Kardon Camera — Concert Photos, Historical Images, Travel Photos & Camera Collecting Blog

The Kardon camera is one of the rarer 35mm cameras to have in your collection. As far as a rarity in cameras goes, it's on par with the Kodak Super Six-20, The Bell & Howell Foton, and a few others because they were in limited production. The Kardon has a pretty exciting and involved story, much better told by Dean and Sandy Ritz. There is also a great book, and almost as difficult to find as the camera, The Kardon Camera Story by Jerome Katz, 1975.

The short version of the Kardon story is at the beginning of WWII. The U.S. government took control of the New York branch of the German E. Leitz company and wanted to build a camera similar to the Leica IIIa. Unfortunately, it wasn't available to the government due to the war. They figured they had the machinery at the E. Leitz branch, but by 1943 they determined the production machinery to manufacture the cameras wasn't in good working condition and unrepairable.

During this time, Russian-Immigrant and President of Premier Instrument Corporation, Peter Kardon comes into the picture. In a way to help the war effort, they took on the task of redesigning the Leica IIIa and came up with the Kardon camera for the U.S. government. The cameras came with the extremely sharp Kodak 47mm f2.0 Ektar lens and were known as the "American Leica." The cameras were initially being made for The Signal Corp. and delivered in 1945. Shortly after the war had ended, the government canceled the contract for the remaining cameras on order. The original cameras have a plate on the back with Signal Corps, U.S. Army, PH-628/UF, and the serial number. To sell the cameras to the public, they made a short run of cameras without the plate and the serial number on the top plate of the camera. Due to the very high price of the camera, which was just under $400 at the time, It's my understanding there were less than 2000 cameras made. The Kardon camera was a technical triumph, but a financial disaster.

The camera I have is missing the back nameplate, and there are holes in the back where the plate is attached with chrome studs, I've not shot with the camera. Also, on the lens, the outer ring is dented slightly and needs to be straightened. It looks like someone tried and failed, but that's OK because I bought it for a very reasonable price and always wanted one for my collection.

The Kardon Camera is an exceptionally well designed and masterfully made camera. The camera measures 8" wide x 6" tall x 6" deep with the lens., and weighs 3 lbs. The loading of the film is very similar to any Leica film camera. The camera comes with the pull-out take-up spool and the removable bottom plate. On top of the camera, the film advance wheel is much larger and more comfortable to advance. Inside the film advance, is the frame counter with two protruding knobs to turn to set. The shutter speed dial on the top ranges from 1/1000-1/20-1, and "B" The slow shutter speed dial on the front of the camera ranges from 1/20-1 sec. The rangefinder on the camera is bright to view and easy to focus. Next to the rangefinder, is the optical viewfinder.

On the Signal Corp camera, they came with a removable extended shutter release, which sticks up much higher. The personal Kardon camera didn't come with the extended shutter release. The standard Kodak 47mm f2 Ektar lens is mounted in a premier focusing mount with a knurled wheel on the outside to make it easier to focus. The fitted camera case is a lovely brown leather and excellent stitching to hold it together under extreme conditions. I always enjoy playing with this camera and only wish it would have been around for a while longer, as I believe it's one of the best-made cameras I own. Come to think of it. I'm going to cover up the holes on the back of the camera and take it for a spin this week. I'll report back on the images I took from it.

If you have questions or comments about this or any other camera posting, I'd love to hear from you. For now, until next week, please be safe.

Next week's blog post will be on Robot Luftwaffen Eigentum camera from my collection.

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Here is some background information about my life.

I can still vividly recall the pivotal moment when my uncle gifted me my first camera at the tender age of nine. It was a Univex twin lens camera, a gift that would shape my future and ignite a lifelong passion. As I peered through the waist-level finder, the world appeared in a mesmerizing, albeit reversed, form. Despite the initial confusion, my young mind quickly adapted, learning that left was right and right was left. This camera accompanied me on a memorable vacation to Alaska, where I shot 620 films, preserving the moments in both negatives and photos that I still cherish today.

Fast forward to when I'm 16. I find myself in the front row at concerts like Traffic, Humble Pie, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Queen, and all the classic bands of the '70s. My three friends and I went to see bands at least once or twice a month. I was first published in Rolling Stone, Musician, Guitar Player, and other notable publications. In later years, we published a blog about the shows we saw, and I also have images on my website. I'm currently writing a book about my experiences and the pictures from this period.

My love affair with cameras and photography blossomed when I turned 18 and embarked on a journey at the local camera store. Over the next two decades, I became intimately familiar with the classic cameras of the 1970s and '80s, including the iconic Canon AE-1, Nikon F, Minolta SRT, Pentax Spotmatic, and Topcon Super D. I could recognize these cameras from their outlines alone, a testament to the depth of my knowledge and passion. During this time, I began amassing a collection of all things photographic, but my heart truly belongs to cameras and the lenses that accompany them.

I've had a great career in the photo industry, which has led in many different directions. My various positions included Professional Photo Lab Manager, PrePress and high-end scanner salesman, Representative for Sinar and Broncolor, and Leaf Digital back representative, as well as Profoto Representative for the US West Coast for almost 15 years. I concluded my career as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for two prominent lighting companies from Switzerland, Elinchrom and Broncolor.

During these times, I've had the opportunity to travel. I always made time to seek out cameras or photo items in the towns I visited. I've also had the chance to meet and work with some fascinating photographers throughout my career, including Mary Ellen Mark, Jim Marshall, Dan Winters, Annie Leibovitz, and many others.

Currently, my camera collection consists of approximately 500-600 cameras. It includes many exotic and colorful Kodaks, such as the complete line of Beau Brownies, the very rare Super-Six Twenty, the 35mm Ektra model and lenses, and the string set models. I also have a few Leicas from the original A series, including the hockey stick models, as well as some of the newer digital models. I own everything, from subcompact models to many 8x10 cameras with exotic brass lenses.

I've devoured McKeown's camera guides and own most versions of the camera bible, going back to 1984. I own a collection of camera collecting books, numbering approximately 100, including books on camera manufacturing and photography. I collect cameras, but my photographic collection includes approximately 200 panoramic images, several hundred Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, original glass negatives, camera advertisements, figurines featuring cameras, and many other items. I started the Camera Collecting page on Facebook.

My journey with eBay began in its early days, around 1996. I was an early adopter, and when I officially joined in 1997, my seller number was 1034. Since then, I've been a dedicated seller on eBay under the name Clix. I've also established my own store, Cuny's Cameras and Photo, where I continue to share my passion for photography and camera collecting with a global audience.