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  index cameras folding information
k o d a k   p a t h é   f o l d i n g   c a m e r a s
Kodak Pathé Folding Cameras
cameras using 620 Roll Film

This page will attempt to document the various folding cameras produced in France by Kodak Pathé in the late 1940's and early to mid 1950's. During this period there was severe restriction on the importation of cameras to France, so Kodak Pathé manufactured cameras for the home market using French-made lenses, from manufacturers such as Angénieux and Som Berthiot, and shutters from manufacturers such as Atos and Royer. Much of the information presented here will have been supplied to me by other owners, collectors and enthusiasts, or gleaned from "for sale" advertisements and other web-pages, and as such is only as good as those sources.

These cameras are often referred to as a Kodak Pliant. I have found no reference to this usage on either the cameras themselves or their packaging, though it may have been used in contempory advertisments or catalogues. The only Kodak Pliant cameras I am aware of that are so called are the Brownie Pliant Six-16 and Brownie Pliant Six-20 cameras from the 1930's, which were manufactured in Rochester, New York, and the Six-20 Folding Hawk-Eye Camera Model C "Pliant" John T. Addison makes reference to in his Catalogue of Hawk-Eye Cameras. The word "pliant", in French, simply means "folding".

My research to date shows the use of two basic body styles, the earlier cameras such as the Kodak 620 having angular ends, as previously used on the UK-made Six-20 Kodak B and German-made Vollenda 620, the later cameras having a more rounded profile and different strut mechanism, such as the Kodak Modèle B 11, which would seem to be based on the body used by the UK-made Junior I, Junior II and Sterling II cameras. I will therefor, in this preliminary layout at least, divide the list into "early" and "late" style cameras. So far I have no information as to how many of each model were produced. Sylvain Halgand has many of these cameras featured on his web-site, with dates and some original prices. Though one may reasonably assume that the basic models are more numerous than the more sophisticated variants, none of these cameras can be considered common.

All of these cameras are basically 6x9cm format, taking 8 negatives on 620 roll-film, though some have the capability to convert to 6x6cm, for 12 negatives on a roll, by means of a convertable viewfinder and a mask which fits into the film gate. These convertable models have two red "windows" in the back cover. Whilst, on the more sophisticated cameras, this facility may be considered an "artistic" choice, for the user of the more basic model, the ability to take 12 pictures on a roll instead of 8 may have been a bonus, considering the austerity of the times. Some models were also supplied with adaptor kits to enable the use of 828 "Bantam" film, similar in concept to those available for the US-made Tourist cameras. This was presumably because colour slide film was not yet available in 620 size, or simply to allow compatability with ordinary 35mm slides and projectors. Inevitably the 100-105mm lenses on these cameras act as a short to medium telephoto when used with the smaller formats.

The exclusion of a feature for any particular model in these listings does not necessarily mean that that camera did not have that feature, just that at the time of writing I was unaware of that fact. Extra details or amendments to the information I have listed below will be more than welcome.

Early Body Style (Angular Ends)
Model Lens Shutter Notes
Kodak 620 Angénieux 105mm f/6.3
Kodak Anagstigmat
B 1/25-1/150 Folding optical viewfinder. Camera name embossed into leather handle.
Kodak 620 Angénieux 100mm f/4.5
Kodak Anastigmat
B 1-1/250 Full-length metal top-cover with integral viewfinder. Camera name embossed into leather handle. The instruction booklet refers to this camera as the Modèle 32

Kodak A
Modèle 10
Fixed focus
Two Apertures
Single Speed Full-length plastic top-cover with integral viewfinder
Kodak A
Modèle 11
Focussing
Two Apertures
Single Speed Full-length plastic top-cover with integral viewfinder

Modèle 11 Angénieux 100mm
Kodak Anastigmat
Focussing
Two Apertures
Single speed Full-length plastic top-cover with integral viewfinder. This may be the same camera as the model above, but the information and description came from two different sources.
Modèle 21 Angénieux 105mm f/6.3
Kodak Anagstigmat
1/25-1/150 Full-length plastic top-cover with integral viewfinder
Modèle 32

See Kodak 620 above
Modèle 33 Angénieux 100mm f/4.5
Kodak Anastigmat
B 1-1/250 Full-length plastic top-cover with integral viewfinder
Modèle 34 Angénieux 100mm f/4.5
Kodak Anastigmat
B 1-1/250 Full-length plastic top-cover with integral viewfinder
Modèle 35 Angénieux 100mm f/4.5 B 1/60-1/250
Modèle 36 Angénieux 100mm f/4.5 -1/250 Full-length plastic top-cover with integral viewfinder. Dual format, 6x6cm or 6x9cm. Supplied with adaptor spools and mask for 28x40mm on 828 film.
Modèle 37 Angénieux 100mm f/4.5 B 1/60-1/250 Dual format, 6x6cm or 6x9cm. Supplied with adaptor spools and mask for 28x40mm on 828 film.
Modèle 40 Angénieux 100mm f/3.5 1-1/250 Full-length plastic top-cover with integral viewfinder.
Modèle 42 f/3.5 Anastigmat B 1-1/250 Full-length plastic top-cover with integral viewfinder. Dual format, 6x6cm or 6x9cm. Supplied with adaptor spools and mask for 28x40mm on 828 film.

Late Body Style (Rounded Ends)
Model Lens Shutter Notes
Modèle B 11 f/10 Single speed Full-length plastic top-cover with integral viewfinder. Dual format, 6x6cm or 6x9cm with sliding mask in viewfinder.
Modèle B 31 Angénieux 100mm f/4.5
Kodak Anastigmat
B 1/25-1/150 Full-length plastic top-cover with integral viewfinder. Dual format, 6x6cm or 6x9cm with sliding mask in viewfinder.


Any further information on these, or other Kodak / Pathé models that I have not listed, would be greatfully received.


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