The quest to capture moments as images dates back to the 6th century BCE with the ancient Greeks’ camera obscura. But it wasn’t until 1826 that Frenchman Joseph Nicéphore Niépce created the first permanent photograph—using a sliding wooden box camera to expose a glass plate coated in silver and chalk, which darkened under light. For decades, photography stayed messy and elite: wet chemistry plates had to be coated fresh before each shot and developed on the spot.

Then came the digital revolution, exploding over the last decade. Now, anyone can snap endless photos, filling memory cards without a second thought. Review your shot instantly, tweak settings on the fly, or edit dramatically on a computer later. Modern cameras pack sensors and processors that handle exposure, autofocus, shutter speed, and aperture—you just point and shoot.

I’ve heard pros lament, “Everyone’s a photographer now!” They argue you need years in school, mastering theory through practice. Sure, grasping fundamentals like light, composition, and timing is essential. But to me, photography is deeper: a cognitive spark, a unique feeling channeled through an image.

Legends like Ansel Adams prove it. He skipped formal schools, honing his style in the wild—shooting, failing, learning, repeating. That’s how I began, and every shutter click teaches me more. I don’t copy others; I craft my voice. In today’s sea of point-and-shoot smart phones, most shots blend into sameness. True standouts defy “rules” yet nail the fundamentals—that’s what separates amateurs from masters.

Easier said than done, of course. But I believe this is photography’s future: boldly contemporary, rooted in timeless principles.

To live that philosophy, I’m challenging myself: restoring a 1917 Kodak 2C Autographic Junior Folding Camera, then shooting with it. The results? A secret for now—but outrageously fresh! 🙂

The Kodak 2C was among Kodak’s early hits, launching in 1917. Founded in 1888 by George Eastman, Kodak’s mission was simple: photography for the masses, a camera in every hand. They pioneered roll film on flexible backing, standardized formats (like Type 135 for 35mm and Type 120/220 for medium format), and popularized the boxy Brownie cameras of the early 1900s—which Ansel Adams actually used in his youth.

Restoring the 1917 Kodak 2C Autographic Junior Folding Camera

A bit of technical details of the Kodak 2C Autographic Junior Folding Camera:
Focussing System– Zone focusing with bellows
Lens– Kodak Anastigmat f/7.7
Shutter– 1/25, 1/50, 1/100 Kodak Ball Bearing Shutter
Apertures– f/7.7 11 16 22 32 45
Metering System– None
Film Type– A130
Flash– None
Battery– None
Dimensions– Folded Dimensions (44mm x 111mm x 222mm)
Weight– 963 grams

From the manual that came with the camera

Adding to the challenge is fact that the 130 film is no longer available. This means that apart from restoring the mechanicals of this camera, the camera needs to be modified to accept the 120 medium format black and white film!
After a bit of research, it seems that the best film to go with this camera is the Kodak 400TX 200 film.

This will be a long-term project, starting with the modification of the camera to take the 120 film instead of the A130.

November 2011 — The camera has been restored, film loaded and back in action.

For starters, all I really used to customise the camera for a 120 film was- 2 plastic caps from water bottles, some blue tack, 2 ear buds, black cardboard, black plastic sheet and a black permanent marker.

I made a 15cm X 8.5cm custom inner back in plastic with a 5.5cm x 6.5cm window over which the 120 film rolls

Using a Foden Meter and a Manfrotto Tripod

Checking the image counts

February 2012 — Here are the results of my first run with the retro beauty.

Parking Lot on 10/01/2012 [Distance~ 6m | F: 1 | Shutter Speed: 25 | Light/Weather: Overcast]

Brussels from my window on 08/01/2012 [Distance~ 30m | F: 1 | Shutter Speed: 25 | Light/Weather:Overcast]

Mutiple exposures of a lamp x 3 [Distance~ 2m | F: 1 | Shutter Speed: Bulb | Light/Weather: Indoors]

[Distance~ 8feet | F: 1 | Shutter Speed: 25 | Light/Weather: Overcast]

Interested in more vintage cameras? See my post on the rare Canonflex R2000, how I restored this classic camera, one of the first film SLR cameras from Canon in the 1960s

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