Kodak Eastman View Camera No. 2-D (1921)
The Eastman View Camera No. 2-D - commonly called the Kodak 2D - has been in the news lately for an unusual reason. Austrian photographer Markus Hofstaetter bought a 104-year-old example and, with help from a team in Slovenia, restored it into what he calls a "steam cyber-beast." His project brought a wave of attention to a camera that had otherwise been quietly serving large-format shooters for over a century.
The Eastman View was introduced in 1921 at $70 (roughly $1,200 today), and the No. 2-D is one of its better-known variants. It's a wooden view camera. Depending on the plate and bellows length, it can shoot both 5×7 and 8×10 film. Examples in the wild are also listed as 4×5, which suggests some have been modified or configured differently over the years. Folmer Graflex manufactured the camera.
Hofstaetter's restoration was extensive. He fitted new bellows and a new rear standard built with Zebra in Slovenia. He also added a redesigned lens board and support system for heavy glass, added threads and magnets, and worked 3D-printed parts in alongside the original wood and carbon components. He calls it his most ambitious restoration project yet, and says that paired with his Dallmeyer Petzval lenses, it's a dream come true.
Beyond that, documentation on the No. 2-D is thin. Known specs:
- Formats: 5×7 and 8×10 (depending on plate and bellows length)
- Introduced: 1921
- Original price: $70
- Lenses commonly seen: Bausch & Lomb Tessar, Kodak Eastman Ektar 14" f/6.3
Surviving examples show up now and then on auction sites. Recent listings range from $320 to $550 for complete cameras, with condition varying widely.
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