No 4 Bullet Kodak
Eastman Kodak Company
| Name: | No 4 Bullet Kodak |
| Manufacturer: | Eastman Kodak Co. |
| Country of Origin: | USA |
| Construction: | Leather covered wooden casing of relatively simple construction. It can be used with single plates as well as rollfilm. Focusing is achieved by the entire film carrier assembly being moved within the body. |
| Production Period: | 1896 - 1900 |
| Model / Variant: | 1898 |
| Film: | 103 rollfilm (4" x 5") |
| Lens: | Achromatic |
| Shutter: | Rotary |
| Dimensions (w x h x l): | 13.5 x 16 x 25 cms |
| Date of this Example: | 1898 |
| Serial Number: | Serial on underside (front) #8765 |
| Availability: |
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| Inventory Number: | 635 |
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Photos copyright © 2015 David Purcell. Do not use without permission. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Description
A nice example of the No 4 Bullet Kodak obtained from the UK. The date is declared in the model name printed on the inside of the film carrier, but is also consistent based upon the serial number (8765) and dated changes identified in Coe.
It has a side door to allow a plate holder to be used and a sprung back at the rear of the main film carrier that holds the red window. There isn't any provision for a ground glass screen. A focusing scale is provided on the outside of the camera, and the focusing is achieved by sliding the film winder in a slot, which actually moves the entire film carrier assembly back and forth inside the body to change distance between lens and film plane.
The film chamber is removed by releasing a sliding lock inside the body that is accessed through the rear door. The separate door for loading a single plate holder is released by a hidden button on the outside of the camera. The camera cannot be used with plates if a film is still loaded in the camera.
The front panel is removable, exposing the rotary shutter mechanism, although such access is not needed in order to set the exposure controls.
According to Coe [4] the body is of cherry wood, having been changed from spruce in 1898. The camera was discontinued in 1900.
Notes
Note that (as with the Bulls-Eye) there is no No 1 Bullet, but there is a No 2 Bullet Kodak as well as 'Special' models.
As with many of the rollfilm box cameras of this period, the polished wood interior is rather more attractive than the rather plain exterior!