The 34kg-Camera Used For Aerial Shooting During World War II

This giant camera was used for aerial shooting during World War II. The attached lens has a focal length of 305mm, an aperture of f/5, and a length of 2.5meters.

The photo has gone viral on the Internet in recent years. However, people often mistake it for a Kodak K-24.

Actually, it is the Fairchild K-17 which was designed by Fairchild Camera and Instrument. Former Graflex manufactured them under a license for the US Air Force in Rochester, New York (Kodak’s hometown) in the early 1940s.

Fairchild K-17 takes a 9 x 9 (equivalent to 22.86 x 22.86cm) photo size, using 9 rolls of film inch wide.

The camera has 6-inch, 12-inch, and 24-inch long lenses, equivalent to f/6.3, f/5, and f/6 apertures that are compatible with this camera.

The camera in the photo has a weight of 34kg. So it is no wonder, the camera holder looks quite stressed out holding this camera. Fortunately, cameras these days, especially those used in the aerial shots, are much smaller and lighter.