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Kodak Medalist II

Do you choose the camera or does the camera choose you? We may try to think of a camera as a mindless, soulless, inanimate object, but experienced photographers know better. Experienced photographers know that if a camera likes you, you and it can do no wrong together. If a camera doesn't like you, there's no amount of counseling that will get the two of you on the same page.

The Kodak Medalist II is definitely a camera that chooses you. If it likes you, the massive, knurled focusing ring will move for you freely and the split image rangefinder will magically bring together the images and make them agree. If it agrees to let you use it, the camera will melt into your hands and the tall, but sturdy shutter button will feel like extensions of your fingers. The Medalist's hefty four pound weight will hardly be noticeable as you head off to make photographs together. Your vision and the camera's vision have become one. The Medalist has chosen you.

However, if you approach the Medalist with a squinty look and suspicion, the Medalist may never forgive you. You'll fumble with the film loading sequence that is a crucial step in unlocking the Medalist's secrets. There may seem to be levers and knobs that make no sense. The 1940s and 1950s design will seem as foreign as the controls of a British sports car from that era. Even trying to remove the camera's back doors will not be apparent and the Medalist will not reveal her mysterious ways easily.

As with any relationship, though, the more honest work you put into it, the better the two of you will work together. Give the Medalist time and the beauty of Kodak's 100mm f/3.5 lens will give you remarkably sharp images for a lens of its age. You'll appreciate the extra effort that goes into re-spooling 120 film onto Kodak's proprietary 620 film reels. Far from being a small price to pay, it's actually no trouble at all. You and your Medalist have learned each other and will enjoy countless afternoons together.

Kodak Medalist II

Mike has had his Kodak Medalist II for a number of years, but he still finds himself pausing occasionally to admire what sheer beauty and craftsmanship was put into the machine. ⠀ ⠀

Holding the camera is a different story - the 6x9 rangefinder is quite compact, but having all the components packed into a relatively small body leaves it feeling something like a brick. Like many great cameras, the Medalist's brick-like qualities aren't necessarily a downside. The weight and feeling become new challenges to test a photographer to be more deliberate and tuned in with their partner-in-crime.⠀ ⠀

The Medalist uses 620 film, a variation of 120 that requires a slightly smaller metal spool. The difference between 620 and 120 is subtle, but it is pertinent that you use 620 spools in models that require it, otherwise you'll have some trouble getting an exposed roll out of the camera.⠀ ⠀

We're grateful that Mike shared this image of his Medalist, so we could give the fantastic piece of machinery a bit of a spotlight.

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The Elegance of a Kodak Medalist II

The Medalist II is such an elegant camera, you could get lost just staring at it... be sure to tear yourself away long enough to make a few photos with them too.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀

Kodak Medalist II

How beautiful is the Kodak Medalist?! Just look at those lines and all that shiny, luminous metal...

We love this camera, in case that wasn't already obvious.

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Kodak Medalist II

As you may or may not know, we sell converted 620 film. We take 120 rolls of film and shave down the caps on the ends of the spools, making the height of the spool just a little bit shorter... short enough to then be usable in most 620 cameras. These converted rolls work almost all the time, with most 620 cameras out there. However, there are a couple of exceptions and the Kodak Medalist is one of them.

The trick, if you are using our film in your Medalist, is to keep an original, metal 620 spool as your take up spool. Feel free to load our converted film into the camera, but if you attempt to use that same spool later, as a take up spool, you will find that the exposed roll is too wide to remove from the film chamber in the camera. The original 620 spools have a more slender center column and this becomes critical in a camera like the Medalist, that has such tight tolerances in regards to space.⠀ ⠀

Do not worry about loosing your spools during processing! When you bring us your 620 film, just remind us and we will happily save the spools and return them to you for future use.

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