Kodak Signet 30

The Kodak Signet 30 is a viewfinder camera. It was manufactured by Eastman Kodak from 1957 to 1959. It is part of the Signet series and was introduced together with the Signet 50. Both models can be called budget versions of the Signet 35 and are visually very similar with their bakelite housing. However, the Signet 30 lacks the selenium exposure meter of the Signet 50.

The original price of the camera was 55 US dollars at that time and so the extra charge for the light meter was 27 US dollars. Today, the 55 US dollars correspond to a value of about 500 US dollars in 2020.

The 35mm photo camera comes with a fixed focal length lens. The designation of the lens is “Kodak Ektanar 44mm f/2.8”. Thorium oxide was also used in the composition of the lens. Thorium oxide is radioactive and was often used by Kodak for their lenses at that time.

The focal length is 44 mm. The largest aperture is f/2.8. The 35mm camera does not have an autofocus function. The focus is adjusted manually. The closest focusing distance for this lens is 76 cm (2.5 feet).

The Kodak Synchro 250 is automatically cocked and can achieve exposure times from 1/250 second to 1/4 second. If you want to take long term pictures, there is the bulb setting. The camera has a thread for a tripod. There is also a connection for a cable release. Via the Kodalite connection it is also possible to use an external flash.

Films for the Kodak Signet 30

The Kodak Signet 30 is loaded with 35mm film. 35mm film is still easy to obtain and is developed by most photo labs. However, the films recommended in the manual are no longer available. Instead, a good film choice is the Fujifilm Superia 400* for color and the Ilford XP2 Super* for black and white images.

The film in the camera must be rewound manually, since there is no automatic film transport. Important, the camera will only release with a film inserted. So if you test the camera before you buy it, you should not forget this fact.