Manchu Warrior Posted February 20, 2015 Share #1 Posted February 20, 2015 I found this camera at an auction many years ago and it has been in the bottom of my closet for about as long as I have owned it. It is an Army Air Force K20 Aerial Aircraft Camera and it is very clean. What is interesting is that there where a pack of about 80 photos that came with it. Unfortunately the photos only have numbers on them and therefore I have no idea where that had been taken. From what I have read this camera it was supposedly a lightweight camera. In my opinion someone lied about that because it is pretty heavy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manchu Warrior Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share #2 Posted February 20, 2015 more photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manchu Warrior Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share #3 Posted February 20, 2015 photos of photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manchu Warrior Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share #4 Posted February 20, 2015 last photo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViewfinderGyrene Posted February 20, 2015 Share #5 Posted February 20, 2015 Beautiful example! Would love to know where the photos were taken! I'm suer somebody on here might know of a data base or collection of recon photographs that you could consult for comparison, great find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strawberry 9 Posted February 20, 2015 Share #6 Posted February 20, 2015 Very nice. I've toyed with the idea of buying one of these in the past but have wondered what I would do with it. Most likely, due to the weight and size, mine would end up at the bottom of a closet like yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strawberry 9 Posted February 20, 2015 Share #7 Posted February 20, 2015 photos of photos k20 cam 009.JPGk20 cam 010.JPG This may be a stretch, but judging by the geometric "boundries" of the farmland and grid street layout, I would guess this is in the U.S.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manchu Warrior Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share #8 Posted February 20, 2015 This may be a stretch, but judging by the geometric "boundries" of the farmland and streets, I would guess this is in the U.S.. I appreciate the info and I am going to take a better look at the photos and see if there is anything that stands out that someone may be able to ID. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manchu Warrior Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share #9 Posted February 20, 2015 Beautiful example! Would love to know where the photos were taken! I'm suer somebody on here might know of a data base or collection of recon photographs that you could consult for comparison, great find! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doinworkinvans Posted February 20, 2015 Share #10 Posted February 20, 2015 Is this the type that would be mounted in the modified Lightnings? They were F-5's I believe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebuddy Posted February 20, 2015 Share #11 Posted February 20, 2015 Oh yessssssssss ! Now I'm liking that ! Wasn't the K20 the standard aerial photography camera for the USAAF? LB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longbranch Posted February 20, 2015 Share #12 Posted February 20, 2015 Very cool camera! The term "lightweight" must bet taken in the context of the 1940s and aerial photography cameras in general. This was actually a fairly small unit that could be handheld, whereas other cameras utilizing much larger negative sizes were a LOT bigger/heavier. Even the standard press camera of the day, the 4X5 Speed Graphic and other similar cameras, are extremely heavy by today's standards. The K-20 is actually fairly simple, with a neat forward/backward twisting mechanism for advancing the film and cocking the shutter. I'm sure you're example could be used if shooting 4X5 roll film was still feasible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViewfinderGyrene Posted February 20, 2015 Share #13 Posted February 20, 2015 Oh yessssssssss ! Now I'm liking that ! Wasn't the K20 the standard aerial photography camera for the USAAF? LB Sure was Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebuddy Posted February 20, 2015 Share #14 Posted February 20, 2015 Sure was hey hey !! i got somthing right for a change !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebuddy Posted February 20, 2015 Share #15 Posted February 20, 2015 Somthing else i need to add to the wants list ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doinworkinvans Posted February 20, 2015 Share #16 Posted February 20, 2015 going back and looking at MACR's - i see that alot of camera's are listed. And that the K20 is actually one of the fewer thats listed. I see alot of K17s...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebuddy Posted February 20, 2015 Share #17 Posted February 20, 2015 Are the cameras listed on the MACR's Dan ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doinworkinvans Posted February 20, 2015 Share #18 Posted February 20, 2015 Most of the time they are...not always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViewfinderGyrene Posted February 20, 2015 Share #19 Posted February 20, 2015 Most of the time they are...not always. All of the times I looked at the MACRs of downed A/Cs and I never noticed a camera # being lsited if there was a photog on board. That's amazing! Wouldn't it be incredible on here if somebody found one and traced it to a 30-50 mission crew?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebuddy Posted February 20, 2015 Share #20 Posted February 20, 2015 All of the times I looked at the MACRs of downed A/Cs and I never noticed a camera # being lsited if there was a photog on board. That's amazing! Wouldn't it be incredible on here if somebody found one and traced it to a 30-50 mission crew?! Whoaa that would be some find !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manchu Warrior Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share #21 Posted February 20, 2015 Very cool camera! The term "lightweight" must bet taken in the context of the 1940s and aerial photography cameras in general. This was actually a fairly small unit that could be handheld, whereas other cameras utilizing much larger negative sizes were a LOT bigger/heavier. Even the standard press camera of the day, the 4X5 Speed Graphic and other similar cameras, are extremely heavy by today's standards. The K-20 is actually fairly simple, with a neat forward/backward twisting mechanism for advancing the film and cocking the shutter. I'm sure you're example could be used if shooting 4X5 roll film was still feasible. I know that lightweight met something different back in the 1940's. I actually had a photo of an air crewman hanging out the side of a plane with one of these cameras but I cannot seem to locate it. Nor can I find it online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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