PixlBit

AKA My Eastman Kodak, Model 1A Pocket Kodak, 1926

Ever since I was little I was fascinated with cameras. From the simple "point and click" models that involved those weird "U" shaped film carts to Polaroids to the 35mm thereafter. I remember being quite a shutter bug when I was little, taking pictures of family members or scenic moments that I found fascinating. In high school I took photo class so I could enjoy playing around with a used Pentax. I was even lucky enough to use a dark room to enjoy developing the pictures I took. At that time all we used was black and white film but there was something about black and white that stood out unlike color photos. When I went to college I learned more about the art of photography. From finding the right angle to shoot at crime scenes, to simple mug shots. Mind you this was all before the advent of digital photography so I was able to get my hands dirty in the practice. Even to this day I still have rolls of undeveloped 35mm film that has yet to be developed to see what kind of treasures are lurking within.  Yet to this day I can't bring myself to develop them. Just knowing there are pictures to be found on those rolls leaves me with an anticipation of one day learning their secrets. Just not today, no not today I tell myself.

I even have the negatives from high school and college.

Even though I've distances myself from photography, in part of digital technology attached, I still find myself drawn to it every now and then. Be it from a TV show, a movie, someone's instagram/tumblr, or in this case, a video game, it keeps me interested with all the simple complexities a camera can offer. Even a photo shoot posted by a 1uper, in a "Silent Hill", motif that I liked. (I think it was 1uper, GH, but I can't seem to find the pics just now.)

So mixing my fascinations with a camera, with the mysticism they carry with them (be it in-game/movie/TV show or real world superstitions) will always carry my interests. I recall how my grandparents didn't care for their photos being taken (my grandma for fear having her soul stolen to my grandpa given how he was always with a beer in hand) so I understood the superstitious/self conscience aspects a camera can bring up in people. But the game series "Fatal Frame" add a whole new level to my interest in cameras with the advent of their series constant, the "Camera Obscura". Those not in the know it's basically a special camera that has the ability to help capture/combat spirits in the real world. It might sound like a silly concept at the time (I recall one reviewer comparing the game to Pokemon Snap! but with ghosts).

This was when I became curious about the cameras of old. The ones that used powder flash and old box style builds. I wanted to find something that look similar to the "Camera Obscura" in the game series but for the most part I turn up empty handed at local garage sales and flee markets. I can find old Polaroids a plenty, along with cheapy 35mm cameras but no luck on my personal "Camera Obscura."

Until about two years ago. During one of the area's big rummage sales I happen to see this camera in a auction display case. It came complete with carrying case and looked to be in working order. The lady minding the case said it was fully functional (though finding film would be hard) and that there was no damage to it whatsoever. Indeed she was telling the truth. Sadly it didn't look EXACTLY like the model type like the "Camera Obscura" but it had that "old world quality" to it that just stood out among the rest of broken down cameras. It still had that "leathery" smell to it when you popped open the lens door. Even the carrying case had that "camera" smell to it. Like oiled lenses and unused film. The shutter still functioned as did the viewfinder. It was truly a remarkable piece of craftsmanship.

It was just too bad I couldn't buy it.

I didn't have enough money for the asking $90 dollars for an up front buy let alone to put a bid. So I put it back up and left it as it was.

Fast forward a year later. Turns out that the auction didn't work out as planned for what do I find on the viewing shelf but the same camera as before. By then I learned it was an Eastman Kodak, Model 1A Pocket Kodak. Though I was unable to pin down an exact build date (some camera sites put it as 1926, others at 1934) but it looked the part of the age it came from. I wasted no time in paying the now $40 asking price, no auction this go around. "Teh wife" didn't understand why I wanted an old camera, even if it wasn't like the "Camera Obscura" I kept telling her about. It would be hard to find film for this type of camera, let alone finding a place that would develop it if it was the type that required developing. Over time I learned I got ripped off with the price (some offers range from a mere $15) but there's something about holding an old camera back in the day. Feeling the simple dials in operating it to the very smell of it as you take it out of the case.

You'd think I'd try to make a "cosplay" mock up of Fatal Frame's "Camera Obscura" with this camera but given the condition it's in I just couldn't bring myself to. It's like holding a piece of camera history, not something that one could just destroy to make a fake camera that could combat spirits. If it was a damaged/broken model I'd understand in doing such but not with this camera. Where does it rest now? Right next to my copies of Fatal Frame as a book end. "Teh wife" suggested I try to sell it but I can't bring myself to do such. My hording instincts just kick in with this camera. It might not be the model type of a "Camera Obscura" but it sure looks fancy enough to put next to a game series that helped perk my interest. Even when I get a chance to put back out my PS2 games from storage I'll see to it that my camera still has a place to stand right next to them. Who knows, perhaps one day I just might find the right kind of film to see if it can work. But I do know I won't be "enhancing it" like a certain video webseries has done with an old camera of similar design.

Ta-ta
"N"

BONUS VIDEO!

In this episode of "Camera Obscura", Claire now teams up with the local police detective on a possible lead on another demon run lose. Enjoy!

Sleep well tonight...