THE CINE-KODAK

Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York 1923-1925

This earlier version of the Cine-Kodak was introduced in 1923 and probably produced through mid-1925.

In Kodak's 1926 catalog, the camera would be designated the Cine-Kodak Model A to distinguish it from the Cine-Kodak Model B, introduced about July,1925. Production would last until late 1929 or early 1930.

Cameras bearing the "Cine-Kodak" name are generally seen with an f3.5 lens that was fixed internally. However, an example has been found marked "Cine-Kodak" that was configured for interchangeable lenses. This camera featuring the new lens system (with the "Cine-Kodak" name), was probably built prior to the introduction of the Cine-Kodak Model B. This suggests that interchangeable lenses were introduced in the latter half of 1925, and by 1926, the first interchangeable lens f1.9 camera makes its formal introduction in Kodak's catalogs. Both versions of the camera with the standard f3.5 fixed lens and the interchangeable lens were offered that year, and both were now marked "Cine-Kodak Model A".

From "The Cine-Kodak and Kodascope", February, 1924

Having a 100-foot film capacity, the camera's case was constructed of die-cast aluminum weighing approximately 7-1/4 pounds without film and measuring 8-1/2" in depth, 8" in height and 4-5/8" in width. Earlier versions of the camera had a spring-loaded flap that covered the viewing and taking lenses when not in use. Later on, with the introduction of interchangeable lenses that protruded from the camera's front, the flap feature was of little use and was eliminated. The fixed lens' aperture was adjusted from the back of the camera, via a lever at the upper left that was linked internally to the lens. Later, with the introduction of interchangeable lenses, their apertures were adjusted externally, eliminating the need for lever at the rear.

The white footage dial at the rear was set depending upon whether a 100-foot or a 50-foot reel of film was used. As the film progressed, the dial indicated the footage remaining. The focus lever at the rear's bottom left was marked in feet and in meters.

The camera was hand-cranked at two revolutions per second, and by 1924 (possibly earlier), a battery-powered motor became available. It attached to the hand crank side of the camera via the two mounting holes next to the crank handle's recess. Apparently inefficient and unwieldy, the Motor Drive Unit was discontinued by 1926. The Cine-Kodak was originally sold as part of an outfit that included a projector, screen, film splicer and a tripod, but by 1924, the camera could be purchased as a separate item. However, due to the camera's size and weight and irrespective of whether it was hand cranked or used with the electric motor option, a tripod was almost a requirement.

The two holes used to mount the electric motor, also accommodated the use of a slow motion crank attachment, mentioned in Kodak's 1926 catalog but not offered in their listing of accessories until 1927. In place of the regular crank, the Slow Motion Attachment would speed the mechanism to four times its normal rate that produced slow motion results when the film was projected at its regular speed.

Collectors have identified several variants of the Cine-Kodak/Cine-Kodak Model A, that include the earlier versions having an eye-level viewfinder only (Type I), those that followed having the ability to switch between an eye-level or a waist-level viewfinder (Type II) an interchangeable lens version with the Cine-Kodak name tag and an interchangeable lens version with the Cine-Kodak Model A name tag.

Within the hand crank's recessed area can be found "Patented in U.S.A. Feb. 7, 1922, Other Patents Pending". This patent date referred to Patent No. 1,405,463 for the camera's focusing lens mount. Eventually, at least eleven patents would be associated with the camera's design.

Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

As reflected in Kodak's catalogs, the Cine-Kodak was intended for the "advanced amateur". But at a cost of $335 in 1923 for the camera, its projector and other accessories, this really made the Cine-Kodak a "rich man's hobby". It would ultimately prove prohibitive for most amateurs, until the introduction of the Cine-Kodak Model B, which featured an f1.9 lens and a spring-driven motor at two-thirds the price.

The Cine-Kodak is seen rather infrequently today, in comparison to its immediate successor, the Cine-Kodak Model B and the many other Kodak 16mm models that would follow. Accessories such as the Motor Drive Unit, the Slow Motion Attachment and the tripod are rarely encountered.

From "The Cine-Kodak and Kodascope", February, 1924