Kodak Reflex II (1948–1954)
The Kodak Reflex II is a twin-lens reflex camera made by Eastman Kodak in Rochester, NY. It's one of the few American TLRs of real substance. It shoots 6×6 cm images on 620 roll film. The coated four-element Kodak Anastar 80mm f/3.5 taking lens stops down to f/22, and a matching Anastar does the viewing. The Flash Kodamatic shutter runs from 2 to 1/300 plus bulb and time. The camera focuses down to 3.5 feet with geared front-cell focusing, a design very similar in spirit to the Ricoh Ricohflex. It weighs 2 lbs 1 oz and takes a 1½-inch (38mm) push-on filter.
The Reflex II was not a cheap camera when new. It was positioned as a contemporary of the Rolleiflex, with features to rival it at a more approachable price. That relative affordability is part of why collectors and shooters still seek it out today. One modern reviewer calls it “a well-built and well-designed American TLR” that makes beautiful photos at a tenth of the price of its German counterpart. The twin-lens format drew dismissive comments even in its own era. A seller recounting the camera’s history notes one skeptic declaring the TLR obsolete, a claim the seller strongly rejected. The Science Museum Group Collection holds a Reflex II and lists its production years as 1948-54. Some enthusiast sources narrow that to 1948-49, so the exact end date is uncertain.
Surviving documentation on the Reflex II is thin. The archive's research has turned up no original price, no detailed lens design specs, and no systematic record of common problems or maintenance issues. Period and modern accounts agree on this much: it's a capable, well-made TLR, and the Kodak Anastar lenses are pin-sharp and nicely coated.
Known Specs
- Type: Twin-lens reflex, 620 roll film
- Image size: 6×6 cm (2¼ × 2¼ in)
- Lens: Kodak Anastar 80mm f/3.5–22 (taking and viewing)
- Shutter: Kodak Flash Kodamatic, 2–1/300 + B/T
- Focus: 3.5 ft to infinity, geared front-cell
- Filter: 1½″ push-on (38mm)
- Weight: 2 lbs 1 oz (935.6 g)
- Made in Rochester, NY
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