Jiffy Six 16 (1933-37)
Jiffy Six 20 (1933-37)
Jiffy Six 16 Series II (1937-48)
Jiffy Six 20 Series II (1937-48)
Both of the Jiffy first series and the Series II models made with two similar versions except the film size, one for 616 film named Six 16 and one for 620 film named Six 20.
First series were made with Art Déco painted front plate, but the Series II front plate was covered with black leatherette.
Film:
Six 16: 616 roll, picture size: 6.5x11cm
Six 20: 620 roll, picture size: 6x9cm
Engraving on the back cover opening catch: Six 16 or Six 20, Jiffy Kodak, Series II, Made in USA by Eastman Kodak Co. Rochester, N.Y.
Aperture: two, f/8, f/11 (some cameras have f/16 also), sets by a pull-out tab on the left of the front plate
Focus range: 5-10 feet +inf
Focusing: manual front focusing, there are two extreme stops, 5 to 10 feet and Beyond 10 feet
Shutter: simple spring rotary shutter, one speed, I instant 1/50 (1/25?) and T time, setting lever on the top of the front plate
Cocking lever and Shutter release: by the same lever, for instant press once, aperture hole opens and closes
Viewfinder: two reflecting bright finders
Bellows: single extension, strut folding, self opening
Front plate and bellows opening: by a silver knob on the right side of the camera; closing: press outwards the struts
Back cover: Hinged, opens by a latch on top of the camera, with a red window w/ a lid
There is a sticker inside of the back cover: Use Kodak 616 or 620 film
Tripod socket: none
Hand grip lugs
Camera leg: swivelling for vertical and horizontal standing, beneath the front plate
The Jiffy Kodak Six-16 & Six-20 Series II Cameras were manufactured by the Eastman Kodak Company from 1937 to 1948. Advertised as the simplest folding camera ever devised. Named Jiffy for the speed and ease at which the camera would get ready to shoot. Simply by touching a button the front pops out. Touch a second and the picture is taken. Features included a twindar lens, built in shutter with time and instantaneous actions, two crowned brilliant finders, foot support to stand camera for time exposures. Finished in black Moroccan grain covering, black and nickel etched metal front. The six-16 took 8 images, 2 1/2 x 4 1/4 inch size on 616 film and originally sold for $9.00. The six-20 took 8 images 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 inch size on 620 film and originally cost $8.00. Measures 7"L x 1.25"w x 3.25"h when closed.
Bonafix was the brand used by Franka for a long-running series of folding cameras for 120 rollfilm. These were lower-spec versions of the Rolfix cameras.
he Franka-Kamerawerk in Bayreuth was in its time the biggest camera factory in the Bavarian region of Oberfranken (Upper Frankonia). It was bought by Wirgin in 1962. From 1909 to 1966 it built inexpensive cameras. The most distinctive cameras of Franka are the 16mm cameras with built-in meter which were developed together with Wirgin, and the twin-format cameras with two viewfinders.
In 1909 Franz Vyskocil and his wife Leoni Vyskocil had a small factory and shop for cameras and photographic supply in Stuttgart. In the same year they moved to Bayreuth, where they reopened their business as Vysko-Fabrik Franz Vyskocil, St. Georgen und Bayreuth. In newspapers they announced their new mass fabrication of folding cameras. In 1910 their sponsor Weigand from Berneck entered the company, then named Weigand & Vyskocil. In 1912 the company was refounded as Frankonia-Kamerawerk. In 1913 the company was refounded with Weigand as its sole owner and camera salesman A. W. Schulze from Dresden as partner. In 1914 the company was named Hogaschwerk. Five months later it got its final name, Franka-Kamerawerk.
Until 1915 the company had been successfully producing plate cameras, among them one for a small format. In WWI this camera had been sold with slogans like "Mit Franka in den Krieg" (with Franka to war). The era of the Franka plate cameras lasted until 1930. The earliest cameras by Franka were made of metal. Two thirds of the camera production was made for export.
In 1915 Wolfgang Hirschmann entered the company as bookkeeper. In 1917 he replaced A. W. Schulze in the management. During the war and in the early 1920s the company had some nonphotographic products in its portfolio. In 1919 it moved from Bayreuth St. Georgen into an old liquor factory bulding in Bayreuth, and there the company stayed. The building had to be heightened in 1955. In 1941 Hirschmann's brother Hans and the longterm employee Georg Zettner became the managers. In 1959 Hans and Wolfgang Hirschmann together were owners of the company.
In 1930 the rollfilm era finally reached Franka. Many Franka rollfilm cameras were delivered with a separate frame which could be used optionally in the camera for shooting a smaller exposure format. In 1939 Franka constructed its first 35mm camera, the Kleinbildkamera, but began its production slowly after the war. In 1955 the next 35mm model was offered. It was the time when rollfilm camera production switched from 6×9 to 6×6 format cameras. Franka's last own camera development was very successful, the Frankamatic Lux, with a selenium meter coupled to shutter, aperture and an underexposure indicator in the viewfinder. The Franka 16 subminiature using 16mm film was conceived by Wirgin. Its further development and production was given to the Franka-Kamerawerk.
