Kodak

Est. 1888

Kodak

Kodak is an American photography and imaging make founded by George Eastman in Rochester, New York. Introduced as a camera brand in 1888, Kodak became one of the most influential names in photographic film, cameras, lenses, processing equipment, projection systems, and optical manufacturing. The Eastman Kodak Company name was adopted in 1892.

Kodak produced lenses for consumer cameras, professional photography, aerial reconnaissance, cinematography, enlarging, projection, and scientific imaging. Its premium Ektar lenses are especially relevant to collectors of vintage cameras and rangefinder equipment. A small number of Kodak Ektar 47mm f/2 lenses were supplied in Leica Thread Mount for the American Kardon rangefinder, while other examples originated on fixed-lens Kodak Retina cameras and have subsequently been converted to Leica M-mount.

History

Founding / Early Years

George Eastman began commercial production of photographic dry plates in Rochester in 1880. In 1881, Eastman and Henry A. Strong formed the Eastman Dry Plate Company. The business subsequently expanded into roll-film materials, an area that would become central to the development of amateur photography and motion pictures.

The Kodak name was introduced in 1888 with a simple handheld camera preloaded for 100 exposures. After the film had been exposed, the camera could be returned to the company for developing, printing, and reloading. This combination of camera, film, processing, and distribution helped make photography accessible to a much broader public.

The business became the Eastman Company in 1889 and was reorganized as Eastman Kodak Company of New York in 1892. A New Jersey parent company followed in 1901. Kodak expanded internationally and developed large manufacturing operations for cameras, film, photographic paper, chemicals, and related photography equipment.

The inexpensive Brownie camera, introduced in 1900, further expanded the amateur market. Kodak also became an important supplier of professional film, motion-picture stock, medical imaging materials, and industrial photographic products.

Market Entry

Kodak initially fitted many cameras with simple lenses or optics supplied by outside manufacturers. As its camera business developed, the company established increasingly sophisticated optical design and manufacturing capabilities in Rochester. Kodak Anastigmat lenses appeared across multiple camera and format categories, followed by names such as Anastigmat Special, Anastar, Ektanar, and Ektar.

Kodak introduced the Ektar designation during the 1930s for premium photographic lenses. Ektar was a quality and product-family name rather than a single optical formula. Different Ektar lenses used different constructions according to their focal length, aperture, image format, and intended application.

In 1931, Kodak acquired the Nagel Camera Company in Stuttgart, Germany. The factory became Kodak AG and introduced the Kodak Retina in 1934. The Retina family helped establish the reusable 35mm cassette as a major photographic format. Kodak AG later manufactured Retina rangefinder cameras, Retinette cameras, and Retina Reflex models.

German Kodak cameras frequently used lenses supplied by Schneider-Kreuznach and Rodenstock. However, selected Retina models were equipped with Ektar optical units manufactured by Eastman Kodak in Rochester. This distinction is important when cataloguing Kodak lenses because a Kodak camera or Kodak-branded assembly does not necessarily indicate that every optical component was manufactured in the United States.

Expansion / Modern Period

Kodak expanded its professional lens program substantially during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Ektar lenses were produced for 35mm cameras, medium-format cameras, press cameras, large-format photography, aerial cameras, and motion-picture equipment. Specialized families included Wide Field Ektar, Commercial Ektar, Portrait lenses, Cine-Ektar, and Aero-Ektar.

The Kodak Ektra, introduced in 1941, was an advanced American 35mm rangefinder camera with interchangeable Ektar lenses. Although its proprietary lens mount was unrelated to Leica Thread Mount or Leica M-mount, the Ektra demonstrated Kodak’s ability to produce complete high-grade optical systems for professional rangefinder photography.

During and after the Second World War, Kodak supplied optical equipment for military and technical applications. One of the most relevant products for Leica collectors was the Ektar 47mm f/2 supplied for the Kardon camera. The Kardon was manufactured by Premier Instrument Corporation as an American rangefinder camera based on the general layout of the Leica III series.

The Kardon version of the Ektar 47mm f/2 used a 39mm screw mount compatible with the Leica screw system and incorporated rangefinder coupling. Eastman Kodak manufactured the optical unit in Rochester, while Premier Instrument Corporation produced the focusing mount and camera. Military examples were supplied to the United States Army Signal Corps, followed by a smaller number of civilian cameras.

A related 47mm f/2 Ektar was installed in limited numbers on postwar Kodak Retina II cameras manufactured in Germany. These Retina lenses were mounted in leaf shutters and were not interchangeable LTM lenses. Many Leica M examples encountered today are custom conversions made from Retina optical units. Their mechanical construction, rangefinder calibration, minimum focusing distance, and frame-line selection depend on the individual conversion.

Kodak remained a dominant photographic company through much of the twentieth century. Its major products included Kodachrome and Ektachrome film, Brownie and Instamatic cameras, professional films, motion-picture stock, projection equipment, and photographic processing systems. Kodak researcher Steven Sasson constructed an early self-contained digital camera prototype in 1975, but the later transition from film to digital imaging substantially changed the company’s consumer business.

Eastman Kodak Company entered Chapter 11 reorganization in 2012 and emerged in 2013 with a greater emphasis on commercial printing, advanced materials, imaging technology, and film manufacturing. The historic Kodak name continues to be used across photographic, motion-picture, printing, and licensed consumer products, although the classic Kodak photographic-lens lines are no longer in regular production.

Product Lines

Ektar Lenses

Ektar was Kodak’s principal premium lens designation. The range included compact camera lenses, professional press-camera optics, medium-format lenses, large-format lenses, and specialist optical equipment. The Ektar name does not identify one optical construction, and specifications must be recorded for each individual model.

