Kodak Tourist

Film Size: 620 Picture Size: 2 1/4" x 3 1/4"

Marketed: 1951 to 1958

Lens Mount: Fixed The Kodak Tourist II is a folding viewfinder-type camera designed to accept 620-size rolls of film. This size is also referred to as "PB" in old Agfa literature. The negatives or slides it produces are 2-1/4 by 3-1/4 inches or approximately 6x9cm. Hence, this format is commonly called "6x9". A 620 (or 120) roll of film will hold 8 exposures in this format. Since 620 film has not been available since about 1995, the most common way to acquire film for this and similar cameras is to buy 120-size film and re-wind it onto surplus or reproduction 620 spools. If you don't process the film yourself, you will need to find a custom lab that will return your precious 620 spools. There are vendors which sell custom-respooled film. I have purchased such supplies from Film for Classics. Once I had a small supply of film on the reproduction spools, I had them processed by Thomas Photolab in Houston, TX, requesting that my spools be returned. I then purchased my own 120 film and respooled it myself in a changing bag. Since the reproduction spools are plastic, they have a much shorter service life than the original metal spools, so I will eventually have to purchase fresh stock as the plastic ones succumb to the rigors of repeated handling. It is supposedly possible to modify the Tourist II (and its predecessor, the Tourist), to accept 120-size film directly. At this time, I'm still very reluctant to take a Dremel tool to my Tourist II's innards... In the photos below, the directions "right" and "left" refer to the photographer's view from behind the camera. About the Film Sizes 620 and 120 are exactly the same size film, including the frame-index marks printed on their backing papers, but differ only in the size of the spool on which they are wound. A 120 spool has an 11mm core diameter, a 25.4mm flange diameter, a 6mm axle hole, and a 10x3mm winding key slot. A 620 spool has a 7mm core diameter, a 22mm flange diameter, a 4mm axle hole and a 6x2mm winding key slot. Some cameras were designed to accept either size spool. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Kodak_Tourist The Kodak Tourists were the last in a long line of American made folding roll film cameras from Eastman Kodak. The Tourist II, introduced in May of 1951, features a redesigned top cover and a new viewfinder, which contains frame lines for the optional 828 roll film adapter. Production was discontinued in July of 1958. The Tourists use 620 film making 8 2¼×3¼ exposures. The use of 828 roll film for 8 28×40mm exposures was an option. The Tourist's most unusual feature is its back; through the use of cleverly engineered latches, it can be opened on the left side, right side, or removed completely. Removing the back allows the use of the multi-format Kodak Tourist Adapter Kit, which consists of: a camera back with red windows for 4 different formats; 2¼×2¼ inch, 2¼×1⅝ inch and 28×40mm masks; 828 roll film supply and take up spool adapters; and viewfinder masks for each of the three additional formats. The Tourists are well made and feature a die cast aluminum body, covered in black Kodadur, a synthetic leather of remarkable durability. All models feature a tripod socket, a lens door mounted shutter release, and eye-level viewfinders. All Tourists feature flash synchronization. The Anaston and Anastar lens models feature cable release sockets on the shutter, front-element focusing, and top mounted accessory shoes; the fixed-focus Kodet lens models lack these features and had smaller viewfinders. Frame spacing and shutter cocking are completely manual. The camera back on the Anaston and Anastar lens models features a rectangular exposure calculator that is biased towards over-exposure – it pretty much uses a “sunny 8” rule. The exposure calculator on the Kodak Tourist Adapter Kit back is circular in format (and accommodates more film types). A variety of lens/shutter combinations were available on the Tourists; at the low end, the camera is little more than a folding equivalent of a box camera; at the upper end, the camera is capable of producing professional level results. The Tourists show a curious similarity to two European Kodak models introduced somewhat later. The British Kodak Sterling II and Juniors (Tourist) and the French Kodak Modèle B 11 (Tourist II) utilize strikingly similar folding struts and top plate/viewfinder assemblies, though the folding bed on these cameras are hinged on the left whereas the Tourist follows the American convention and is hinged on the right. According to Kodak the Tourist was introduced at a price of $95 USD[1] (app. $870 USD in 2007). At this price, the model was probably the top-of-the-line Anastar version. as soon.....