The Hawkeye was yet another of the mass-produced Kodak cameras, made between 1949 and 1961. In 1950 a version with a built-in synch port for a side-mounted flashgun was added, and it was this version that dominated the production run. This is the version I own, though I removed the flashgun when I used it as it added weight and bulk while interfering with my grip on the left side.
The Hawkeye is a nice example of 1950s-style streamlining and another one of Walter Dorwin Teague's fine designs for Kodak. Despite being a '50s-simple box camera, it is comfortable to use. The viewfinder is large and bright (about 2 cm by 2 cm), the body is well-sized and the rounded edges make it easy to hold, and the few controls are large and fall under the appropriate fingers. "Few" is the Kodak standard for later box cameras: shutter under the right thumb, pull-up knob for the Bulb setting under the left thumb, and film advance knob out of the way under the right palm. There is no double exposure prevention.
The lens is a simple uncoated meniscus with an aperture of about f/11, while the shutter speed is most probably 1/30 sec (1/30 seems to have been the default Kodak flash synch speed). Like most old cameras, it is meant to be used with slower films - even something as slow as ASA 100 film is pushing it except in low light, and there are only a few options remaining for ASA 25 or 50 film, as camera shutter speeds have steadily increased and faster - albeit grainier - film has become more prevalent to match. I used Fuji Reala 100 and was obliged to correct for overexposure in every frame, despite shooting just after sunrise and in heavy winter overcast. I think one could make a faster shutter by reducing the size of the window, though.
A note on film: the Hawkeye is built for 620 film, which differs from 120 in the spool dimensions, specifically and most critically the breadth and diameter of the end plates. Fortunately, the Hawkeye can accommodate a 120 spool with only a little trimming. The film advance might be a little stiffer than otherwise, but it is perfectly usable without hang-ups.
So, what can it do?
The first drawback of its simplicity is obvious; the one-element lens is not as sharp or consistent as a more complicated, newer lens. That said, the results are much better than I expected.
The slow shutter is no real obstacle, as the grip allows the camera to be braced against the body easily.
A note about Reala 100: I have a favorable view of this film considering how it performed despite the shortcomings of the camera and how well it accepted the necessary post-processing. This is a 100% crop at 3200 PPI:
A second drawback of the camera's simplicity is revealed: no coating on the lens = much more glare. I suppose one could try to fashion a lens shade of some kind, but that's about it.
I had more fun just using this camera than I have with any other. The waist-level finder helped prevent carelessness and haste while making shots, while the lack of fine control meant that there was no need to worry about fine control. It is, in effect, a photographic vacation. In my opinion, this is the camera Lomography should have marketed, were they an honest photography company instead of a bunch of hucksters. It is simple and fun to use, it is easily modified (flipping the lens to fuck up photos Holga-style is popular, but it can also be fitted with the synch equipment for modern electric flashes, given a cable release and a tripod mount point, etc.), and looks better and produces better quality results than the toy cameras so in vogue today.
I began shooting generally in the beginning of December after a two-month break, the results of which are just tricking back in. Anything great so far? No, but I'm going to post some anyway.
). The composition and light on shot 2 leave something to be desired, I could understand the shadow on the right, but the one on the left really detracts from the shot. Your second shot of the "Sunday Money" boat could be great, but only if it didn't have the wood taking up a fifth of the upper frame (And zooming in more would also have helped compose the shot to excellence).