In 1958 the company had reached its peak with 154 employees and production of 650,000 cameras.
Many of its cameras were sold badged with brand names of mail order houses like Wenz and Klingel, department stores like Kaufhof and Sears or camera distributors like Birnbaum and Porst. Even Burke & James sold cameras by Franka (until 1941).
In November 1962 the company was bought by Henry Wirgin. Hans Hirschmann and Georg Zettner lost procurement but stayed in the company. Highlights of the last years of Franka were the cameras for 13×16mm exposure format, sold as Franka 16 and Edixa 16. In 1966 the factory's production was stopped. In 1967 the machines were moved to Wiesbaden where most of them weren't used anymore. Only the production of the Edixa 16 was continued there for a short while.
A few months ago I picked up this Franka Werke camera for “next to nothing” (20 bucks or so) that appeared from the photos to be in near-mint condition. When it arrived, it looked like it had been stored in its original box since manufacture some 65 years ago. The metal body is covered with rough vinyl made to look like leather, and parts of it were peeling off. But the bellows, all of the metal parts, glass, appeared to be perfect. I couldn’t wait for an opportunity to try it out.
The Franka cameras were generally inexpensive cameras made in Bayreuth, Germany from 1909 to 1966. This particular camera is marked as a “Bonafix”, which was made for years, and there’s not a lot of information out there to identify when this one was made. I’m guessing it’s from 1952 or so.
The weird thing about this camera is that it has two little windows in the back where you can see which picture you’re on – one in the corner and one in the middle. So I thought this meant I could use the middle window and the pictures would automatically be half-frame – giving me 16 pictures on a roll rather than 8. The numbers in the middle of the film go from 1 to 16 and are spaced half as far apart.
So I happily went out and shot a roll of color film, and discovered that I was sadly mistaken. Apparently you need to do something on the inside of the camera to make this work – maybe some sort of adaptor or something. So all my pictures ended up overlapping.
So that was no good.
A couple of weeks later, I loaded up a roll of Kodak Professional Tri-X and decided to use the other film window and only take 8 pictures. This time the results were much better.
The picture above is an effigy of the type which is commonly hung at building construction sites. Its purpose is to ward off the “evil eye.” While we were in the village, we also discovered that there was a temple procession ongoing. A group of young men carrying some sort of decorated deity over their heads were going from house to house with several percussionists. At each home, people were waiting to anoint the procession’s feet with (what looked like) turmeric, and also engage in rituals such as smashing a coconut in the street. It’s all pretty unclear to us outsiders, but it makes for great photos.
Although I felt the pictures had come out pretty well, I had noticed while unloading the film that there seemed to be lots of dust on the inner lens. Later I would inspect more closely, and it turns out there is fungus growing on the inner glass surfaces of the 3 lens elements:
looks pretty bad on this picture, but you can only really see it when you put a light behind it and view at an indirect angle. I made this picture and enhanced the fungus to send to a friend to confirm this was the problem. Apparently it can be removed with some work, and it only “softens” pictures supposedly – doesn’t really show up otherwise. But it seems the spores can spread the fungus to other cameras – so I’ll need to take care of this when I can get my hands on some peroxide.
In any case, to sum up, this is a pretty good find I think. For a 1950s camera I’m quite satisfied with the results!
Folding Roll Film Camera
Made In Germany U.S. Zone.
105mm f4.5 Schneider Kreuznach Radionar Lens.
Aperture f4.5 - f32
Prontor Shutter Speeds B, 1/25 - 1/200 Sec.
Front Element Focus
Fold Out Sports Finder & Prism Viewfinder, Knob & Red Window Film Wind,
3 1/4" x 4 1/4" Images
On 120 Roll Film.
The Kodak Junior I and II are 620 film folding cameras made by Kodak Ltd. in the UK. They were introduced in July 1954 and made until 1959. The same body - with a better lens and shutter - was used for the Sterling II. The Junior I had a simple lens and single-speed Kodette III everset shutter; the Junior II had an adjustable diaphragm, adjustable Dakon shutter and a focusing Anaston lens. The Junior II has a body release, but the Junior I has a very awkward release protruding from the lens block, just in front of the oversized mounting plate - intended for a much larger device, as on the Sterling.
Rather more sophisticated than the Junior I, this camera features a body release, front cell focussing lens and a fully adjustable iris.
Name: Kodak Junior II
Produced between: 1954 - 1959
Lens: Anaston 105mm f/6.3
Shutter: Dakon II
Film type: 620
Picture size: 6 x 9 cm
Categories: folding, 620
