Among the most interesting things about film photography is the idea that the vintage camera you’ll be using likely has an interesting history behind it. Or, at worst, it’s a cautionary tale waiting to happen. Or both. Today’s case in point is from grainydays’ Jason Kummerfeldt, who came across a combat camera that ended up needing some serious repairs.
Kummerfeldt’s story starts the way many film photographers’ camera story starts. A few years ago, he came across a Graflex KE-4, a rare olive-colored rangefinder camera from the late 1950s. A quick Google search tells us that this historic camera was designed as a motor-driven issue for the US military. Graflex made only 1,500 units, and each came with three lenses — a Kodak Ektar 102.5mm f/2.8 standard lens, Kodak Ektar 205mm f/4 telephoto lens, and the Kodak Ektar 63mm f/4.5 wide-angle lens.
However, the camera broke while he was doing some test shots with a custom cartridge he designed for 120 film. In true Internet fashion, he had to look online for someone who could fix the camera for him. And someone did take up the challenge, but it did not have the ending that Kummerfeldt hoped for.
We’ll let you watch the video to the end and learn from Kummerfeldt himself how this story unfolded.
Did you ever have a similar experience with a vintage camera purchase? Tell us about it in the comments below!
