© mike connealy
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Kodak Pony IV Vintage Cameras Index Home | |||||
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Designer: Arthur H. Crapsey, Jr. 35mm non-rangefinder Bakelite and plastic body Estimated focus (2.5 ft. - inf.) Anastar f/3.5 coated lens Kodak Flash 250 Shutter (B, 30-250) Manual shutter cocking Double exposure prevention Some sample photos from the Pony IV:
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Kodak's Pony line was a effort by the company to stay competitive in the field of small, affordable, and easy-to-use cameras. There were models using 828 roll film and 35mm, and a lot of pictures were made with them in the 1950's and '60s. The Pony IV lacked a rangefinder, but was otherwise full-featured with aperture adjustment from f/3.5 to f/22 and speeds to 1/250 sec. The camera was designed to be used primarily with the Exposure Value system supported by a series of exposure guide cards that could be inserted for reference in a frame on the camera's back. However, the standard f/stop settings and shutter speeds are also indicated on the bottom side of the lens mount.
The Pony II and Pony IV cameras both featured Kodak's unique four-element Anastar lens design. The lenses were hard coated, as indicated by the symbol of an "L" in a circle on the lens mount front. The Pony IV which I purchased on eBay recently showed a little wear from use, but the shutter seemed near accurate. I did take off the front element of the lens to clean off some dust, but the camera really seemed to need nothing else to get it going after what may have been a half-century of disuse. Illustrated instructions for disassembly and servicing of the camera are available Daniel Mitchell's site (a Flash 200 Shutter on an 828 model is shown, but the directions are the same). If the instructions for disassembly are followed closely, the lens and focusing ring will come off all in a piece, making it easier to understand the function and reassembly process. If, instead, you completely remove the screws holding in the front lens element, you will end up with a small pile of parts as I did, and spend some time figuring out how it all goes back together. A couple of handy things to know: (a)The front lens element is inserted into the front mount from behind and; (b)the protrusion on the metal disk that limits the focus ring travel needs to be positioned in the neutral area of the focus ring index between the minimum focal distance setting and the infinity mark. Quite a few old Kodak manuals, including that for the Pony IV, are available on-line at no cost at http://mikec62.tripod.com/Kodak.html (The Yahoo Groups registration is a little irritating, but the price is right.) | ||||
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