Kardon LTM Lenses

The Kodak Ektar 47mm f/2 supplied for the Kardon is the principal factory-made Kodak lens associated with Leica Thread Mount rangefinder cameras. It was manufactured as a coupled LTM lens and can be used on compatible screw-mount cameras. It can also be mounted on Leica M cameras through an appropriate LTM-to-M adapter.

Retina and Retinette Lenses

Kodak AG produced the Retina and Retinette camera families in Stuttgart. These cameras used fixed lenses or interchangeable lens components depending on the model. Optics were supplied under Kodak names and by established German manufacturers such as Schneider-Kreuznach and Rodenstock.

The Ektar 47mm f/2 fitted to certain Retina II cameras was made in Rochester but installed in a fixed leaf-shutter assembly. It should not be catalogued as an original LTM or M-mount lens unless it has received a documented conversion.

Ektra Rangefinder Lenses

The Kodak Ektra system included interchangeable Ektar lenses covering wide-angle, standard, and telephoto focal lengths. These lenses used Kodak’s proprietary Ektra bayonet and are not natively compatible with Leica rangefinder cameras. Surviving examples are sometimes adapted or rehoused for modern mirrorless and Leica M-mount use.

Professional and Large-Format Lenses

Kodak manufactured Commercial Ektar, Wide Field Ektar, and other professional lenses for press cameras, studio cameras, and large-format photography. Many were installed in leaf shutters or lens boards rather than focusing mounts.

Cine-Ektar and Projection Lenses

Cine-Ektar lenses were produced for Kodak motion-picture cameras and other cinematographic applications. Kodak also manufactured projection and enlarging lenses. These products may be adapted experimentally to modern cameras, but they were not originally rangefinder lenses and normally lack a focusing mount and rangefinder coupling.

Aero-Ektar Lenses

Aero-Ektar lenses were designed for aerial and military photography. They included unusually fast large-format optics for reconnaissance cameras. Their dimensions, image circles, and mounting requirements are fundamentally different from those of conventional Leica lenses.

Technical Characteristics

Feature	Description
Company identity	The Kodak brand was introduced in 1888. Eastman Kodak Company was established under that name in 1892.
Principal manufacturing location	Kodak’s main American optical and photographic manufacturing operations were based in Rochester, New York.
European production	Kodak AG operated the former Nagel factory in Stuttgart, Germany, where Retina, Retinette, and Retina Reflex cameras were manufactured.
Ektar designation	Ektar identified a premium Kodak lens family, not one specific optical formula.
Lens applications	Kodak produced optics for consumer cameras, rangefinder cameras, press cameras, medium format, large format, cinematography, aerial photography, projection, enlarging, and scientific imaging.
Factory LTM connection	The 47mm f/2 Ektar supplied for the Kardon is a documented factory Leica screw-mount lens with rangefinder coupling.
Kardon manufacture	Eastman Kodak manufactured the 47mm f/2 optical unit, while Premier Instrument Corporation manufactured the Kardon camera and lens focusing assembly.
Retina 47mm f/2	The Retina version was installed in a fixed leaf-shutter camera and was not originally an interchangeable LTM or M-mount lens.
Leica M compatibility	A genuine Kardon LTM lens can be mounted using a suitable LTM-to-M adapter. Converted Retina or Ektra lenses require a correctly engineered M-mount focusing assembly and rangefinder cam.
Native M-mount production	Kodak did not establish a regular native Leica M-mount lens line. Most Kodak lenses advertised in M-mount are later conversions or rehoused optical units.
Rangefinder coupling	Factory Kardon lenses are coupled. Fixed-camera, cine, enlarging, and large-format Ektar lenses are not rangefinder-coupled unless a later conversion provides this function.
Lens coating	Many postwar Ektar lenses received Kodak anti-reflection coatings marketed as Lumenized. A circled L appears on numerous coated examples, although coating and markings vary by production period.
Shutter configuration	Retina and large-format Ektar lenses were often installed in Compur, Kodak, or other leaf shutters. The shutter can form an essential part of the aperture and mounting assembly.
Optical construction	Optical designs differ across the Ektar family and include constructions optimized for standard, wide-angle, telephoto, macro, aerial, and projection use.
Identification	Complete engraving, focal length, aperture, serial number, shutter, rear mount, rangefinder cam, and country of manufacture should be recorded.
Conversion status	Original Kardon LTM lenses, converted Retina lenses, adapted Ektra lenses, and modern custom M-mount rehousings should be treated as separate variants.

Market Reception

Kodak became one of the most widely recognized photography companies in history. Its cameras and film helped transform photography from a specialist process into a mass-market activity, while its professional products were used in commercial, scientific, military, medical, and motion-picture imaging.

Among vintage lens collectors, Kodak Ektar lenses are generally regarded as the company’s most significant photographic optics. Interest varies considerably by model. Common press-camera and projection lenses remain relatively accessible, while rare Ektra lenses, fast Aero-Ektars, and original Kardon LTM lenses can attract substantial collector interest.

The Kodak Ektar 47mm f/2 is especially relevant to LeicaLensList because it exists in several mechanically different forms. Original Kardon examples are rare, rangefinder-coupled LTM lenses. Retina examples are fixed-camera optical units, while most Leica M-mount examples are later custom conversions. These versions should not be combined into a single variant without identifying the original assembly and conversion method.

Condition is particularly important with Kodak vintage lenses. Coating damage, haze, separation, shutter problems, stiff focusing mechanisms, and inaccurate rangefinder conversions can materially affect usability and value. For converted M-mount lenses, accurate infinity registration and rangefinder calibration are more important than the presence of an M bayonet alone.

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