration. There were several variations produced, originally selling for between $24.50 and $95.00 (equivalent to about $330 to $1,270 today) depending mostly on the lens configuration selected. The Tourist Camera in my collection is the most basic of models, which would have been sold at the original $24.50 price. Since I have only this one in my collection so far (although there are a few more that I see on various sites that I may purchase later), the rest of this article will be about this model primarily.
In addition to its simplicity of use, one of the key selling features of this camera is that it folds to a relatively small size that is easily portable. When open, the folding mechanism holds the lens and bellows in place reliably and the camera is easy to operate.
It is all controlled by pulling the hinged front cover open until it snaps into place. To close it, simply press down on the bumped area just above the center hinge on the two side connecting bars and fold the front cover until it snaps back into the camera body. All of the exposure controls are located on the lens board.
The shutter can be controlled by either the lever at the top of the lens or through a connecting rod by a button built into the front cover. The connecting rod pushes a second lever on the bottom of the lens. The shutter, like many of the Brownie models, is self-cocking, and there is no interlock between the film advance and the shutter, so for multiple exposure photographs, simply press the shutter lever again.
My Tourist Camera has three shutter speed settings — T[ime], B[ulb] and I[nstant] — and four aperture settings — f/12.5, 16, 22 and 32. The Time setting will open the shutter on the first press and hold it open until the shutter lever is pressed a second time. The Bulb setting will hold the shutter open for as long as the shutter lever is held down. The Instant setting will open the shutter for approximately 1/50 second. Being the simplest of the Tourist models, this camera has a fixed focus; other models have a distance guide printed on the focusing ring for zone focusing.
The little extension on the top of the lens is the flash sync cord attachment point. My camera includes the bracket and Flasholder that was designed for this camera. The Flasholder and bracket are universal to all Tourist models, originally retailing for $11.50 (about $150 today). The bracket uses a bolt to attach into the tripod socket on the camera.
Looking at the camera folded up, there is very little that can be seen or adjusted. The top of the camera has only the two film knobs — a small knob to hold the supply roll in place, and a large knob to advance the film — and the viewfinder. On the bottom, there is only the tripod socket.
The standard back on this version of the Tourist is also just as simple, with only a cover on the exposure counter window. Later or more feature-rich models have exposure calculators on the back and sliding covers for different exposure counts. There is also a cold-shoe mount on the top of some models where a rangefinder could be attached. My Tourist Camera obviously has neither of these features.
For loading and unloading film, both of the film control knobs could be pulled up to allow for easy insertion or removal. The smaller knob on the film supply side simply provides pressure on the top of the spool to hold it in place, while the larger film winding knob on the take-up side engages with the screwdriver-like slot on the end of the spool to advance the film.
Besides the Flasholder and bracket, the other accessory kit that was marketed for this camera allowed for different film and negative sizes. The adapter kit included a replacement back, three picture area masks, three viewfinder masks and adapters for loading 828 film (sometimes called Bantam film because it was used in the Kodak Bantam series cameras, like the Bantam F.8 that I wrote about earlier). Two of the masks reduce the size of the exposure on regular 620 rolls to either 2¼×2¼ or 1⅝×2¼ inches, the latter effectively producing half-frame photos.
I had mentioned at the start that I want to use this camera but can’t just yet. Everything that I can test on this camera appears to work properly. The rubber on the Flasholder bracket has deteriorated and almost become a glue holding it on the bottom of the camera, but as you can see in the photos, I am able to remove it. Some mild solvent will remove the sticky residue. The bigger reason that I can’t use this reliably yet is only evident when I look at the rear element of the lens.
I’m not going to use this camera until I can disassemble the lens to remove that little guy sitting on the inside of the lens. There are a couple sources for a service manual for basically the cost of printing (Butkus.org, Learn Camera Repair, or Craig Camera, for example). Of course, with many variations of this camera made, and still available on various sites for around $25 today, it’s more likely that I’ll buy another that is already cleaned and use that first.
Sources:
Bulletins - News of Kodak Plans and Products (advertisement); Popular Photography, Vol. 25, No. 3, September 1949, pages 105-108. via Google Books.
“Folding-Camera Line Kodak Tourist Cameras” (advertisement); The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, Virginia, December 31, 1950. via Newspapers.com.
Kodak Eastman: Tourist (Anastar), Kodak Eastman: Tourist (Anastigmat), Kodak Eastman: Tourist (Anaston), and Kodak Eastman: Tourist II; Collectiblend.
Kodak Tourist; Camera-Wiki.org.
Kodak Tourist, and Kodak Tourist II; Kodak Classics.
Kodak Tourist Adapter Kit user manual; CameraManuals.org.
Kodak Tourist Camera user manual; Monroe County, New York, GenWeb.
You take your pick.. with Kodak Tourist Camera (advertisement); Popular Mechanics, Vol. 92, No. 3, September 1949, page 233. via Google Books.