Approx. dates of manufacture: 1917 - 1934
Approx. original price: $5 (1931)
Approx. street value: $10
This is the really big brother to my 2A Brownie. He's a real bruiser. Takes size 130 film and produces negatives 2 7/8" x 4 7/8"! Only my 4x5 cameras are larger, and I've seen compact 4x5s that are smaller all-around.
As mentioned on the 2A Brownie page, the 2A stands for the image size on the negative, not the model number itself. Kodak had a progression of number-letter combos; in general, as numbers progressed, the image got larger.
L.jpg)
Mine came with the carrying case, which is a kick. The case itself is very slim and lightweight, so it's almost like slipping it into a skin rather than a case. But I suppose it protects the lens.
This was a gift from a neighbor in the 1980s. For its condition, I doubt it got used much, and size 130 rollfilm was discontinued in 1961, which was at least 25 years before I got the camera.
I was toying with the idea of making a little holder, cutting some sheet film down and trying it out. Besides the fact that it would probably be a one-shot, reload-in-the-dark affair, the question of the camera's shutter speed came up (because I don't want to blow a lot of expensive sheet film just trying to figure the exposure). My guess is that's around 1/25th.
I've added two photographs here to show the scale. The one above is the 2C Brownie next a Kodak Junior 620. Since 120/620 is the most popular box camera size, I thought enough people would be familiar with it and immediately get a sense of how big the 2C really is. The photograph on the right is the 2A Brownie (left), which takes 116 film (same size as 616). Otherwise they're the same camera--same configuration, same controls, etc., and I figure they're about the same age. The big difference is that the case protected the 2C: the corners look good on it, whereas the 2A's are frayed and faded. Some time I'll dab a little shoe polish on it and it'll look a lot better.
Camera manual: Orphan Cameras.com