No. 4 Folding Kodet Junior (1894)

All Kodet cameras are cheap alternatives for the Folding and box Kodaks of the last half of the 1890's. The No. 4 Folding Kodet Junior was the cheapest of all of them, costing only $ 12. For this the photographist got a plate camera that took 4 x 5 inch photos on glass plates in double holders. Three of these double holders and a ground glass could be stored inside the back part of the body. A door on top gave access to these. The door in the back could be opened to view the ground glass for focusing and composing the picture, but the three plateholders had to be taken out first. The holders could be replaced with a special darkroom loaded Kodet rollholder for 48 exposures.
The adjustments are quite simple. On the front of the lens board is a lever to set the aperture, of which there are three. On the lower side of the lens board is a lever to set the speed of the shutter: faster, slower and something in between. On the upper part of the side is the button to set and fire the shutter. The shutter is operated like the shutter on the Falcon, the Bullet of 1895 and Pocket Kodak of 1895. Push the button to a side to cock the shutter. Press it in to fire the shutter. By pulling out the knob a bit and turning it 90 degrees, the shutter is set to T and remains open until it is pressed again.
There are at least two versions of the No. 4 Folding Kodet Junior. My example has its shutter speed lever on the side but other examples I have seen have it on the front of the lens board.
Like all Kodets the No. 4 Junior is a rare camera and I was glad to get this one, although it is not in such a fine condition as I would like. Especially the low quality leather on the box is poor.
The camera was produced from 1894 to 1897 and only 1500 were made.