American cameras

Has the US ever produced a quality camera? I've been trying to think of one but can't - but they must have done. We Brits at least had the Reid and was MPP British? There was also a TLR wasn't there?

Mike

The Speed Graphic immediatley springs to mind as the favoured press camera up until 35mm. They eventually became part of Singer Sewing Machines and finally vanishes in the early seventies, Kodak shouldn't be forgotten and neither should Edwin Land's Polaroid.

Certainly when it comes to movie cameras there was Cine Products and of course Panavision.

not to mention sattelites, and spy drones that can read the tags off your tighty whities....

Kodak Ektra 35mm interchangeable lens rangefinder camera. Very rare.

Speed graphic - that's one that I was trying to recall. I don't think I count any Kodak cameras!

It seems odd that they didn't develop a 35mm quality camera when Germany both East and West did so.

Mike

You dont rate Kodak!!!

More innovations than you could shake a stick at and more influence on photography than probably everyone else lumped together. OK not jewel like cameras but I have a small collection, some over 50 years old and they are all still working.

Mike,

You might find this of interest link

Oh, and Graflex, the makers of the Speed Graphic were owned by George Eastman (Kodak) from 1907

Ken

Ken the cameras Kodak made no doubt changed photography forever and more than once too, but none of them was a Leica, Pentax, Minolta, Exacta - even a Practica! I didn't realise Kodak owned Speed Graphic, they didn't seem very proud of the fact!

Mike

You are so right, I couldn't agree more but lets add Hasselblad and Linhof and the Nikon F1

Kodak shouldn't be completely counted out. They made at least one view camera, and the Ektar lenses were and are well regarded. I recall reading that the Retina (made in Germany for Kodak by Nagel) brought standardization to the 35mm cassette; prior to that time apparently each camera maker had its own incompatible design. Kodak with its vast film production perhaps forced the adoption of its design.

Certainly the Retinas are gems. I have a Retina I and the gorgeous IIIc, with coated f2 Schneider Xenon and m-x synchro. A wonderful user, and truly jewel-like.

I was given a Kodak Aero-Ektar 178mm f2.5 : I have dated it at 1943 :I had a mount made to take my Pentacon Six ( before I got my Pentax 6x7)and use it to focus with the P6 bellows unit. It is pin sharp stopped down to f11 or f16 for portraiture and also at f4 for more distant work. It is 'Radioactive'I discovered;there is some radioactive component in it but I have been assured safe levels to keep near by me as I work in the darkroom.