What is the Retrofocus Project? 

The Retrofocus Project is my exploration of the history of photography through modern digital cameras and historic vintage camera lenses.  To help put this into context, here’s a little history:

When most people think about photographs from the early 20th century, “art” often isn’t what comes to mind.  The image of a portrait of some very stiff looking people with thin eyebrows is more likely.  There were, of course, millions of such photos produced during the first half of the 20th century, but there was also... (read more)

 

The Gear

Right now I'm using a 130mm lens and shutter assembly from a Kodak 1-A Autographic Junior camera (above) and an 84mm Vest Pocket Kodak lens and shutter from 1915. Click here for details.

 

 

 

The Retrofocus Gallery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my Great Grandfather's Kodak Autographic No. 3-A camera, circa 1914. The lens mounted on it is a 170mm Kodak Anistagmat f7.7. It uses 122 roll film, and originally cost $50.50 new. It produced a large 3.25"x5.5" negative. Interestingly, very few digital cameras can match the sheer resolving ability of a negative this large. There are Medium Format camera backs that can, but they are extremely expensive. Kodak made several different sizes of these bellows folding cameras, and this is a large one. The lenses used in this project are the same type, but somewhat smaller.