“My love affair with photography began about 45 years ago, parallel with my love affair with my first girlfriend. My passion for photography never ended. For about twenty years I used medium format cameras for the best quality feasible at the time, mostly 4.5×6 and 6×7. The lab process was also done in my own lab, both black & white and color. Many years I took so many beautiful, and now historical, pictures in the air, because of my privilege, being a Fighter Pilot in the German Air Force, neglecting the order of not taking a camera into the cockpit.
When the digital age came along, I switched to digital for a couple of years, selling all my analog equipment. Turning 55 years old, I rebought all my analog cameras again. Last year I couldn’t resist, buying a famous camera: “The Tank”. In Europe it is very rare, but in the US well-known: the Kodak Medalist II.
The camera was initially designed for military use. Therefore, it is built like a tank. My camera was built in 1947, according to the serial number. I shot only a couple of films with the camera so far, because of switching between all the analog cameras in my bags.
In early June this year, I loaded the Kodak Medalist II with a roll of respooled 120 film. The camera uses 620 film and the film I used was Fujifilm NEOPAN 100ACROS. Expired in 2006, it is one of the many unexposed films in my film box. At an age of 73 years, the camera works perfectly, all shutter speeds are correct and the Kodak Ektar lens, f/3.5 100mm, is a legendary sharp lens.
My wife and I headed to the smallest town in Germany, Blankenberg, not far from our hometown. 642 people call it home and it received the town charter in 1245 from Duke Heinrich III. Of course, it is a touristic place nowadays, but the town still kept its authentic character.
Because of the 6×9 format, after taking eight pictures, the film is full. My intention was to shoot five worthy pictures with the one roll. The film was developed by my local lab and DSLR digitized, converted with the Negative Lab app and Lightroom 6.
I hope You enjoy the pictures.
~ Rainer
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I had never heard of this interesting camera, thanks for sharing. It makes my 2x Bessa 66’s seem quite ordinary.
Being a proud owner of a Kodak Medalist, I would be interested in your method of respooling 120 film onto a 620 spool.
I also went into my darkroom, which been commandeered as a shed, and found a bag of 20 year old films. Filled with renewed enthusiasm out came the Bronica and Nikon f90x. Have yet to get with them, but looking forward to getting back to real photography.
Lovely images. Thank you for sharing them with us.
Thank you for sharing Rainer. Beautiful images. Love to see your aerial pictures.
Thanks for Your kind comments.
For Levy: Some of my pictures are here:
https://www.fotocommunity.de/user_photos/1562764
Rainer
Thank You for Your kind comments.
Levy, see my page for some aerial pictures.