AERIAL
CAMERAS
My taste:Aerial cameras sometimes are very ugly heavy metal boxes (and thus not very interesting and too
expensive for shipment). Therefore I have only a few and I'll add only
those I'll find more "interesting".
1) HAND HELD:
Early aerial cameras were hand held and activated by the photographer during flight
so they were designed for quick handling and keeping the camera safe in
combats. (thus making them ugly and heavy!) - see the K-20 bellow
2) ELECTRIC:
as the technology demanded automatic action and those camera became real-heavy
so the "newer" cameras are simple metal boxes with a lens and output-wires
which controls everything (dull) - see the G-45 Williamson bellow
1) HAND HELD: K-20
military aerial camera, US-NAVY, 1941-1945
Manufactured by the Folmer Graflex Corp. (Rochester)
: specialy ordered by the US-Navy based on the Fairchild camera-design
and modified for the army needs. Approx.
15,000 made (based
on the George Eastman house-site) Mostly
found in black, the one I have (top pic) is off-white/platinum. (for hot
climate?)
Used in the 40's for American military purposes
and later in WWI. Hand held (as in pic.)
back from
mission: holding two K-20s (from the National Archives)
TECHNICAL DATA
Used a 200ft. rollfilm (50 exposures),
image size of 4X5. LENS: 161mm Kodak Anastigmat f4.5,
SPEEDS: 125 250 500 . An optical finder on top. Has a vacum
back for the film (and not a film-magazine) Serial
# USN 43-4927 (does it means, made in 1943?)
View from the opened-back: The circular part is the vacum-back,
a big empty film-holder and the optical finder (on top) can be seen clearly
(as my wife said: What a heavy typewriter...)
see
EASTMAN HOUSE site for more info. on the K-20
2) ELECTRIC
G-45 WILLIAMSON military aerial camera, UK, 1940s-
A small fully auotomated 16mm movie camera
that shoots every time the plane's gun fires (when the gun's trigger is
pressed). The camera was hanged bellow the wing thus the film showing actual
bullets effect and hits. as I said a dull-metal
box but the camera was found loaded with film.... just think what's in
that film.......
NOVELTY U-2 SPY PLANE - 1960s toy
- including a big glider, camera and timerr
click on the picture for more info:
NOVELTY AERIAL KITE CAMERA
toy
click on the picture for more info:
If you like NOVELTY CAMERAS
just click here for more
