New bellows for Vest Pocket Kodak Model B
Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 1:04 am
For my first camera restoration of 2018, I chose a Vest Pocket Kodak Model B that I found on eBay. The set included the near-mint camera, its manual, and a fairly complete original box. Although nearly new in most respects, the camera had a completely hardened bellows that had already separated from the front standard. This had to be rectified either to shoot with or ever sensibly display the camera.
I found a similar new-old-stock bellows from another eBay seller. The front ring was different, so I pried off the front flaps of the NOS ring and glued in the original front ring. With my screwdriver-turned-tab-lifter tool, I replaced the crappy bellows with this modified as-new bellows.
The next day I prepared a test roll of Aero Plus-X film trimmed down to 127 width. I chose an old water tower in Mason to check out the various apertures (circle dial style with 1-2-3-4 settings) using Aero Plus-X film cut to 127 size. This film has nice mid-tone coloration. The swirly edge detail in the result scan is de regueur for the simple meniscus lens, even at the #1 aperture setting (roughly f/22 by guesstimate). Scanned at 1200 dpi on Epson 4990.
This little camera is actually fun to drop in a pocket, and looks great. I must put it away to keep it looking pristine, but we both had fun on the field test.
I found a similar new-old-stock bellows from another eBay seller. The front ring was different, so I pried off the front flaps of the NOS ring and glued in the original front ring. With my screwdriver-turned-tab-lifter tool, I replaced the crappy bellows with this modified as-new bellows.
The next day I prepared a test roll of Aero Plus-X film trimmed down to 127 width. I chose an old water tower in Mason to check out the various apertures (circle dial style with 1-2-3-4 settings) using Aero Plus-X film cut to 127 size. This film has nice mid-tone coloration. The swirly edge detail in the result scan is de regueur for the simple meniscus lens, even at the #1 aperture setting (roughly f/22 by guesstimate). Scanned at 1200 dpi on Epson 4990.
This little camera is actually fun to drop in a pocket, and looks great. I must put it away to keep it looking pristine, but we both had fun on the field test.
- As received. Nice on the outside.
- Inside, the bellows was stiff and fragile.
- Put the original front ring on a similar but not exact New Old Stock replacement bellows.
- After replacement, nearly good as new.
- Test shot; Kodak Aero Plus-X, Instantaneous speed, #1 circular aperture setting, hyperfocal distance scale.