Kodak No. 2 Hawk-Eye Special (1928–1933)
The No. 2 Hawk-Eye Special is a box camera that Kodak produced from 1928 to 1933. It belongs to the Hawk-Eye line, which goes back to 1913. In the catalog it sits next to models like the No. 2 Brownie Model F and the later No. 2 Hawk-Eye Model B.B. (1933).
Not much is documented about the Special itself. It takes 120 rollfilm and makes eight 6×9 cm exposures per roll. The shutter has a single setting at roughly 1/30 second, and the aperture has just two settings. The lens is fixed behind the shutter. Two viewfinders are provided, one for vertical and one for horizontal compositions. The body is cardboard covered in black leatherette, with a leather strap on top that carried the model designation. The specimen in the Polish-language source is missing that strap.
The lens is still an open question. A Polish product-photography page titled for the Special lists a "KODAK ANASTON LENS MOUNT 320 f/3,9 43,9 mm" with focus from 2.5 to 40 feet plus infinity. That page appears to cover multiple Kodak cameras, though, and the spec may belong to a different model on the same page. Treat the lens data as unconfirmed until a cleaner source turns up. No dimensions, weight, original price or production quantities are recorded anywhere in the sources reviewed. A single eBay listing dates a specimen to 1928, which fits the 1928-1933 window.
For a box camera of its era, the Special is unremarkable in capability. It is simple, sturdy and cheap to make, which was Kodak's volume approach. It turns up regularly in eBay listings described as a "1920s box camera" or "deluxe" variant.
- Film: 120 rollfilm
- Image size: 6 × 9 cm, 8 exposures
- Shutter: Single speed, approx. 1/30 sec
- Aperture: Two settings
- Lens: Fixed, positioned behind the shutter (detailed spec unconfirmed)
- Viewfinders: Two — vertical and horizontal
- Body: Cardboard covered in black leatherette; leather strap on top
- Production: 1928–1933
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