Kodak No. 2 Hawk-Eye Model C Box Camera

This past weekend, I visited a friend's antique store to see if I could help repair an old typewriter. Unfortunately, what was needed was outside the scope of my abilities. While I was there, however, the owners showed me a box of old cameras they had gotten in and asked me what I could learn about them. There were a lot of Polaroid Land cameras, a broken Rolleiflex, an Instamatic, and lots of old Kodaks -- Bakelite Brownies, folders, and box cameras. I went through each one in turn. There were a couple that were still functional, but most were really just display pieces at this point. One that I identified as functional, they kindly offered to me for my troubles.

Kodak No. 2 Hawk-Eye Model C box camera

Detail of the handle of this camera indicating the model.

It is a very simple box camera from Kodak, the exterior made of cardboard and the interior made of sheet metal. It has a single lens, fixed focus and shutter speed, a brightfinder at top, and it takes 120 roll film. It shoots eight 6x9 frames per roll. The camera dates from the 20s-30s, so it is approximately 100 years old. While I have a couple of Bakelite Brownies, I've never used one of these old box cameras, so the next day, which was nice and sunny, I loaded up the Kodak with a roll of Kentmere Pan 100 and took it to my local public library where I went to charge my Nissan Leaf.

There is a park next to the library with a playground, outdoor gym, and several bronze sculptures along a short walking path, so I wandered through, finding my frames, trying to be careful to avoid photographing the many kiddos out playing while their caretakers supervised. A few children show up in the background of one of the photos, but they are not identifiable.

The next day, I developed the film in Rodinal at a 1+25 dilution for 9 minutes, and I got pictures! That was a pleasant surprise. The negatives looked decent, so I had high hopes for the images. I scanned those lovely, large 6x9 negatives with my Epson v600. The resulting photos, as you'll see here, were consistently soft. Not a single image was sharp. This is not really surprising. I had watched a review of the camera by YouTuber David Hancock who reported that this model is not among the best of the box cameras. He wasn't wrong.

You'll notice one of the images, the one of the outdoor amphitheater, is cropped a bit. That is because it was the first image on the roll. The top of the frame was exposed in loading the film, so I think the next time I use this camera, I will load it in the dark bag.

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There is something romantic in these shots, out of focus as they are. The idea that this little cardboard box which was probably making photos of folks during the Roaring Twenties and the Depression can still make pictures is just remarkable! This camera was meant as an affordable entry to photography, and I doubt its original designer imagined that photographers would still be using it a century later. Will it be my everyday carry? By no means. It will probably mostly decorate my shelf, coming out every now and then for nostalgia's sake.