Kodak No. 4 Bulls-Eye Special (c. 1898–1904)
The No. 4 Bulls-Eye Special is a Kodak box camera from the turn of the century. Today it shows up mostly in scattered auction listings and in the hands of the occasional working photographer. It was a large-format camera taking 4×5-inch exposures on No. 103 roll film, twelve exposures per roll, and it sold for $20 when new in 1898. About 10,000 were made between 1898 and 1904, though that figure traces to a single forum source and isn't independently corroborated.
Here is what's documented about the hardware. It had a Bausch & Lomb Rapid Rectilinear lens and an Eastman Triple Action shutter. The body was covered in black morocco leather with nickel-plated brass hardware. One surviving example, serial no. 600, was described as well preserved and somewhat restored. Another surfaced with heavy mold on the exterior leather, which seems to be the most common ailment these suffer today.
The record has a small discrepancy. Some sources call this the "1898 Model," while a Collectors Weekly listing titles it the "Model of 1899." The production run (1898 - 1904) covers both, so it's likely a naming variation rather than two distinct cameras. The sources don't say so explicitly.
One modern film photographer lists the No. 4 Bulls-Eye Special among working cameras, and captions shots taken with it as Ilford Delta 100 in 120 format. That's odd, since the camera's documented film is No. 103 roll film. Whether that photographer's example was modified to accept 120, or the caption means something else, isn't clarified anywhere in the record.
No weight, dimensions, lens focal length, aperture range or shutter speed data have surfaced. The relationship between this model and Kodak's other Bulls-Eye variants (the Model of 1896, Model C, Model D) is likewise undocumented. The shared name is clear, but no source states how these models relate.
Known Specs
- Format: 4×5 inch, twelve exposures on No. 103 roll film
- Lens: Bausch & Lomb Rapid Rectilinear
- Shutter: Eastman Triple Action
- Body: Black morocco leather, nickel-plated brass hardware
- Original price: $20 (1898)
- Production: c. 1898–1904; about 10,000 made
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